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Classical Music, the New Underground?I've been doing some serious thinking about the current state of classical music. In previous columns, I've covered some of the issues affecting career opportunities for classical musicians. This month, I want to weigh in on a couple of recent opinions that have surfaced from notable critics: namely, Gregory Sandow of The Wall Street Journal, and Alex Ross of The New Yorker.There is enough sobering reality these days to satiate everyone for several lifetimes. Concomitantly, there is no shortage of pessimism among our ranks; for every "glass half full" perspective, there are at least three dozen "half empties." It's impossible to ignore the realities. I'm sure you can appreciate how difficult it is for someone in my position to boost the spirits of soon-to-be graduates. Outside of Juilliard, I'm continually asked how I help graduates find jobs when there aren't any. Am I telling them the truth?I don't encourage turning a blind eye to the situation, and I don't try to paint a different picture for graduating students. We are in crisis, and the sooner we come to terms with this, the better we can prepare ourselves to deal with it.
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Young classical musicians—less bound by the conventions of previous generations—are finding new audiences in unexpected venues.
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Sandow's recent piece on ArtsJournal.com, "The Crisis," tells a grim tale about the realities of classical music in today's culture. You can find this article online. Here are some of the obvious facts: less classical music on the radio; less media coverage; fewer recording contracts; decline in state support for classical music in Europe; decline in music majors studying lesser known orchestral instruments; decline in performing arts venues booking classical music; decline in sales of subscriptions to classical music series; and orchestras' expenses rising faster than their income.I know Sandow personally. He also happens to be on the faculty here at Juilliard. In spite of the statistical realities, he is quite optimistic about the future. I too share this optimism—although at times it is difficult to explain exactly why.Enter Alex Ross. In January, he delivered a keynote address for the annual Chamber Music America conference. You can find the speech online. Ross makes a compelling argument for the state of classical music. Without giving too much detail and spoiling a great read, I'll provide a quick summary. He begins by drawing a parallel with Jared Diamond's book Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. The way civilizations and cultures wax and wane is eerily similar to the state that we find ourselves in within classical music. Ross continues with the argument that we will fail if we choose to fail. He supports his premise by citing some of the traditions and conventions that classical music aficionados are clinging to tenaciously, and which, he feels, may in fact be suffocating our future. He also points to innovations occurring within the industry that suggest a type of renaissance. The culminating quote—which struck a major chord for me and other eternal optimists—came when he said, "It's actually kind of exciting when you think about it. If I were in the business of marketing classical music to younger audiences, I'd make a virtue of it. Classical music is the new underground."That quote has been on my mind every day since reading Ross's speech. I too have felt this, but could never put my finger on it. There is most definitely a new, cultish attitude among certain groups of young people with regard to classical music. Young performers and ensembles are appearing with increasing regularity in non-traditional club venues. We see interesting programs popping up around New York City in places that have traditionally been the domain of other cult niches: jazz, cabaret, experimental, electronic, new-age, world, techno, and more. It appears that young ensembles are finding an audience of peers in these non-traditional venues, leading to the observation that classical music is the new underground.These non-traditional performances have been occurring for well over a decade, but in the past two years there has been a strong surge in activity—like tremors before a major volcanic eruption. Will the volcano erupt? Is there enough momentum to give this movement some force? If you think critically about the historical dynamics of economy, culture, and civilization, you will often see characteristic similarities between major epochal shifts. People who correctly identified the onset of a major shift and positioned themselves accordingly have achieved fortunes and personal successes. I believe we are in an epochal shift, and a new identity for classical music is in genesis. Although fortune is not a likely by-product of correctly identifying this type of shift, great works of art and performance most certainly are.It is this very reason I believe that young musicians who are graduating from Juilliard in this day and age could not be more fortunate. In the next 10 to 20 years, it will be this new generation of young artists whom historians will likely find the most fascinating. In many respects, this next generation is held less accountable for the traditions and conventions that have bound previous generations. The industry is far more receptive to new ideas for engaging audiences. In the most basic sense, young artists are now free to take the music to anyone and in any direction they please. What could be more liberating?Many generations from now, when cultural historians are commenting on the "Turn of the Millennium," they will undoubtedly be comparing this epochal shift to other significant eras. Perhaps it will be compared to the Dutch tulip bulb craze of the 1630s; perhaps it will be bohemian Paris in the early 1900s, or the birth of rock'n'roll in the 1950s, or the Internet bubble of the 1990s. However historians choose to tell our story, it is certainly going to be an interesting one to live. Derek Mithaug, director of career development, is a Juilliard faculty member and alumnus.
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