When I was little I would just as soon eat a plate of Brussels sprouts than to be hog tied down and forced to listen to classical music. It was boring. It had little or no back beat. And you couldn't dance to it, unless that dance was a waltz or maybe a minuet. But my years with a dynamic Men & Boys choir and love of movie soundtracks changed all that.
There are easy steps in learning to appreciate classical music. They don't come from forced repetitive listening. They come from assimilation. There are different tastes for all kinds of music. While I prefer popular classical music, there are die hards out there who prefer music from Russian, German or a myriad of other select composers.
How does one assimilate into an appreciation of classical music? Here are a few steps:
1. Disney's Fantasia still captures the young and young at heart. By adding images to the music, we can learn to appreciate that others, like the artists, animators and directors, also feel the imagery behind the music as we do as we listen. Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf holds a special place in my heart because I loved the cartoon when I was younger and the music on its own as I grew older.
2. John Williams soundtracks. Steal from the best I always say! If you listen to the soundtracks from many popular Steven Spielberg films, you may hear the works of John Williams. John Williams has (let's say) borrowed quite a few musical themes from famous classical compositions from long ago. You can hear strains of certain classical musical passages in his Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Raiders of the Lost Ark soundtracks as well as his later compositions. To develop an appreciation of classical music, one may start by going to a concert and listen to a symphony play popular music soundtrack selections.
3. Opera can be dramatic and majestic. Another way to appreciate classical music is to venture into this realm of performance. Classics like The Barber of Seville or Carmen are a good start as much of the music is memorable.
I have always been a Marx Bros fan and must have seen their Night at the Opera over 100 times. I was surprised how much I enjoyed Il Trovatore, the opera used in the film's background, when I saw it staged for real years later.
4. Creative minds think alike. There were quite a few times when long trips in the car would tire out the kids. Trying to find radio stations, listening to the same music files over and over or just having them sit there bored would make for a long trip. I played a game. We would find a classical station and create a whole story line using the music coming out the radio. We would vote or agree on what music reminded us of, say maybe Peter Pan, or Robin Hood, Or cowboys or knights in armor. Then we would create a story line that went along with the music. The game may last only a couple songs, but they learned to appreciate the music in more than just way.
5. Get an instrument and play. Most of the schools that offer music and music appreciation will start with the classics. Those who, even in later years, want to play a new instrument usually end up delving into learning a few classical compositions.
6. Do your homework. Quite a few classical music aficionados not only enjoy classical music, but the stories behind the composers. Mozart's age, Beethoven's deafness, the national pride behind Wagner's work are but a few examples. Sometimes appreciation of the composer will help the listener understand the meaning behind the notes.
Music can be a personal thing to so many people. Tastes in music are a keen example. Classical music should never be tied to any forced appreciation of it. using the steps above, one can find the merit of the music on their very own.