Share your thoughts on this..
A person's perception of harmony, consonance, and dissonance has always been determined in relation to the social and environmental factors of the era and society one belongs to. Since the middle ages, this gradually brought forth the classification of "styles" of music under Western Classical music theory which are recognized as (in the most broadest sense), "Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, Post-Romantic, 20th Century, and now 21st Century contemporary". Since the birth of pop/rock and the internet in the 20th century Canadians living in the 21st century in North America have become accustomed to endless variety of options in choosing what they listen to. We even have endless sources for retrieving and storing our music. From our cell phones, to MTV or MuchMusic, BET, Youtube, Radio, Internet/Satellite radio, Podcasts, Libraries, cds, LPs, cassettes, USB, Ipods, hard disk drives etc, the options and file formats are endless. Because of the tremendous amount of choice one is faced with today when deciding what music they feel like listening to at a given moment, I think it is quite appropriate to ask what the present role the genre of traditional Western Classical music (pre rock/pop/jazz of the 20th century) has on Canadian society today?
Several issues should be examined.
Firstly, Canada is a country proud of its multiculturalism. Ironically however, it does not seem that school boards have given a deeper thought to what it says when music instruction automatically equals Western Classical Music. To which cultures does Western Classical Music come from and speak to? Only some. Perhaps in such a uniquely multicultural country like Canada, a music education that was not dominant of one culture but rather equally of many multicultural music traditions, theory, performance and historical ideas might not be a bad idea!
Secondly, at the present moment, it seems Jazz and Classical music are the only two streams of music one may be allowed to study in a Canadian university should one wish to pursue to music as a major.
I am wondering why should this genre....Western Classical music be only one of two options in the Canadian education system today (speaking specifically of universities), when they are just two of the many genres of music budding in our society?
Yes Western Classical Music analytically speaking, is very hard to figure out at times and thus can be viewed to be as more "academically" challenging. Theorists can spend a lifetime studying certain aspects of a work/composer. In pop music, music theory/analysis is generally not as complicated. The structure is limited to simple forms and harmonically, rarely does it deviate from a few easily identifiable chords compared to a work by Western Classical composers like Skryabin, Poulenc, Debussy, or Chopin. Here, harmonic language can almost be regarded as composer specific. In these cases, harmonic analysis is not necessarily understood by traditional chord analysis methods one would use to analyze a Mozart Concerto. However...
I am wondering if pop/rock music can have a stronger presence in the university educational system?
Be it in the form of more practical (performance) classes, or in the form of a major concentration, I feel that because pop/rock has become (most especially now in the 21st century, and as many classical music majors are wondering why they are having trouble finding a career after university), one of the most influential genres of music in our society. This should be addressed in university (at the very least) educational system. Western Classical Music speaks only to a portion of the society especially now in the 21st century because of the multitude of genre options in music from which one can choose to listen to or ignore. I believe it is not necessarily because members of our society do not like Western Classical Music. Sure this can be the reason for a few of those who have listened and have decided they do not prefer this genre (just like they can for any genre), but I believe there are external reasons stemming from the environmental and social conditions in our Canadian society (I speak so much on Canada because I have most experience here) that are reasons why Western Classical Music is not POPULAR (i don't mean unloved) today.
The reasons for which Western Classical Music is generally unpopular (especially amongst youth) in the 21st century (I'm talking specifically with a Canadian perspective) are I believe due to the following:
- I believe the general attention span for a listener is shorter than the length of most standard classical works. Even pop songs are becoming shorter in length as the decades pass.
- Shortening western classical/contemporary works do not necessarily mean they will speak to the general public either. I believe that harmonically, classical/contemporary may be too complex for the ear (without formal musical training) to really feel to themselves...that they really connect or feel they understand what is going on. You may often hear people say "I don't get it".. or "I think I like it,,, but I don't really know what it's about or if it's really good because I'm not a musician"... the simple feeling of "it's beyond me".... is prevalent in non-musicians. This leads to the next point.
-Music education in Canada is seriously lacking. Lack of a REAL and STRONG governmental support for music education in schools = a budding society of children who can relate less and less to listening to, or performing, or even thinking of composing pieces with slightly more complex harmonies than the simple pop ballad (which in turn limits creative thinking...). This leads to the reason why some top 40 pop songs become, in a short time a fad song. The song is harmonically understandable to anyone who has turned on top 40 Canadian radio and therefore fast to catch onto (its chorus/main melody at the least) and fast to dispose (we get sick of it quicker). On a side note, this music.. in a sense is reflective of our fast-paced convenience hungry society. We want things fast, and even our music choice is in a sense goverened by our need for convenience. Have you noticed that the pop songs (pop in the top 40 sense) are sounding less and less original than they did even just 15 years ago? The harmonic and structural paradigms used to compose pop music are influenced more by what sells and what can generate more profit, rather than what will be more musical.
Perhaps we can blame the entire scenario on the root of the problem... there needs to be more financial support from the Canadian government for music, arts, and music/arts education in the school systems.
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