Bach to Basics: Why Classical Music Still Rocks!
When I was learning to play the piano, just a few years ago, if you wanted to play popular music, you were on your own. Few, if any, teachers taught it or even allowed it. It was classical. Period.
Things are very different today. Almost all my students ask to play something they “know.” I think that’s great, and we can usually find something at just the right level. And if you walk by my studio during a break, you are just as likely to hear me playing something from Broadway as Beethoven.
Still, I want to make the case that classical music can and should play an important role in every student’s music education. Here are 10 reasons why:
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It’s classic! Webster defines classic as “a standard of excellence of recognized value; traditional; enduring.”
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It helps teach rhythm. Popular music is often syncopated, and students need to understand traditional rhythms before they can successfully play syncopated ones.
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It develops note-reading skills. Classical music helps students learn and strengthen note-reading skills from the earliest beginner levels.
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It establishes good fingering habits. Even Bach included fingering instructions in the early works he wrote for his own children.
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It teaches precision. Classical music includes detailed technical and expressive markings that guide students in understanding and honoring the composer’s intentions. Learning to notice and follow those details has tremendous value.
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It offers incredible variety. Every composer and every musical period has something different to offer. You don’t like Bach? Maybe you should try Debussy!
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It brings history to life. Many composers led fascinating lives. Learning about their experiences and the historical periods in which they lived is an important part of a well-rounded music education.
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It fosters creativity. A background in classical music provides a strong foundation for improvisation and composition.
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It makes you smarter! At least, that’s what I tell my students, and plenty of research supports the benefits of music study. Playing classical music engages multiple areas of the brain simultaneously and encourages mathematical thinking through counting, patterns, and rhythm.
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It’s beautiful and exciting! Many of my students have had little exposure to classical music, but once they hear it and begin playing it, they often come to love it.
How fortunate we are to have such a vast and beautiful collection of classical music from which to choose! May every student have the opportunity to discover it, play it, and learn to love it.
Connie Edwards, B.S., Piano Instructor