CLASSICAL MUSIC IN AN AGE OF
POP
Eastman, Spring
2009
Greg Sandow
cell phone: 917 797-4265
website
(soon to be updated)
blog
on the future of classical music
in-progress
online book on the future of classical music
class
schedule and assignments
Course outline:
The crisis in
classical music: How bad is it? Will
the audience disappear? Will classical music institutions go out of business?
Should we change the way we present classical music, and even the way we play
it?
Classical
music in the past: It was much less
formal than it is now, with much more improvisation by musicians, and much more
uninhibited reactions from the audience.
Pop music: What’s its role in our culture? Is it art, or just
entertainment?
Presenting
classical music to the world: How can
we talk about classical music, to get people interested? Can you find an
audience your own age? How can you talk about the music you yourself play, to
make people want to hear you?
Assignments (full details on a separate handout):
You’ll have reading and listening assignments related
to the topics we discuss. You’ll also have one informal short paper to write, a
presentation to make in class, and a take-home final exam. But this is a course
in questions, not answers, so the most important part of our work will be the
discussions we have in class.
How you’re graded:
Again, the most
important part of this course is class discussion, in which all of us
(including me) can work out our thoughts on the issues we’ll confront. So a
large part of your grade will be based on class participation, though the
papers and exam also count. Because class discussion is so important — and
because we meet only seven times! — there’s no point taking this course if you
can’t come to every class. If for some special reason you have to miss a class,
you must let me know in advance, and
make some arrangement to do extra work. If you miss classes without speaking to
me, you’ll lower your grade, and you might lose credit for the course.