LESS HOLLER MORE MAHLER.

I am a musician. Perhaps that is all I should say and leave the rest to your imagination. For if I mention that I am a classical musician it is quite possible that you will immediately assume things about my person.

Classical music has become a “taboo” of sorts. I face constant criticism from my peers. A girl even confessed that she hated me—because she thought I was overly confident in my abilities and (horror of horrors) I listen to classical music. I have been labeled arrogant and strange and different. Nerdy and interesting no longer faze me. What saddens me is that classical music is not only disregarded but despised by the youth.

Yes, classical music is complicated. It is full of chord progressions and formulas that the general public does not comprehend.

Does appreciation come with understanding? Like classical music, modern art frustrates hundreds if not thousands of individuals. How many of us have seen a blank canvas save for a black dot and thought, “I could have done that”?

Closer to the truth, in my opinion, is that appreciation stems from the imagination. When looking at contemporary art it is important to remember that it is not being able to produce a work that is important but rather producing the IDEA for the work. Yes, you could probably reproduce the work—but could you have thought of it on your own? And is it really just a black dot on a blank canvas? Perhaps it’s a black canvas with white paint. Or perhaps the black dot is a metaphor for emptiness or pain or space. Is the black dot a pupil looking back at you? What is the image trying to say? The possibilities are endless.

The same is true of classical music. An individual does not need a formal education in music history or theory in order to appreciate the work. The depth and emotion that is found in classical works is infinite and has yet to be replicated in a popular work.

All I ask for is mutual respect! I respect the opinions of others—if classical music is not your thing, fine. There is no need to criticize those who find beauty in something other than Britney Spears or the Beatles.

(As an aside: I personally do not believe myself to be an arrogant individual. Performing is an art that requires acting—when one walks on stage one has to put on a “show.” Just as a dancer or an actor takes on a persona, it is necessary to “be invincible” (regardless of the butterflies in your stomach) when performing.)

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