I've only been at Tufts for a few weeks and I have already met some of the most interesting people I've ever known. In my discussions with these people, the topic of music inevitably comes up: a topic near and dear to my heart. I've had discussions about musical topics as wide−ranging as dubstep mixing techniques, to the live performances of Irish folk−rock artists. I'm even taking an anthropology class that deals with Latino music. It is obvious to me that Tufts is a place where most people love music. However, I have encountered a shocking lack of individuals who share my passion for classical music.
In high school, people always gave me a funny look when I mentioned I liked classical music. Their skeptical expressions seemed to say, "I thought that kid was normal… I guess not." Besides from friends in youth orchestras I participated in, I never met any peers who shared my love for classical music. While I no longer get the funny glares and the judgmental grunts I got in high school, as being a dork of some kind is pretty standard fare at Tufts, I still have yet to meet more than a few select individuals whose faces light up when I mention my passion for classical music.
I can see why so few people at Tufts are into this type of music. For one, classical music tends to evoke an image of old stodgy people. Classical music appears to be no "fun." A capella music, one of the more popular forms of music on this campus, is an obvious source of fun. A capella involves familiar pop tunes, dance moves and watching your classmates help water the grass on the quad with their enthusiastic beatboxing. As an audience member, you feel engaged while listening to a cappella music, and you might be hesitant to go to a classical concert because you worry you might not be engaged. I challenge you to go watch a young violin prodigy bear her soul on the Mendelssohn violin concerto, or watch an entire string section sway together during the heaving, epic finale of Sibelius's second symphony and tell me that you don't feel deeply involved with the music. Their passion will transport you, I promise.
Classical music is boring, you say? It's not sexy or exciting? I will concede that a Strauss waltz may not be the greatest tune to dance to with the cute girl across the frat, but this does not mean that classical music lacks edge. You want sex? Alexander Scriabin's "Poem of Ecstasy" (1905) is a 20−minute depiction of the human orgasm. You want passion? Go listen to Piotr Ilyitch Tchaikovsky's "Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture" (1905), a tear−jerking ode to two star−crossed lovers who couldn't get the timing right. You want tragedy? Go watch Richard Strauss's opera "Salome" where the main character only finds the courage to admit her love to the man of her affection when his severed head is presented to her. Classical music has drama, comedy, violence and sex: everything an 18−year−old kid could want.
As a classical trumpet player myself, I understand the time and effort it takes to become a great musician. One must practice for hours on hours each day for very minimal improvements. At one point in my life, I dreamt of being the principal trumpet in the Boston Symphony. I eventually came to the realization that too many people wanted it so much more than I did and that I would be better off coming to a top tier institution like Tufts to get a more holistic academic experience. Those who have dedicated themselves so deeply to this craft deserve our respect and attention. I urge you, as a Tufts student, to go out and listen to classical music in any form whatsoever.
Take a break from the omnipresent a cappella performances around campus and the bumping top−40 hits in the frats to listen to a Mozart symphony on YouTube, or to stop by for a Tufts Symphony Orchestra concert. If you are adventurous, take a date into Boston for a night and go see the world renowned Boston Symphony Orchestra, or one of the many other prominent classical performance groups in the Boston area. Come up to me and ask me about my favorite composers. I promise you won't regret giving classical music a chance.
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Elliot Kardon is a freshman who has not yet declared a major.
