The Ways and the Wonders of Traditional Music in the 21st Century

“I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. Im frightened of the old ones.” ― John Cage.

Hi!

So, this is all very new to me, but I have finally decided to do it! For a while now, I have been wanting to start an online platform where I can share my thoughts with the world, not specifically beliefs I myself possess, but ideas and beliefs that I come across on a daily basis that I find to be interesting and worth conversation!

So, a little bit about me: Basically, I study a Bachelor of Music in Classical Oboe Performance, I have met some pretty incredible people, and although I am surrounded with determined, hard working peers all-day-every-day, I still find myself asking questions that no-body seems to want to answer.

So why is it that no matter how hard I look, I cannot seem to find people who are willing to talk about the elephant in the room?

So apart from the question that everyone seems to ask at the end of their first year of uni, 'Ohmigosh, is this course really for me?' I find myself asking more agonising questions.

'Why is it considered virtuosity or the highway?'

'Why is it that I have to use traditional pencil markings on my music? Why are my highlighters banned?'

'Why are we not allowed to form our own musical ideas and opinions, based on the knowledge they provide us with?'

'Why am I not allowed to form my own career pathway? Why do I have to do it your way? Surely there's more than just orchestral work that I can take part in!'

'Why is it that none of my questions are never taken seriously?'

Just,why?

Although I'm still salty about being told that my pencil markings on the top of the stave are unacceptable and my highlighters make precious works look like a preschooler's colouring-in homework sheet, it only drives me to wonder why this traditional out-of-date convention is still pushed so hard today by some teachers. Why is it so important to today's society that our emerging and present musicians be so focussed on traditional methods, instead of bringing modern ideas to the table?

Perhaps it is because those great composers and performers before us, Mozart, Haydn, Schumann, Shubert, Liszt, Mendelssohn (Spelt with two S's! Look at me go!), Berlioz, Rachmaninov, Shostakovich... They all followed a certain set of rules, (to an extent), and present day musicians, busy worshiping the ground these musician walked, have become enthused with every little detail, eager to live their musical lives as similar to the 'Gods' as possible.

Or perhaps, it is simply because that is what they know, and we who are younger must just accept and leave our highlighters in the draws where they belong - even if they do erase! :(

I bet the Russian Five could not have cared less whether their breath marks were represented with arrows or commas...

Was it really from 1856 to 1870 that Russia was determined to pave their own pathway and create their own norms in music? If Modest Mussorgsky had not a care to give about 'proper' voice-leading and use of key signatures (If you have no idea what I'm talking about, I suggest having a squiz at Mussorgsky's 'Sunless' song cycle scores; they are quite the puzzle), then why should we, as emerging musicians, be taught that the traditions way is 'only' way, when it clearly isn't?

Anyways, the point of this discussion space is not to find an answer, or to even prove one idea right or wrong, but to at least start the conversation.

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Perhaps you have your own questions that you would like to bring to the table? I'd love to hear about them! Please email me with your wonderful topics of debate!!

As time passes, I hope to start bringing musicians from all over the world into the conversation, but we will start with one step at a time.

I leave you with a quote, which raises the question, has much really changed from the wonders of Mozart, to today?

“To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan and not quite enough time.” ~ Leonard Bernstein

So Where to Now?

Help me start the Conversation!

Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, Coming Soon!

#startingtheconversation