Classical Music: Where is the Key?

Recently, I have reviewed the Video which is about Benjamin Zander on the TED talk show a few times. It is interesting that the more I watched this video, the more I love to repeatedly watch this video. Gradually, I started to realize that each time when I watched this video, I felt that mentally I really participated in the talk show. For example, when Zander introduce Chopin’s E minor prelude (the piano piece), I was so focused on his direction of the lecture that how the interval, which is from musical note C to B, create a sad tone, and how process of the music gradually develops and ends on the final stable E minor chord, which convey a sense of back home. So during watching the entire show I felt the time is not existed, because all my concentration was on the program. I think that a good show or a good concert always delivers a sense that makes us become the part of its program, because once we become a part of a program, our interests to a concert or to show will be activated, so that we will feel as if we are in the anther free world to enjoy what we are hearing and watching. This week I have found two interesting posts, one of them was entitled “Fans of metal and classical music have a lot in common” by Laurana. This post basically introduces an idea that “musical tastes were a reflection of character,” suggested by Adrian North, who is a Professor from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. Through my comment to this post I will share my opinion to explain the meaning of Adrian’s idea. The other post was entitled “Building New Audiences for Our Classical Music Institutions” by Aaron M. Renn, a technologist, thinker and writer on urban affairs. Through his post Aaron shared his opinion about some possible ways to have new classical music audience for support classical music since he have seen less young people in the attendance of classical music concert. My response to this post discuss about more possibility of gaining more new classical music fan. Both of my comments these posts can be found below and at the respective sites.


Fans of metal and classical music have a lot in common
Comment

I think that I am very lucky to see such interesting post. Through reading this post I feel that my experiences to music have been connected with this post. This post tells us how different type of music display different type of personality, but what I have found from this post is that no matter what type of character we are or what type of music we are listening to, as long as our characters match a certain style of music, we will say that we like this music. In my opinion, music taste deals with music interpretation or music style, because various types of music, such as classical music, Jazz or rock, are given name so that these names can help us to easily memorize what kind of feeling the music brings to us. I had a friend who was a fan of rock music. He told me that the reason he liked to listen to rock music was that rock gave him a lot of energy, so when he listen to it, he felt very vivid. After hearing his reason I introduced him to listen to the second movement of the symphony no. 10 in E minor (Op. 93) by Dmitri Shostakovich(see the left). From then on, when I sit in his car, I found that his CD player most of time was playing that piece. Obviously, this example shows that to find a correct way to activate people’s spirits by using music is a crucial key to bring people into music no matter what type of music they are listening to. Once people mentally start to participate in the music, logically they will like the music.

I hope that I will have chance to see more this type of post about scientific research to music, because these true discoveries really help musicians to improve themselves in music performances and music studies. I only have a question that what motive encourage Professor North start this interesting field of research?


Building New Audiences for Our Classical Music Institutions
Comment

After reading this post, I am very happy that some people start to worry about the future of classical music, because when people start to have a fear to something, the solution of the fear will follow up from people’s mind. Through this entire post I start to know that how people who are not in the profession of classical music think about the current situation of classical music and the way they have suggested to approach the classical music. In order to encourage more people to attend in classical music concert, the first important thing is the program choice of concert. The reason is that classical music since its beginning to twenty first century has existed long time. During such long period development, those classical music composers, such as Bach, Beethoven etc, were using various methods from various angles to approach the composition of the classical music. So it is not easy to understand their music in a short time, even to our music students or professional musicians. Therefore, a proper program choice may easily turn on people’s interest to the music. This is same as an example that when we play a disco music in public, some people may naturally start to dance by following the stylistic rhythm.

The second important thing for an effective concert to audience is by using lecture to help people to understand what music they are listening to. I think this point has explained meaning of “I finally got it” on this post. Because when people start to be clear what they are hearing, they will have more confident to hear more. The more they are hearing, the more interests from them will be increased. I think that this analysis has well matched one of descriptions from this post, “once people like this get into something, they really get into it and really do want to understand the ins and outs in a deep and rich way.” Therefore, a lecture in a concert is like the function of bridge to allow people really access in the world of classical music. When people really get into world of classical music, they will start to benefit what classical music may gift to them.