Do You Have Any Ideas On How To Improve The Accessibility Of Classical Music? Playing The Instruments,

Do you have any ideas on how to improve the accessibility of classical music? Playing the instruments, watching performances, etc.

that’s kind of a broad topic. there’s the issue of classical music not being as accessible to people who have a lower income, younger people, historically excluded ethnic groups, people who want to go see a symphony perform and not get dirty glances for wearing jeans to attend the concert, people who want to clap between movements without getting dirty glances and feeling “uncultured,” and so on.

I could make a post in detail about all of these particular aspects, and people can feel free to add their opinion on the subject to this post, but I’ll say this:

we gotta stop pushing the idea that mozart was like the best classical composer ever. he was obviously talented and made some good music, but non-musicians think that mozart’s music is what all classical music sounds like and so they don’t feel the need to listen to composers who wrote drastically different musical works but can still be heard in the concert halls. classical music is a broad genre written by thousands and thousands of people over hundreds of years, and today, and we have a more diverse group of composers than ever who are currently writing music. I think that everyone can find at least one piece of classical music that appeals to them, but so many people don’t know this.

we gotta stop intellectualizing classical music. write program notes that make sense and help audiences relate to the composer. tell us that berlioz’s dad wanted him to have a practical job so berlioz got his medical degree and turned around to become a composer, and maybe save the music theory terminology that makes very little sense to the average audience member for your doctoral dissertation. help audiences relate to the music and they’ll be able to understand it better. classical music hasn’t been for the educated aristocracy in years but people keep acting like it is.

we gotta let people know that anyone can learn classical music. my mom recently told me that she doesn’t have the right hands to play piano and that she thinks reading sheet music would be too hard. you can play piano with small hands and it’s simple to learn to read sheet music, it just takes practice for it to become automatic. you can pick up an instrument at any point in your life. if you have the desire, do it, and don’t listen to some idiots who say you’re “too old” or aren’t fit for it.

we gotta let students learning classical have fun with it rather than kill their creativity and yell at them for their mistakes. I nearly quit piano because of something like this and today I absolutely love any chance I can get to play an instrument. that is a huge shift in perspective, and it’s because I can make mistakes and learn from them without getting shamed, and I have had super encouraging teachers, parents, and peers.

we gotta show students performances that feature people that we can kind of relate to. a lot of old orchestral performances have orchestras that are just white guys and no one else. show a newer video of the same piece that has at least some diversity. is there a young girl interested in playing bass in orchestra? show her a video of a woman absolutely shredding on double bass to get her interested and show her that women exist in the profession. representation matters.

we gotta drop the draconian concert hall etiquette. I think going to see an orchestra concert should have similar etiquette to going to the movie theaters. don’t talk during the performance, laugh if something funny happens (some classical music is genuinely supposed to be funny), clap when appropriate (it’s so disappointing when the first movement of a symphony ends with a flourish and everybody is still. it is legitimately uncomfortable!), and wear what you would wear to a movie theater. it’s going to take years for this to happen, unfortunately, but as someone who plays in orchestra, I don’t feel disrespected when audience members clap between movements or wear hoodies. I’m just happy they’re there and that they’re enjoying their time.

everyone feel free to add your thoughts and experiences. this is a broad issue and it’s something we need to address.

some things i’ve learned while studying in quarantine

drink more water instead of more coffee.

weekly goals are bullshit. set yourself 3-day goals. you’ll be less laid-back.

don’t just mindlessly stare at words. before you start studying, know your approach to it. have a plan.

summarizing the concept in your own words is the key part of taking notes. don’t just copy things down, convert them into your own way of talking, your own vocabulary, no matter how dumb and unprofessional it sounds.

don’t let the “studyblr aesthetic” fool you. studying doesn’t have to be pretty. summaries and notes can be messy as long as they’re comprehensible. you can always rewrite and reorganize them later. (honestly, you better do. and you better keep them.)

