on the future of (classical) music
feat. the most shocking NPR tiny desk of 2024
At this rate of on-demand content and media platforms proliferating, I often find myself wondering what the future of live entertainment might look like. Will breathing musicians be around? Will AI become organic enough to create the beauty of imperfections and ephemerality in live performances? Will we just sit in our homes with mega advanced VR gears instead of making a 3-hour round trip commute to the concert venue? Will the hustle and bustle of organizing groups to attend live events lose its merit at the “cost” of convenience?
In a genre like classical music, with (1) a relatively high barrier to entry to develop an interest / fandom in, (2) older demographic of listeners (hello, boomers — I am the said boomer), and (3) a deep incompatibility with the nature of streaming services (this topic will rightfully get a post on its own. please wait for my elaboration), I wonder what’s going to happen to the classical music scene in 5, 20, 50 years.
Just as my unsolicited concerns about this sub-genre of music industry are abound, I wanted to recap a few developments in the classical music world that excited me, which demonstrated to me that classics are classics for a reason. They may wax and wane, but they never go away.
Laufey Becomes a Steinway Artist
Relatability, the critical shortfall in classical music, is what she brings to the table alongside her jazz influences.
Sure, some may not agree her music is not traditional and more or less classical/jazz-adjacent. But what are these same critics doing to make what has become self-insular, exclusive, academic, and even elitist, accessible to more people and younger generations?
I would give her credit for educating the younger listeners’ ears with the vocabularies of these roots, getting people into concert halls on top of arenas / stadiums / theaters. As she hops between performing with a live orchestra and Tik Toks, I certainly think she’s making strides in her mission to “bring jazz and classical music to my generation through a more accessible road.”
The most unexpected artist makes an appearance on Tiny Desk Concert
Yunchan Lim, the man you are.
I cannot describe the shock I had when I refreshed my YouTube home page (usually occupied by 50% unseen music playlists and performance videos, 40% music playlists and performance videos I’ve already seen, 10% misc.) as per usual to find this newly uploaded video:
This is a 20-year old South Korean Pianist who most recently won the Van Cliburn Competition (it’s like the olympics of piano alongside Chopin and Tchaikovsky; I’m still wrap my head around how South Korea manages to pack this many talented musicians).
Seeing the familiar room of chaos that hosted my favorite artists like Daniel Caesar, Tom Misch, Tyler, and Mac Miller, but this time occupied by none other than a classical pianist, definitely altered my brain chemistry a little bit.
The leather jacket. Playing a beat up, off-tune upright piano? On NPR Tiny Desk Concert? What kind of a trippy lucid dream can this be? This kind of felt like all your friend groups from high school, college, and professional connections coming together in one room to mingle…but you’re enjoying the scene more than you expected. I want to applaud the NPR team and his management (did the search for you, it’s IMG Artists) for a genius move in broadening his exposure and potentially his career trajectory through this appearance.
Maybe this is the way classical genre will seek to expand its footprint: losing its rigidity and formality, escaping its expected grid of existence within concert halls, making it fun and relatable. Look, let’s not pretend that’s anything new, but I’m excited to see how the next generation of classical artists are taking the leading role in playing out this strategy, deploying channels that previous generations did not consider, or maybe didn’t know how to leverage (okay, boomer).
Bonus: Unearthing a new Chopin Waltz
This really screamed “sike!!” to my thoughts around what novelty might look like in classical music. Chopin approached it literally, unearthing a new piece of sheet music. He is the gift that keeps on giving…even from his grave.
cheers,
Suahn