Classical Music Is Still A Thing

Yesterday I introduced my new blog and pointed out that my goal is to help you and your kids enjoy classical music. Then I gave you a couple of examples of rock and pop music. I do intend on keeping my focus on classical music but I wanted to connect the idea that all music, classical, rock, pop, hip-hop, jazz, electronica, etc., are a reflection of what’s happening in the world around us. 

For some reason, we have decided that classical music is any music that usually involves an orchestra and was probably written a hundred or more years ago. I love Mozart and Beethoven and so many other composers, but a lot of great orchestra music is being written today.

Like the songs I recommended yesterday, there is orchestra music that reflects the culture in which we live.

One of the main ways we hear orchestra music today is in movies. Nearly all films have a musical score and most use some kind of orchestra. Your kids may or may not have seen Pirates of the Caribbean, but the music is amazing. Listen and try imagining a movie without pirates and big sailing ships. The music doesn’t fit anything else. The composer is Klaus Bedelt who has worked on many epic film scores

But, classical music hasn’t just been given to the movie industry. There are still classical works being written all the time that stand on their own. You may know John Williams as the composer of Star Wars, Jaws, Indiana Jones, but he’s written other works. One work I would recommend for families is Summon the Heros. It’s about 6 minutes long and is full of fanfares and drums. It was composed for the 1996 Summer Olympics and reflects the pride our country feels of its representative athletes.

Both of these pieces are easy to listen to, but let me assure you that the technique and compositional finesse match that of Beethoven, Bach, and so many other composers. It’s probably easier to listen to because it closely reflects our world more and the world of Beethoven and Mozart are foreign.

Enjoy this music with your kids. Be sure to follow me on social media so you’ll know when I post new content. Sharing will also help me out a lot and it’s a huge encouragement for me to keep going on this project. 

So take some time with your kids and listen to these energetic contemporary classical works.