Well, Sistah T is finally going home - it's been a long time, but I am GLAD to be going back to the ol' Midwest. I thought I'd never see the day... but it's finally time to go back to the environment I am familiar with. So I'll leave you with a blog on classical music.

You know, I find it so sad that classical music is dying. So many symphonic orchestras are closing their doors after so many years - it's terrible. Classical orchestral music is something that more kids should be able to learn about. It's disturbing to see that fewer and fewer kids are picking up instruments and going through Beethoven or Mozart or Rachmaninov. And even fewer kids learn to appreciate it - no one understands the storylines, the depth, the passion.

Instead, kids these days go for quick fixes. Music videos, lights and rhythm, in-your-face guitar solos, sassy lyrics - and whichever artist happens to be popular at the moment. Many of these current artists have never even touched an instrument outside of a guitar - never known what it was like to play a sonatina or a concerto.

Don't get me wrong - I have nothing against pop music. In fact, anyone who knows me well knows that my taste in music goes all over the place - from showtunes to country to pop to oldies to big band to clubbing music. But I was brought up on classical - and I'm thankful for it. I know the difference between music and NOISE. I can appreciate a song that has no lyrics - only the fall and rise of the notes and dynamics and phrasing - and I can still feel what the composer was trying to convey. Of course I got made fun of growing up - all the New Kids on the Block and Michael Jackson fans made sure I was uncomfortable with not knowing about pop culture. But who listens to these artists anymore? Being a pop culture expert doesn't get you anywhere, my friends, and quite honestly I don't really care about fitting in.

On the other hand, maybe the reason why classical music is dying is simply a marketing issue. Symphonic orchestras do tend to appear stiff (i.e., they rarely smile when they bow!!), and many classical musicians seem to forget that the point of having an audience is to entertain. Also, many musicians and artistic directors target the same audience they've always had without attempting to expand this to younger generations. The only orchestras that manage to stay alive are the "Pops" - and this is because they actually make an attempt to be inclusive of younger folks.

If classical music is to live on, it needs to be taught and heard alongside all the pop music. People should have an appreciation for classical music because it has a TON to offer. If we keep on going in the same way - only offering kids what appears popular - classical music is doomed for sure. No one would know what a violin sounds like - and that would be a pure shame.