i love this thought experiment. i played piano & violin growing up. i dreaded Hanon & Rode exercises. i wondered why i had to learn boring pieces from different time periods. but looking back i am so grateful; my music education really shaped my learning process.
https://twitter.com/afikanyati/status/1313902869020512256
from a young age, i was exposed to our current definition of popular music from different time periods. i learned to build intuition for how music changes over time. being the most technically impressive (i.e. Paganini) isn't always the trendiest skill set.
in a violin lesson at age 12, i learned that tools have the biggest influence on innovation. in the Baroque era, bows were shaped differently & didn't support spiccato strokes. harpsichord music didn't really support dynamics (soft or loud) because of engineering limitations.
to make the best new tools (i.e. pianoforte, modern wood string instruments), the pattern was to be a toolmaker's apprentice, hone your style, and get your tools in the hands of royalty or the elite. this concept uncannily extends to other industries -- i learned in college.
learning classical music also exposed me to grievances against history education. classical music history is incredibly Eurocentric. i come from a family of Carnatic vocalists. for a long time i grappled with, what is more "legit?" they both invented tools to do similar things.
many of the famous performers cared deeply about curriculum. Chopin is famous for his set of etudes and opinionated pedagogy. Suzuki's violin method is still popular today.
i also learned what it feels like to see or hear "good work," regardless of the field it is in.
i also learned what it feels like to see or hear "good work," regardless of the field it is in.
maybe classical music is snobbish and future generations will learn today's pop music. but maybe it doesn't matter because taste changes over time. i am grateful for my lessons, how they shaped my perspectives on how i try to look for & do good work in my field.
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