Why I don't believe classical music-- or theatre is dead
I’d like to say any artform, but I don’t know enough about others to say anything. Classical music is not dead because of a dying older audience, because there are younger audiences who love it too. We may not be going to the big opera houses, because of things like the Met using blackface on their opening season promotions, or the expense of the tickets. What I’ve noticed are people changing opera *gasp* yes I know, change how scaaary. Smaller opera houses doing only a few shows in a season. Some houses wanting to model after The Gorilla Tango Theatre and basically put on a show only for as long as the tickets are selling, then moving on to the next, or just performing shows that the audience pills for. So many new little companies are popping up, that maybe you won’t be a superstar (I just want to be able to be decently recognized, not famous) you can still have a life with classical music and opera. We have so many new operas that have been made since 2000, and more are coming out as we tumblr. ( http://www.operanews.com/Opera_News_Magazine/2011/1/Features/The_New_Masterpieces.html )[sorry you will need an Opera News subscription] Maybe you’ll be the voice of life for a new opera (a new world organ! Repo the genetic opera anyone? Anybody? wight-winter? Please? Ugh) There are even articles in classical singer devoted to starting your own opera company! http://www.classicalsinger.com/magazine/article.php?id=2596 And other places http://www.newmusicbox.org/articles/so-you-want-to-start-an-opera-company/ Guys, gals, inbetweens, and boths, There are of course the standard opera houses, but there are new ones, new operas, new composers looking to use your voice to carry their music to an audience. Looking for you to be make the perfect vibrato for the cello part (I’m partial to listening to the strings guys) or to put the right amount of sorrow in the trumpet. We/us/me/you are classical music, are opera, are musicals, are music and we’re changing, were making sure we can have it however we can. And making sure we find an audience to revel with us, for every bittersweet moment in the practice room, there is a place for us. (Sorry about the West Side Story) More niches for us to do operetta/musicals where people for years will argue whether it’s a musical or an opera (Candide). More ways for us to be excellent, be a part of something that is vital to our lives. We’ve got this, and if you feel like you can’t find a place, make one. There are others like you, there are others out there who want what you want. Don’t stop believing. (Journey is right guys. Otherwise peeps wouldn’t get so pumped.)