Living Examples of How The Young Generation Is Saving Classical Music

As Christmas concerts open everywhere, the perennial worry about the future of classical music persists. A lot of conversations are centered on funding for orchestras, the ‘aging’ audience and the challenge of introducing children to classical music.

Although classical music faces a lot of challenges, the truth is that generally, music is becoming so much more important. We are now carrying it around with us in our portable devices. Maybe the reason is that music generally finds a way to fit in with what’s hot.

And maybe the people that will make classical music relevant in today’s generation are not so much those who understand classical music, but those who understand current trends. A good example is Black Violin, a musical duo that has found a way to bring classical music and hip-hop together to make something creative and beautiful.

Kevin Sylvester says that when most people see a 6-foot-2-inch, 260-pound black man, they don’t expect him to also be a classically trained violinist. Via NPR

Sylvester and his partner, a violist named Wilner Baptiste, met in their high school orchestra. Although they were introduced to string instruments, they both loved hip-hop. Their passion has already borne very interesting results.

And, Sylvester says, Black Violin’s music is helping to introduce hip-hop to people who might not be into it otherwise: “I remember this one woman comes up to me — she has to be like a 60, 65-year-old white woman — and she’s just like, ‘Man, I don’t even really like hibbity-hop, but you guys are amazing!’

The two musicians are hoping the conversation will flow both ways, and that their music will help keep classical music alive for the next generation. Via NPR

Another group of youngsters that is making their mark in the classical music industry consists of four teenagers that have come together to form Instruments for Change, a nonprofit organization that promotes classical music while giving back to the classical community.

David Zhao, Shannon Cassady, Billy Wu, Nicole Po and Gene Pak are the directors of a nonprofit organization called Instruments for Change. Based in Seattle, the organization is devoted to promoting classical music and giving back to the musical community.

Since the young directors have been able to contribute to their community with their talent, they focus on encouraging other young people to make a difference using their own skills. Via Huffington Post

Julian Lloyd Webber is one of the finest musicians of his generation who has enjoyed a successful and creative classical music career. He argues the notion that it is extremely hard to make it as a classical musician today is false. In fact, he argues that it’s much easier to make it as a classical musician today than it was a few decades back.

Forty years ago there were none of the amazing opportunities that digital technology affords young musicians. And it is so much easier to experiment and push at boundaries because they have already been broken down. Now everything is about creativity and imagination – it’s about classical musicians working cross–genre with spoken word or dance…
It’s about the viral YouTube clip by 2Cellos playing AC/DC’s Thunderstruck: Vivaldi metamorphoses into AC/DC in front of a suitably shocked and bewigged 18th-century audience and – most importantly – it’s had over 22m views. Now these two young Croatian guys are touring vast American arenas as the support act for Elton John and have landed a recording contract with Sony. Via The Guardian

Webber’s advice to aspiring musicians is to find their voice in a marketplace that is massively overcrowded. This calls for a lot of creativity and imagination on their part. This includes finding new ways of engaging their audiences, selling records and filling venues.

To succeed in today’s music business the aspiring musician needs to give almost as much time and thought to business-related matters as they give to practising their art. They need to find their unique space in the market place. They need to find out what they have to offer that is different to everybody else. They need to answer the question ‘Why should anyone be interested in you?’ In other words – as well as being necessarily brilliant at what they do – they will need to think laterally. Via The Guardian

Maybe it’s time the conversation changed. Classical music still has a long life ahead of it, but only if we allow it to change with the times. It’s really up to the young generation to dictate what will come of it.

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