If I were to be the first step and first leader in the process, could a resurge of classical music occur?

Question

I grew up listening to the Christian genre, and later found myself listening more to oldies music more than anything. About three years ago I somehow began enjoying movie scores and over time that was all I listened to. Well after a while I began thinking about how much I loved those scores because of the orchestrations involved and wondered if I would enjoy classical music then. Now at the time I was like most stereotypical teenage kids with the belief that classical music was this boring, long drawn out, meditation music, so I debated it for a while, but ultimately decided to give it a try. I used this free search engine we had at our house where we could listen to files other people chose to share through the engine and searched the only composer I knew the name or, Beethoven. I downloaded one track from each of his nine symphonies, and because I had no prior knowledge of classical music I didn't know there were different movements so I thought what I downloaded was the complete symphony. Although I enjoyed about three of them, the others just didn't interest me all that much. They were just like what I thought, boring. I almost gave up but later read that Mozart was who Beethoven learned a lot from and admired most so I tried his name and that was how I got interested in classical music. I found the Great G minor symphony and I absolutely loved it!!! As I listened more and more to Mozart I then discovered the structure of the movements of different works and such. I discovered Haydn and many other composers and soon found that classical music was all I was listening to!!! My appreciation for music dramatically matured and I eventually listened to those original downloads of Beethoven I had and now loved them!! (And yes I did download the whole symphonies.) I loved this art so much!!! It was all I thought about all day everyday!! I wanted to go further into this kind of music but I didn't play an instrument and couldn't afford an instrument anyways. I could only think of one thing to do, attempt to self teach myself the basics of music theory and attempt to compose. With help from the internet and adult friends who were well versed in music I quickly caught on and have written a few pieces. I know about key signatures, time signatures, dynamics, transposing instruments, instrument ranges, tempos, different forms (like sonata form), modulations, and many other things! I write music the old fashioned way on paper instead of using a software, but my adult friend at my Church plugs it into his Sibelius software for me so I can get a recording of it. My Youth Minister has his Masters in Composition so I let him listen to them and he's told me that he believes I have a little bit of prodigy in me. I'm currently working on a piece to enter into a competition for the Austin Symphony Orchestra. It's my first piece to compose for a full orchestra and use poly-rhythm. I'm hoping that maybe winning a few competitions like this will maybe at least help me get into college so I may major in composition, but first I have to win them. I've just never been this overwhelmed with so much emotion before!!!! God is first in my life, then friends and family, and then music. I know that many people don't believe that classical music will never have a comeback, and I admit that it will probably never be like what it was during the life of the composers back then, but I do believe that if enough people are willing to put forth effort that we can bring the music that started it all back to life!!! I know I'll never be near as good as Beethoven, Mozart, etc., but this music has left such major impact on my life and I someday want to leave that same impact on somebody else's life!! My family doesn't like classical music at all, and it's really discouraging, so that's why I'm curious to know from people who do enjoy and understand it, do you believe that we could bring it back if people like me make the first step, or this just a dream that's out of reach?

Answer 1

WOW! I've been participating here on Answers for a couple of years now - mostly on this CM forum - and I've never come across a one paragraph question the length of yours. If you're aspiring to a college education, I strongly urge you study and learn to compose your prose in a more readable format - just a bit of friendly advice.



Don't mean any disrespect, but your background seems to me to have been a rather cloistered one; or perhaps restricted, would be a better choice of words: your perspective of the societal status of classical music is.......not (no disrespect meant) an "educated one", shall we say. "Mamianka" is right on.



Surely there are radio broadcasts there in Texas of CM, opera, etc.? Dallas use to have I know and probably still does a fairly good symphony orchestra and opera company - as does Houston(if I'm not mistaken). Ft.Worth is the home of the Van Cliburn piano competitions.



And should you not be aware of it, You Tube is a wonderful resource for listening to/watching performances of all modes of Western Art Music; has anyone at your church ever performed this great organ work? : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ-ziYBi7U8



I for one would love to hear one of you compositions; should you care to up-load a recording of it to You Tube?



Good luck,



Alberich

Answer 2

I think you have to approach it from three perspectives; college education and its availability and affordability, retirement and what the future holds for them and how bad it could be as opposed to now and the way it is for their parents living on fixed incomes or about to live on fixed incomes, thirdly-the environment. While these things are not directly related all three hold huge social and financial impact for the younger adults of this country that will affect them for many years to come after they are well past their mid 30s and 40s an into their retirment years even. By becoming involved and helping and taking a hand now with the decisions and policies that will be made they are helping to set the course for THEIR future.

Answer 3

You should listen to composers like Vaughan Williams and Dvorak, their music has directly influenced a lot of movie/video game sound tracks.



Good luck with your composing.



Also, as far as I understand it, classical music was never really "popular" (except for opera)



Please tell me that you are composing in your own, unique style, and are not copying the long dead composers. Oh, and the not-so long dead composers don't like being copied either, nor do the living composers.

Answer 4

Classical music does not need resurrection, thank you - it never died. This gets asked EVERY WEEK (just not in such a long question . . ) Each year, in the US, we sell more tickets to live classical performances that we do to ALL SPORTS combined!!!! Think that the top ticket at the Met Opera is expensive at $750? People who go to the World Series or Superbowl willing spend thousands of dollars for a seat. The Yankees charge a ten grand PREMIUM to ALLOW you to purchase seats that are then thousands of dollars each.



I adjudicate competitions in NY state, and every year I personally hear hundreds of kids - many sites will hear 1 to 3 thousand kids, and there are HUNDREDS of sites each season, some tiny, some huge. We hear over 300,000 in NY state ALONE every year. And this is only ONE program of competitions and festivals! There are performing groups and serious student musicians in EVERY school - even the schools that have had severe cuts. There are many student-led groups, community groups, collegiate groups - the lists go on and on. And the play CLASSICAL music - sometimes not exclusively, but we are ALIVE. My professional groups are called upon to play for quite a few concert series, and we are OFTEN hired to provide chamber music for events where people genuinely know and appreciate fine music. As is said in Spamalot - "I'm not dead yet!!"



Added - you think that there are no NEW composers who are writing glorious and wonderful music???? Boy - you SERIOUSLY need to get out more - even if you cannot get into concert halls, at least find great streaming FM radio, and LISTEN. You have this air of some crusader about you - and you do not know that your fight is a joust at windmills. There is FABULOUS music being created every day - go FIND it for yourself!!! I attend many, many concerts every year- and perform in quite a few myself, as a soloist, or in chamber music. Yes, much of what we do it from the canon of great literature - but we ALWAYS include something that is new to our audiences. Sometimes it is NOT new on this planet - but it is new to them. You cannot throw people head-first into cutting-edge experimental things - but you can lead them. My Dad used to say "you can lead a horse to water - but before you do, try to remember what a wet horse smells like . . ." We cannot spring real avant-garde things on every audience, but we always bring something form a living composer - ALWAYS. And we will never run out of great stuff - EVER.

Answer 5

You need more friends in the "classical music" field.