Letter to the Editor

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: WHY SLAM CLASSICAL MUSIC CONCERTS?

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Dear Sir:

After having read Mr. Dave Barry's article entitled, "Music Appreciation" which appeared in the Wednesday, March 9th edition of the Southeast Missourian, I feel obliged to share my views with you and your readers concerning his observations. Although the piece was written tongue-in-cheek, some interesting questions were raised. Indeed, the opening question posed, "Why don't regular [?] people like classical music?" is a loaded question. A related question, "Why don't more people like classical music?" seems to be a more appropriate one.

I have spent my professional life teaching college music major students about classical music. I have also spent a fair amount of time teaching non-musicians about classical music and how to approach it, understand it, and enjoy it. Mr. Barry's three "main problems with classical music," are common misconceptions which supposedly explain away the reasons why classical music is "music that is not popular".

At the outset I might suggest that the beauty of art and music is that one doesn't have to like anything which one doesn't like. If Mr. Barry claims to go to a classical music concert only "to make a ransom payment there," that is his business. But why slam classical music concerts in general? If he doesn't like them, he is not obliged to go. From having talked to elementary school children about classical music and having played instruments for them, I can assure you that young children hold no such strong biases against classical music. They love nearly everything they hear! Unfortunately, somewhere along the line they are snared into thinking that liking classical music is "uncool" and unacceptable to "regular" people. While we should surely shield our children from obscene or violent song lyrics, we also need to encourage youngsters to enjoy what they would like to hear, unbiased by what is advocated or dictated by the media or the popular majority of music consumers. It should be made clear also that because of its universal appeal, classical music is indeed liked and understood by many people around the world, and one must also admit that it has been around a very long time!

To address the three supposed shortcomings of classical music listed by Mr. Barry, I offer the following observations:

1. "It's [classical music] confusing." The verse/refrain idea used in much rock and roll has been around in classical music for years. However, other simple classical forms are just as easy to understand, if one wishes to. The simple ABA arrangement has been used in popular ballads by crooners for years, and it's everywhere in classical music. Sure, the organization of some classical music is a bit more adventuresome than that, but is there really anything wrong with hearing a piece of music which falls short of being 100% predictable? Personally, I like that variety in the same way that I don't like to eat burgers and fries every night of the week.

2. "It takes too long." I do know some classical music symphonies which last a couple of hours. Some are interesting and pretty wonderful, and some are boring. Mr. Barry observes that the Shangri-Las performance of "Leader of the Pack" takes only four minutes. Well, Chopin's "Prelude in E Minor" takes one minute and thirty-three seconds. How about that? It depends on how much you want. The three to four minutes it takes to perform most pop and country hits on the radio was agreed upon way back in the Thirties as the optimal amount of time for a 78 or 45 rpm record to be aired, and it's been tradition ever since. So, by default, in the pop and country world you couldn't have a hit which would require much more than three to four minutes of air time, even if you wanted. Personally, if you've got a good thing going (as is often the case in classical music), I don't mind if it lasts awhile longer; and by the way, if you think it takes a long time (four to five minutes) for a classical orchestra to sit down to get ready to play, try doing sound checks with a rock band (liked I used to do!). That's really time-consuming. These days, I think it's great to go "unplugged" to perform my concerts where all I have to do is tune my harpsichord or put the reed in my oboe and play. (And I never have a "warm-up act!!)

3. "It needs more action." What kind of "action" are you getting from any LP, CD or cassette? Absolutely none! That is why I think live performances of anY kind are so important. As I look back I can remember enjoying the antics of rock musicians in concert including the lolling Stones, the Temptations, and James Taylor. However, if it's the show and not the music that matters, we are not talking about the same thing. The trick in classical music is to not get in the way of the listener and the intent of the composer. Humility is the name of the game, or it should be. It seems to me that Bach and Mozart have heavy things to say, and who am I to think that my acrobatics would improve their music. Good classical music performances are rarely big ego trips. Personally, I think it's great fun to hear the St. Louis Symphony play live concerts! The concerts are highly entertaining, intellectually and emotionally stimulating, and above all, safe!!

Finally, I am really concerned about the extent to which we bad-mouth anyone's type of music. We have to remember that regardless of what we hear on the radio, at the Show Me Center, or in Powell Ilall in St. Louis, someone likes that music, whatever it is. I grew up in a home where we heard big band, country, jazz, gospel, rock, AND classical music in relatively equal amounts. As a child I was fortunate enough to be taken to many different types of concerts and was encouraged by my parents (my father was a tractor factory worker!!) to decide for myself what to like. It is important to give all students an equal opportunity to access musical opportunities through strong music education programs in our schools and to encourage a balanced diet with regard to musical consumption. Thanks for "listening"!

GARY MILLER, Ph.D.

Professor of Music

Southeast Missouri State