COMPOSER SABRINA PENA YOUNG | MUSIC TECHNOLOGY | FILM | CLASSICAL | OPERA

Classical Music Magazine (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) Is classical music dead? With all of the negative press regarding music union contracts, faltering orchestras, cutting of music programs, and the seeming demise of classical music, I would like to offer a different perspective.  Before we can embark on answering the provocative question "Is classical music dead?" we must first address the very definition of classical music. After all, what is classical music?  If we exclaimed "All birds are dead!" but are incapable of identifying a penguin or ostrich as members of the bird family, then we have made a false statement based on our own biases about birds. If our definition of birds includes the requirement of flight, then both penguins and ostriches are not considered birds. In the same way, if "classical music" has a very definitive and narrow definition that excludes contemporary forms of media, music, and technology, as well as a limit to sp...