False Assumptions
by matchequeda
Before this course, I assumed music to be like this:
1. All instrumental music dominated by the “traditional” symphony instruments was “classical” music, and therefore was stylistically the same.
2. All of this “classical” music was terribly boring and, while rich in historical value, would always feel foreign to me.
Through this course, I have found that my understanding of music was quite off-base. Defining the word “classical” more clearly has helped me to understand that it is an umbrella, not a grouping: a catch-all for music rooted in the western tradition, not a way of describing it. Understanding the notion of genre in the music we have studied, while challenging for me, has allowed me to better understand what I am listening to. Genre truly has an impact on our perceptions of music, and understanding genre is fundamental to understanding where music fits within our tradition and how people saw an older piece when it was prominent.
Further, I have found that I was viewing instrumental music with far too wide of a lens. Not only is there a great variance from era to era that I really hadn’t noticed (i.e. Baroque vs. Romantic), but there is a tremendous difference between the works of individual composers.
Most importantly, however, was finding that my 2nd assumption – the “everything will always feel like nothing to me” assumption – was not true. I must admit that music by certain composers is still very cold to me. However, the music of many of the composers that we have listened to – Haydn in particular – has been extremely engaging and even fun for me to get to know. My favorite piece that I have heard, Symphony #88 Mvt. III, is now one that I seek rather than one that I dread the chore of having to get to know. While Cantata No. 4 and Bach in general remain a chore for me, the exposure to Bach, Haydn, and all of the composers we have listened to has been a meaningful and culturing experience, challenging my orientation towards music that seems unrelatable to me.
The Thousand-Year Ears 
I really loved this post. It’s interesting to think about the fact that we probably all came into MUSC030 with such different ideas about what we envisioned the world of classical music to be like, for example. I’m glad that we’re all developing our own set of “key takeaways” with the topics we are studying in class.
As a side note, I’m curious as to why you think Haydn resonates the best with you!
I can relate very well to your post. There was a time when I too thought that many kinds of music–such as the ones we examine in class–were very boring and uninteresting. I think past experience has taught me that I need to be open to new music. It is imperative that I don’t deny certain types of music before even giving them a chance. Now, a great deal of my music library consists of classical music.
Glad your opinion of old music has changed! It’s very easy to find “classical” music boring, but once you appreciate the nuances of a piece, both historical and musical, it becomes a lot more fun to listen to. I also like how listening to older music can be made social: a night out seeing an orchestra or opera performance with a group of good friends can be a lot of fun.
I agree. It’s crazy when I see how I used to lump all classical music into one genre. In reality, there are so many composers with different styles. They expressed themselves in very different ways.
I made similar assumptions about “classical” music before enrolling in Music 030. I never realized that there were so many genres involved within this broad category of music. I have developed an appreciation for several of the genres we have studied, especially the symphony. The third movement of Haydn’s Symphony No. 88 in G Major is one of my favorites.
I too used to have the assumption that classical music was boring and that I would never really like it or be able to connect with it. However, through this class I have been able to truly appreciate classical music and everything that it encompasses. I have definitely gained a greater appreciation for classical music.