Mindful Music

At my undergrad institution, I rarely saw fellow musicians listening to classical music. Many of them didn't seem to even like it all that much. Here at Iowa, things are a little different. But today I will write very briefly about the value of classical music.

From the perspective of today's youth, classical music in general is not as immediate as pop music. Lyrics and catchy melodies and progressions grab your attention and require little effort to enjoy. Consequently, music nowadays is often listened to when doing something else like studying, surfing the internet, or talking on the phone. This is fine, but just because classical music requires a little more mindfulness is no excuse to zone out after hearing it for 20 seconds.

I will not command you to listen to classical music simply because it is your duty as a classical musician, but rather because I insist that there is some great value there. There are things that classical music can do that pop cannot. Classical music can run, skitter, shudder, jump, scream, hop, fall, fly, whimper, or even make no sound at all. For me personally, I've only gotten goosebumps from classical pieces, I have yet to get them from a pop song.

Even us hornists are a little guilty of only listening to horn music and not the rest of the stuff out there. Go listen to a Bartok string quartet, a Chopin etude, a Bach fugue, or a Debussy prelude! There's some great stuff out there, and almost all of it can be heard on YouTube...