Times row over new music

[Beef Oven!]

We take it for granted that this discussion/topic/issue is about 'how to get people/children interested in classical music'. IMV, it's about how do we get people to becomecurious about music.

With the former, we seem to be getting the worst of all possible worlds - people for whom music is of no real importance in their lives, and classical music fans who are conservative, narrow in taste and unadventurous. I am of course generalising.

[french frank]

We take it for granted that this discussion/topic/issue is about 'how to get people/children interested in classical music'. IMV, it's about how do we get people to becomecurious about music.

I agree it's excellent for people to be curious about whatever music they listen to. But that for many of us is beside the point. Most people are drenched in music - and seek more and more of the music that appeals to them. With popular music, it's not a problem.

I know a few people who have no interest in any kind of music. That doesn't seem to be a problem: they're almost certainly interested in other things - football for instance. Music is not my own chief interest, and I don't want to be listening to it all the time. It seems to me to be a balanced reaction to divide up one's time among the various separate interests that one may have. If my own musical interests are narrowly 'classical' there already isn't enough time for me to fit in as much as I'd like. It would seem madness to diligently follow up all the progressive rock/fusion &c videos posted here and have even less time for exploring the area that appeals to me.

From my point of view, it seems culturally unbalanced to devour every sort of 'music' and have little other time for intellectual pursuits which aren't conducive to a musical background.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Getting back to my soapbox, the best nesting ground for curiosity is the school classroom. True, it's also a potential home of cultural rebellion, but the seeds can, and should, still be sown.

[Beef Oven!]

I agree it's excellent for people to be curious about whatever music they listen to. But that for many of us is beside the point. Most people are drenched in music - and seek more and more of the music that appeals to them. With popular music, it's not a problem.

I was thinking more about people being curious about music, not "what ever music they listen to". It's a different point, IMV.

I know a few people who have no interest in any kind of music. That doesn't seem to be a problem: they're almost certainly interested in other things - football for instance. Music is not my own chief interest, and I don't want to be listening to it all the time.

None of this is a problem. The discussion is about how we get people/children into classical music, which if we fail, isn't the end of the world! Music isn't my only interest, either. It may not even be my chief one - and that depends on which yardstick is used, anyway.

It seems to me to be a balanced reaction to divide up one's time among the various separate interests that one may have. If my own musical interests are narrowly 'classical' there already isn't enough time for me to fit in as much as I'd like.

That is balanced. Is balance a necessary thing to have? A good thing, perhaps?

It would seem madness to diligently follow up all the progressive rock/fusion &c videos posted here and have even less time for exploring the area that appeals to me.

I think you're stretching the point a bit. You don't have to follow them all up, but maybe be a bit willing to spend a little time on what's around the corner. It's not actually very time consuming and you might find something better than your current preferences!

From my point of view, it seems culturally unbalanced to devour every sort of 'music' and have little other time for intellectual pursuits which aren't conducive to a musical background.

Being curious about, and investigating different musics, does not require you to devour every sort of music there is, and would leave more than enough time for everything else. It does require the appetite, of course.

[teamsaint]

I agree it's excellent for people to be curious about whatever music they listen to. .......

From my point of view, it seems culturally unbalanced to devour every sort of 'music' and have little other time for intellectual pursuits which aren't conducive to a musical background.

I think that this response to music,in a world which you rightly say is "drenched" in music, stems from a perception that we ( many of us )are time poor, especially in relation to music.
The musically curious with access to a PC can access a literally endless supply of music from the whole world. The realisation of this, and the general perception that those in work in countries like the UK are time poor, may well lead to an unbalanced reaction to our preferred pursuits.

Another area where balance may be thought to be lacking is sport and especially football. Football is now a 24/7 activity, fed by multi media outlets, and not the once or twice a week activity of 30 years ago. An unbalanced reaction to consumption of football is enabled by the changing media world.

Perceptions of how far we are time poor, might be an interesting area for discussion.

[gurnemanz]

When I listen to the contemporary music my son and daughter (31 and 33) play to me, I realise how much good stuff there is out there about which, with my classical preferences, I know absolutely nothing.

[french frank]

Another area where balance may be thought to be lacking is sport and especially football. Football is now a 24/7 activity, fed by multi media outlets, and not the once or twice a week activity of 30 years ago. An unbalanced reaction to consumption of football is enabled by the changing media world.

Perceptions of how far we are time poor, might be an interesting area for discussion.

Yes! Only because there is so much choice that given all the essentials that have to be done there isn't enough time to pursue every avenue that appeals/interests.

Btw, my reference to football was because I was subconsciously thinking of Bill Shankly's joke about football being more important than life and death. I'm sure there are people who think music is more important than life and death. Every time I log in and see the thread 'What are you listening to now?' I usually think, 'Nothing - I've been doing something else.'

[Beef Oven!]

......................... stems from a perception that we ( many of us )are time poor, especially in relation to music.

IMV, it is indeed a perception rather than a reality. Before I retired, I was tied up in work for around 52 hours a week, less than some more than many. Even with family, kids, participant sports, spectator sports, chores etc added in, I still attended loads of concerts, loads of Proms and did loads of listening. And certainly music was not my main interest, before I retired.

You may have the perception because you don't get to listen to as much music as you'd like.

Thought about early retirement?

[doversoul1]

That was exactly what Radio 3 thought - hence not 1970s-style Pied Piper with an expert presenter, but Making Tracks, with children's presenters out of their depth when they weren't playing the theme music from The Simpsons.

And I don't think in any case the 'grandparents' are likely to have significant influence very often unless they are babysitting for pre-school children.

I doubt if they thought any more seriously than making it casual and kids-friendly. Children do have very serious mind (I’m not shouting at you, by the way ) which needs to be properly catered for.

Grandparents have to go about very carefully but young (-ish) parents can be grateful for their own parents’ advice from time to time.

[teamsaint]

IMV, it is indeed a perception rather than a reality. Before I retired, I was tied up in work for around 52 hours a week, less than some more than many. Even with family, kids, participant sports, spectator sports, chores etc added in, I still attended loads of concerts, loads of Proms and did loads of listening. And certainly music was not my main interest, before I retired.

You may have the perception because you don't get to listen to as much music as you'd like.

Thought about early retirement?

People can perceive themselves to be time poor in a number of ways.

retirement ? when I love my work as much as i do ?