Classical vs. Modern - A Question of Communication

I used to hate most things “modern.” My parents raised me to appreciate all things classical: music, art, architecture, dance, poetry, etc. I looked on things such as rap, modern art, and modernist architecture with utmost disgust and wondered how anybody could like such a thing. I was perplexed and thought that perhaps a large chunk of the population just missed the point. Couldn’t they tell that classical music was better composed? Couldn’t they tell that classical art and architecture were “more artistic”?

It has taken me many years and many more conversations with all kinds of people who have different tastes than I have to help me expand my understanding of music, art, and architecture. I used to think that rappers weren’t as talented. And I thought that people whose art was modern just didn’t have the skills either. But today, I finally made a connection. I was listening to Twenty-One Pilots’ “Taxi Cabs,” which combines a variety of musical styles, including rap, into a unique composition that I think exemplifies the style of Twenty-One Pilots. It was in that moment of transition between rap and the rest of the song that I realized why people enjoy it. Twenty-One Pilots understands the character of music, and they choose to express it in their own way. In the same way that Picasso was able to paint realistically (and well), I think that Twenty-One Pilots would be able to perform music that I think is more “talented” or “skilled.” And just like Picasso, they choose to not express it in that way.

I personally enjoy classical music more than modern music, but I now know that it is because the way I communicate my feelings and thoughts matches more with “classical” styles. People who enjoy modern music relate to that music in a similar way that I connect with my music. Understanding music, art, and architecture in terms of how people communicate gives me appreciation for practically all forms and has helped me to be able to in turn relate to other people better.

I’ve noticed that people are extremely touchy when it comes to certain subjects: music and art (and religion, but that calls for a different discussion). Disregarding one type of music in my mind usually lends to me disregarding an entire group of people who identify with that music. So it really is foolish of me to completely throw away music and art that I may not understand. Perhaps others who I know will tell me their opinions about music and art that are pleasing to them, and that will be a venue for me to better comprehend who they are individually.

Today, I still identify my taste in music, art, and architecture closer to the “classical” side, but I no longer hate anything modern. Just like they are able to appreciate the classical and still choose to express themselves in a different way, I am able to understand the modern and express myself in my style.