Dr. Sy Brandon, Composer
P.O. Box 204
Wrightsville, PA 17368-0204
717 252 3385
e-mail: sybrandon@comcast.net
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Music In The 21st Century


The premise of this discussion will be "how can all of us do our part to see that "Art Music" will survive in the 21st Century".

I. What is Music?

Winsor, Jon. "Breaking The Sound Barrier: An Argument for Mainstream Literary Music". New York. Writer’s Showcase, 2003.
A. Music is the use of sound to represent biological rhythm.
B. Definition of terms –
1. Composer’s craft – objective
2. Listener’s response – subjective
3. Biological rhythm – the rhythm of life (movement)
4. Music’s rhythmic aspects include rhythm, melody, harmony, tone color, dynamics, and dramatic shape (form).
What Does Music Mean? - Leonard Bernstein’s definition from his Norton Lectures at Harvard University in 1973.
A. Music has intrinsic meanings of its own, which are not to be confused with specific feelings or moods, and certainly not with pictorial impressions or stories. These intrinsic meanings are generated by a constant stream of metaphors, all of which are forms of poetic transformations.

B. Definition of terms –
1. Meaning – conveyed by the notes themselves
2. Expression – what we feel
3. Metaphor – A=B B=C therefore A=C
4. Intrinsic Metaphors – purely musical
5. Extrinsic Metaphors – extra-musical

II. The challenge for the survival of 21st Century Art Music
A. Concert halls have become museums
B. Audiences are aging and younger generation has little interest in art music
C. Composers have and still are alienating audiences
D. Performers, conductors and educators are watering down the repertoire in order to attract new audiences

III. The Solution
A. Composers need to get back to writing "mainstream literary music" and competitions need to reward composers writing in this style
B. Performers and conductors need to program "mainstream literary music"
C. Educators need to teach the value of "mainstream literary music" and not equate it with "vernacular" music.
D. Audiences need to be educated by performers, composers, and conductors speaking to them about the music.
E. Government funding for performing and creating "mainstream literary music" should increase