Everyone who knows me knows that I love classical music (especially from the Romantic Era). Unfortunately, popular media often portrays "classical music" as an outdated genre for old, boring people who are rooted in stuffy traditions. I realize that everyone's music tastes are bound to be different, and Chopin doesn't have the hard-hitting bass drops or the catchy refrains of many popular songs nowadays, but I wish that people would listen with an open mind, instead of instantly condemning classical music as bland and only useful for whimsical commercials or movie scenes. I'm not saying that it's perfect and everyone should love it, but I think that people often decide whether or not they like something before they've even tried it. Other than the awe-inspiring finesse and the raw emotions that are conveyed through this genre, I won't elaborate more on why I love classical music (since different music affects different people in different ways). This isn't limited to classical music – it applies to all sorts of genres, or even to popular artists. For example, I have a bias against artists like Justin Bieber and One Direction because of what I've seen in popular media, even though I've never really listened to them. I can't hate on something I've never tried, even if I think I know that I won't like it. If people don't consume media with an open mind, we'll be susceptible to all sorts of single stories.
Here's another example of why judging too early is bad: I used to listen exclusively to classical music and jazz, because I had the preconceived notion that most other genres were trashy and dumb (yeah, I was cringey...). Once I decided to expand my musical taste by listening to everything people recommended to me, I realized that I had been missing out on quite a lot of great music. Of course there's still stuff I don't like, but as I listened to a wider variety of music, my taste became more fleshed out. I used to think that all metal music was ear-splitting and distasteful, but after looking into it a bit more, I found that there is actually a plethora of sub-genres under the label "metal". It turns out that I actually like some facets of just about all genres, even the ones I used to hate. I suppose I'm not really helping my case with this blog post, but it's mildly annoying when people assume that classical is the only genre I listen to.
This depiction of classical music irks me. Just because it was first created long before most other genres doesn't mean it's outdated. (side note: I'd love to have some musicians serenade me while driving, especially since 91.5 fm has ads and not very good sound quality)
