It’s been less than a week since I’ve returned from the Music Centers trip. To me, it is quite miraculous that it was nearly a month long. Coming back, it seems no time has passed, but there are only a couple more days before the spring semester begins.
What I found incredible about the trip was the sheer amount of music concerts I was able to attend. As a composer, music is a well of inspiration, and I was able to extract many musical and technical ideas from the pieces we heard performed. The function of music has changed significantly in the modern era of technology; with the rise of genres such as bedroom pop and lo-fi, which are never intended to be heard live or created in isolation, there is a disconnect from the communal roots of music. However, for many centuries, music has been an inherently social and educational practice. Musicians study under mentors who play the same instruments. Ensembles foster community, friendships, and a rich collaborative environment that values each individual while pushing forward musical goals as a group.
American society in particular is so individualistic that community fostering is often neglected in favor of isolated, soloistic pursuits that goes against humans’ hardwired need for a sense of larger belonging. Compounded with a general negligence for funding for the arts in the United States, classical music is often seen as something stuffy and out of date, and collaboration and togetherness is often left out of the conversation entirely. However, in this Computer Age, where people live in a digital ecosystem, juxtaposingly connected and disconnected, close and far apart, tangibility, meaningfulness and intimacy have become rare commodities. The future of classical music, I think, lies in this.
 |
| Egypt Exhibit in Berlin |
 |
| Funhouse Mirror in Prague |
 |
| Hall of Minerals in Prague's National Museum |
No comments:
Post a Comment