Ottawa Citizen had a great article yesterday about the state of classical music. Despite all of the pessimistic forecasts on the horizon, the article has a very optimistic tone. When you look at the incredible opportunities available to us today because of advances in technology, communication, and people’s attitudes, it’s not surprising.
For some it may seem like an alarming time for classical music. The Philadelphia Orchestra, which filed for bankruptcy in April, and the New York City Opera, which is leaving Lincoln Center in the wake of a multimillion-dollar budget shortfall, are two of the more recent casualties of today’s difficult economy. Across North America, Europe and here in Canada some orchestras in the coming decades may face a similar future. As someone who travels the world playing music, I meet a lot of people who ask me why this trend is happening and what we should do about it.
For me, it’s about recognizing that we are all living in the thick of great social change. With today’s rapid advancements in information technology and social media, people’s desire for information is as high as it has been in history. Last month I spent three weeks with incredible young classical performers, conductors and composers who came to the National Arts Centre’s Summer Music Institute from across Canada and around the world to learn from me and a world-class, international faculty.
It’s not surprising, but for some it might almost be a little bit scary…
And you know what? Before they even set foot in my office, these kids already knew every single thing I’ve ever done.
How, you might ask?
One word. YouTube.
“Why are you doing that on the downbow?” I said in a lesson with a young violinist.
“Because you did it on the downbow with the Berlin Philharmonic in 1982,” she replied.
We can argue about whether that’s good or bad that students now experience learning this way, and it’s probably a little bit of both. But it is a perfect illustration of how fast information moves, how badly people want it, and how quickly they can get it. These students grew up in the information age.
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