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Meet the MillennialsIn my last column ["The Great Divide," May 2004], I wrote about the differences between the public's and artists' perception of classical music, and asked whether readers believe that the divide between the two is increasing, static, or diminishing. Over the summer, I heard from a number of you who shared your thoughts on the subject. Most agree that, to some extent, there is a divide. Some of you believe strongly that we, the artists, should not concern ourselves with it, insisting that there will always be some type of support for the arts. In essence, the arts will continue to survive regardless of culture, politics, or economics.Others shared more passionate feelings about the subject by drawing attention to the new generation of musicians, ensembles, and programs that are consciously or unconsciously bridging the divide. Along this line of thought, I would like to introduce to you … the Millennials.
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A new generation that can jam one evening to a punk band and be totally riveted by a Rossini opera the next.
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On a recent trip to central Europe, I served as faculty advisor to a group of 45 undergraduate music majors from selected schools across the U.S. On one of the bus rides, I happened to catch a glimpse into the CD case of my seatmate. It was an interesting assortment: there was some Clapton, techno-trance, a few heavy metal bands, and a Schubert symphony. I decided to engage my seatmate in a conversation about her musical tastes.What I learned from her—and from all the students on the trip—surprised and inspired me, and renewed my faith that this next great generation of torchbearers has an appealing agenda. Demographers are calling them the Millennials, defining them as those who were born after 1982. The first senior class of Millennials graduated from high school in 2000.This new generation has a depth of acceptance, tolerance, and a cultural appetite that is considerably greater than Gen-Xers and Baby Boomers. The demographers Neil Howe and William Strauss wrote in their book Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation, "… the Millennial Generation will entirely recast the image of youth from downbeat and alienated to upbeat and engaged—with potentially seismic consequences for America."The Millennials are community-builders, leaders, and team players. They are 76 million strong and the most ethnically diverse generation in our history. The early signs indicate that this generation is on track to become what the G.I. generation was for the 20th century: the next great generation.One of the significant advantages that Millennials have over other generations is their language; they communicate and cooperate with each other far more effectively than previous generations. They are more interested in each other's passions, ideals, beliefs, and values. They also have compassion and respect for diversity. How do these characteristics manifest themselves in the arts?Well, for one thing, Millennials pursuing the arts have broader interests. Their literacy in contemporary culture is considerably greater than previous generations. They can speak the language of their times without sounding pompous, awkward, or just plain nerdy. Yet they don't lack the discipline to realize their innate potential. It isn't too difficult to see that this natural facility with contemporary culture will enable them to reach their peers in ways undreamed of before. They will draw relationships between passions, identities, and experiences. They will find connections beyond what their individual musical genres imply. What's more is that this new generation can jam one evening to an up-and-coming punk band, and the very next evening be totally riveted by a Rossini opera. They are versatile, dynamic, tolerant, curious—and most of all, passionate.I often meet seasoned performers who have little tolerance for popular culture. They may frown at rock, grimace at musical theater, and flat-out gag if they have to listen to rap. I also encounter discussion groups at various conferences that bemoan the deterioration of our culture and the lack of appreciation for the classical arts. They blame the government, schools, and the media for the disparate tastes that determine popular culture. To a degree, their outrage has created a culture of intolerance. Most of these groups are a blend of the G.I. generation, Baby Boomers, and Gen-Xers.But when I watch this new generation of musicians speak to each other, there is a contemporary literacy that was largely discouraged during my time. Back then, the prevailing wisdom was that if it wasn't high art, it wasn't worth exploring. Today, this new generation is speaking, playing, sharing, and debating the merits of different musical genres. Their explorations and discussions are forging a new pluralistic language that transcends musical and cultural boundaries. It's a language that will undoubtedly diminish the divide—if not erase it.While looking into that CD case of Clapton, trance, heavy metal, and Schubert, I realized that the Millennials may actually have something to teach us—not just about musical tastes, but about the world we live in. Finding what is significant and meaningful in people, culture, religion, art, and everything else has long-range implications on our march to a peaceful co-existence.So the next time you find yourself tuning out music that is not your own, try tuning in for a change. You don't have to like it, and you don't have to run out and buy the latest CD. But you might find that learning to understand the significance that other music holds for people is a way to bridge the cultural divide. Who knows—someday you might find yourself talking to someone about their passion for Shania Twain or Dave Matthews. You might also find that the interest you show in their passion is easily and enthusiastically reciprocated.Derek Mithaug is Juilliard's director of career development and an alumnus of the School.
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