Listen and fall in love with music
In Hong Kong, few people are interested in classical music. This is mainly because they don't know much about it.
In fact, listening to classical music can be enjoyable and relaxing. And the stories behind it can be fascinating. Beethoven composed music even though he suffered from a severe form of tinnitus (a ringing in his ears) and eventually became deaf. Why did the composers write such music? What did they want to express?
In Hong Kong, people are obsessed with pop songs. But classical music represents the history of music around the world. It can help us learn more about the culture of different places.
Children who learn to play musical instruments are often forced into it by their parents. This does not encourage their interest in classical music at all. But if you listen more carefully, you may fall in love with the music.
Szeto Yuen-lok
From the Editor
Thank you for sharing your thoughts, Yuen-lok. Many people, especially teenagers forced into it by their parents, can't stand classical music. They think it's boring, old-fashioned, and irrelevant.
But this is a short-sighted view - for a start, 'classical' music isn't all old. People are still composing it, and making it relevant, using it to paint musical pictures of modern life and issues.
Classical music established rules that apply to all forms of music - ideas like key, tempo, structure and improvisation. A lot of classical music has been sampled by modern artists, and has inspired modern songs.
It's a bad idea to limit yourself musically. You don't have to like all genres, but give them a chance. You might find you like something you never imagined you would.
Karly, Deputy Editor
