Is Classical Music Dying??

Hey guys! TVK here!

Have you ever been asked if Classical Music is dying? I certainly have; the question ranks a close second to “What the heck is a viola??”

Well, IS Classical Music dying? In my humble opinion, I don’t think it is. I think that the decline in interest with mainstream culture is a result of the Millennial Generation’s “microwave” culture.

Think about it. Most of the people from age 1-30 (the millennials) have grown up in a world with the concept of a microwave dinner. Instant gratification is at their fingertips. We have social media like Vine that only consists of 6 second videos! SIX FREAKING SECONDS! And still, people are able to convey meaningful messages through this medium! Even when you look at data from YouTube, most people can’t even stick with a video for more than a minute and a half! So, how can we expect people to sit down for 45 minutes to listen to a complete symphony–let alone a 3-hour opera? When you think about it, life just simply moves a lot faster than it used to. That’s why Classical Music is “suffering.” We’re asking people to sit down and FOCUS for more than 5 minutes at a time. That’s the challenge.

However, I’m optimistic. When you give people something valuable to watch or listen to, they CAN focus. People still go to the movies, read books, watch ENTIRE seasons non-stop on Netflix…etc.

The only challenge is to figure out HOW we’re going to show Classical Music’s value, and I have a few ideas on that…