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The Horn

Can We Get More Young People to Become Fans Of Classical Music?

   There  are  no  easy  answers  to  this  qustion.   But it  certainly  is  very  important  to   try  to  do   this.  Unfortunately,  most  children  and  teenagers   don't  get  any  exposure  to  classical  music  in  schools,  although   some  colleges  and   universities   do  have  requirements   for   introductory  courses  on  it. 

   And   classes  introducing   kids  to  classical  music  must  be   taught  very  well,  in  a  manner  that  will  stimulate   those  young  people.  If  the  teacher   does  a  boring  job,   it  can  turn   students  off   to   classical  music  for  life.  I  remember  how   indifferent  or  even  hostile  some  kids  were  to  music  appreciation  class  when   I  was  growing  up,   and   the  teachers  I  had  were  actually   very  good. 

   Unfortunately,  we  don't  have  anything  quite  like  the   marvelous   concerts   by  the  late,great  Leonard  Bernstein   for  kids,  although  these  are  still  available  on  DVD.  There  are  SOME  outreach  concerts  for  young  people,though. 

   It's  not  easy  to  get  youngsters  who  love   Michael  Jackson,  Hip  Hop  and  Rock  interested  in  something   that  is  so  vastly  different   from  what  they  are   accustomed  to.  Not that  there's  anything  wrong  with  them   being  fans  of   these  kinds  of  music.   Our  society  is  so  vastly  different  from   the   world  that  produced   Bach, Mozart,  Beethoven  and  Schubert etc.  What  happened  to me   when  I   entered  my  teens  was  something  of  a  fluke.  I  just  happened  to   discover  classical music   and   it  changed  my  life  forever.   But  I  am  convinced    that  we  not  only  must,  but  can   popularize  classical  music   with  young  people.  

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About the horn

I am a classical musician, former French hornist, substitute music teacher at various public schools on Long Island, former classical music critic for the student newspaper at Queens college, CUNY. I have performed in numerous orchestras,opera companies concert bands and chamber ensembles, and have played under such well-known conductors as Maurice Peress, Joann Falletta, and Arthur Weisberg,among others. I have performed in Italy,Australia, Switzerland and New Zealand. I am currently involved in programs playing recordings of a wide variety of classical repertoire for people with disabilities such as cerebral palsy, and elderly and infirm people. I enjoy reading books on a wide variety of subjects, and am particularly interested in history and linguistics.