This is a speech I wrote for Forensics a couple of years ago, and is something I feel very strongly about. Classical music should be kept alive - and live!
Saleri. Handel. Bellini. Do these names mean anything to you? If they do, then you might be one of the few people who regularly listen to classical music. If not, don’t worry: you have most of the general public in the same boat as you.
These composers, and many others, were the Eminems, 50-Cents, and Hoobastanks of the 16, 17, and 1800s. People came from miles around to hear their music. Today, however, how often do you ever hear their names in everyday conversation? Classical music has dwindled in popularity; it has been replaced with more “listener-friendly” pop, hip-hop, and rap. After all, you can sing along to Beyoncé and show off your moves when listening to Usher. Compared to these artists, classical music is cold and aloof, like those huge hard chairs in your grandparents’ living room, that no matter how you squirmed, they never felt quite comfortable.
Wouldn't it be easier to let classical music slip away, to let it fade into the white noise that surrounds us every day but we never hear? Letting it slip away is a dire mistake however. My generation needs to be exposed to classical music, to hear it on the radio, go to concerts to see it live and in all its glory. This exposure is necessary, because listening to classical music has a proven beneficial effect on intellectual development, it has a significant influence on popular music today, and it is a still-existing part of the western world’s cultural history....
Please read the rest!
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| Attachment | Size |
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| The Importance of Classical Music.doc | 27.5 KB |
