Is Classical Music Dying??

Is Classical Music Dying??

Jun 04 2015

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…

About the author

ThatViolaKid

Violist Drew Alexander Forde has performed extensively and with great acclaim throughout the United States and abroad. His solo engagements include a performance of the Walton Viola Concerto with both the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Atlanta Symphony Youth Orchestra. As a chamber musician, he has performed the Mendelssohn Octet alongside the world-renowned St. Lawrence String Quartet, and with great success. Recently, he was asked to perform in the Rome Chamber Music Festival for two summers, culminating with an electric performance of Mozart's Clarinet Quintet alongside exhilarating violinist Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg. In addition to the Rome Chamber Music Festival, Drew has performed at the Montecito International Music Festival, Brevard International Music Festival, Franklin Pond Chamber Music, the Bowdoin International Music Festival, the Colorado College Music Festival, and the Sejong International Music Festival.
Born in Atlanta, GA., Drew Alexander Forde began his viola studies at age twelve. He pursued undergraduate studies at the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University in Macon, Georgia. During his years at Mercer, Drew studied with Mr. Paul Murphy, Associate Principal Violist of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, Lawrence Dutton, violist of the world-renowned Emerson Quartet, and Becca Albers, associate principal violist of the Minnesota Orchestra. Since graduating Cum Laude from the Robert McDuffie Center for Strings at Mercer University, Drew is pursuing his Master’s Degree at the Juilliard School where he studies with the legendary Heidi Castleman and the illustrious Hsin-Yun Huang.
Drew is extremely involved in community engagement, both live and via interactive social media. After attending the Otis Redding Singer/Songwriter summer camp and the DECODA Skidmore Chamber Music Institute, Drew realized his desire to educate, share, and immerse audiences in classical music through interactive performance. Using these skills, combined with his social media prowess, Drew is working fervently to tell the story of classical music and inspire audiences to see what all the fuss is about!

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