Posts Tagged ‘classical music’
Instant Audience: Just Add Casual Attire?
I have a confession to make: lately, every time I see an article or a blog post about finding ways to attract new (and presumably younger) audience members to classical music performances, I groan. Actually, I’m starting to wonder if they’re all the same piece, or at least written by the same author. Inevitably, they … Read More »
Looks can be deceiving
In high school, my geography mistress was the sweetest soul who managed to keep discipline just by her sheer good nature. She had a big heart, and physique to match. When she paced up and down the aisles between our desks, there was a tremor in the building. She was Wagnerian in her proportions. Imagine … Read More »
Sibelius Rocks (Part 1?)
Sibelius Rocks. I like him better than my argyle socks. At half past three, I heard him played on WBJC. Sibelius Rules. But years ago he wasn’t taught in schools. A haughty bunch Of critics thought that he was out to lunch. Sibelius Reigns. His music conjures lands of fiords and … Read More »
Holidays are what (and when) you make them
Happy Thanksgiving! If you’ve had WBJC on since 10 this morning (and of course, I hope you have) you might have noticed that I’m working. If a holiday falls on a weekday, I’ll be here unless I ask for vacation time in advance, and you know what? That doesn’t bother me one bit. Many people … Read More »
2 great movies and a new meaning for the term “soap opera”
While all of us on the WBJC staff love movies, we’re often annoyed by the way in which classical music is portrayed on the silver screen these days. If it’s used at all, it’s generally depicted as something stuffy rich people enjoy, or it’s the background music to a serial killer’s gruesome exploits. This wasn’t … Read More »
Can flash mobs save classical music?
Classical music fans are constantly searching for ways to introduce this wonderful art form to others. Those of us who make a living by writing, performing, teaching, or *ahem* playing the stuff on the radio tend to feel an extra sense of urgency – not only would we like to attract new fans, we want … Read More »
A Strange Umbrella
Classical music is a strange radio format. Not only is it music of mostly dead composers, but it yokes together two thousand years of disparate styles under one umbrella. Studying the history of classical music, one perceives a direct line from Gregorian chant in the middle ages to Beethoven, Wagner, Schoenberg, and beyond in the last … Read More »
Is this the oldies station?
Over the weekend, I walked past a woman about my age who was chatting on her cell phone & overheard a comment that absolutely stunned me. “But why would they pick such old music? Those songs were written before they were even born!” Admittedly, I don’t know of whom she was speaking or the occasion for which … Read More »
What a nice way to end a workday!
A few weeks ago, I got a phone call from a man who needed me to help him ID a classical piece. That’s all in a day’s work around here, but there were a couple of unusual things about this request. First, the caller had a snippet of a recording to play for me, which … Read More »