don’t throw away the papers you’ve solved your problems in. staple them to the fucking textbook. you need to see them constantly. cause you’ll need reminders of how far you’ve came, when you’re feeling discouraged.

don’t be an armchair analyst for your issues. if you have an idea then act on it.

remember: the exact point where it becomes difficult, is where your growth begins. take a deep breath, and try to focus on the paragraph in front of you.

get off your high horse and understand that if you’re a zero, you won’t go to 100 in a couple of days. first, you’ll need to reach 30, then from 30 to 60, and then from 60 to 90. nobody is 100 everyday. that happens very rarely.

you need to have fun everyday. you need to have peaceful time every single day. even on exam night. especially on exam night, actually. so make sure you’ve studied enough so you can have some time to yourself.

once you’re on a roll and in need of some challenge to stay on track, start writing down your studying hours. tell yourself you’re not allowed to do less than 80% of what you did yesterday. whatever the hell it was, even just one hour. so if yesterday you really studied for like, say 8 hours, today your goal is to study for at least 6 and a half hours. if you can’t keep up with that, make it 70%, or 60%.

be forgiving of yourself. be kind to yourself. even if you bounced back and lost your streak. start again. as slowly as you did before. take your time. it’s okay, you were there once you can get there again.

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saurenson

1 year ago

todays affirmations: i am brave. i know exactly what packages to install for my code to run. ROOT cannot hurt me.

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saurenson

5 years ago

hello !! this is a list of tips for those going to university (as opposed to college). personally, i live at home (off campus) so a lot of these tips are things that i’ve learnt in my first year of uni

you might not have class everyday but that doesn’t mean you should sleep in on the days you don’t

plan time for your friends as well as when you study

you don’t have to join a club but they’re a good way for making friends if you don’t live on campus

follow all the main social media for students - make an effort to find out all the tricks and when the cheap food days are on

try to make at least one friend in your tutorials/labs - a simple “hi, how are you doing?” on the first day can become notes for when you’re sick

when you have early classes, it seems easy to just buy food from uni - try to prep it the night before

have some “set” outfits that you can rely on when you can’t decide on what to wear

you don’t have to hit the gym everyday, getting off a stop early and walking the last part can be an alternative

if you do walk for part of your commute, taking the shortest path might not be the most fun. you can live somewhere yet not know the neighbourhood

if you’re going to nap on your commute, set an alarm for 5 minutes before your stop

in your first weeks of uni, make it your goal to find out where the best bathrooms and drinking fountains are

know the layout of your uni’s library

find a place to study in your university’s library - now find 3 more study spaces around the school

if you have readings, you can do them in cafes with a cup of coffee - reading doesn’t have to be a chore

always carry a pen and a piece of paper in your pocket

be realistic about how much work you can do - pack accordingly

if you have a hard time remembering your timetable, set it as your phone lock screen

always carry a water bottle

your university email will probably give you discounts to services - learn which, know that you don’t need all of them

if you’re a first year, it doesn’t mean you’re inferior to upperclassmen - you are the future so say your opinion, voice what you need, attend faculty meetings, apply for leadership roles

you can go to a lecture and not pay attention but that doesn’t mean you can go to a lecture and distract

you don’t have to be friends with everyone. you won’t be friends with everyone.

you don’t have to be friends with your tutors, you just have to talk to them if you go through things

writing an apology email for missing studio sessions/tutorials/labs is basic courtesy and could save your grade

i think those are some of the general points i can think of but if anyone has anymore then feel free to add them on !!!

happy learning everyone xx

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saurenson

5 years ago

18 march 2020

day one working from home. scottish schools officially shut on friday but following guidelines i was having to self isolate for a fortnight bc of family members anyway. stay safe!

Do You Have Any Ideas On How To Improve The Accessibility Of Classical Music? Playing The Instruments,

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some things i’ve learned while studying in quarantine