Classical music versus pop

Classical music is not introduced to young generation, at schools or different institutes. In the digital era, most of kids first hear pop music, songs that can be sang together with other kids, or teenagers. It gives a sense of identity, feeling of belonging to a group in such a young age is very important to them.

Why is there lack of classical music being played?

Usually people treat it as a music for a “higher class”. In todays world I would not say it is; everything is available to everyone. Back in the days it was definitely available only to wealthy people, since there was no radio, phonographs and even after inventing them it might have been too expensive.

Teenagers rate popular music higher than a classical one. It is because of media pressure, peer or teachers (North et al reported -2000). In fact young people introduced to this music felt powerful emotional engagement and identification. If high quality music would have been institutionally and culturally embedded it would have become important to younger people.

Prelude E Minor F.Chopin played by Eric Lu

Eric Lu- one of the best pianist of young generation. He has started learning piano at the age of 6. He has scored 4th Prize at XVII International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition in Warsaw, Poland.

I really love this Prelude. It seems to be simple at first glance, the music sheets do not look too complicated. But it requires a lot of technique. Eric Lu has played in a beautiful way.

Rubato technique

RUBATO- a technique the has its origin in Gregorian chant; it is a natural freedom of rhythm. Just like in spoken language, our tone of voice change, sometimes faster sometimes slower, it basically depends on how naturally talk (accent), articulate and what emotions we want to express. Chopin’s way of teaching rubato was to show the analogy between music and language and model playing on it. He as a performer used a lot of rubato in his playing; when saying rubato we think – Chopin, it is almost his synonym. He wanted to break the “rigid playing characteristic of eighteen-century classicism”. His Mazurkas require using rubato the most; changes of tempo adding soul to this dance, while reflecting on national character of Mazurkas.

Rubato does not destroy the piece when being used, it enhance the character, appreciate note- value .

Chopin’s advice to play rubato: “Imagine a tree with its branches swayed by the wind: the stem represents steady time, the moving leaves inflections. This is what is mean by Tempo and Tempo Rubato.”

groups of dance

Dance can be divided into to two groups – social dances and stage dances. The difference between them is how they being learned. First is taught orally, with less limits and everyone can change the moves into their own. Second group; stage dances : has a lot of sub-genres for example: jazz, ballet or folkdance.

The question is when one starts to really express themselves in dance?

Foundation to express is to first learn the steps and movements of a certain style. Every style has their set of steps or rules. Social dances countably evolve, because they can be changed. In ballet- every move has to be done in the way rules say and learning this style requires working with a teacher.

Only when foundations are learned then can be broken. Rudolf Von Laban, Pina Bausch – have done it and their styles have roots in ballet.

Nilsson, M. (1991). Dance Transmission, a Question of Learning or Teaching? Studia Musicologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae,33(1/4), 279-284. doi:10.2307/902449

Bishi Bhattarcharya

London based singer, songwriter, performance artist and a DJ.

To create her work she finds inspiration in people – parents, friends or colleagues.

She is a co-founder elf WITCiH – the women In Technology Creative Industries Hub and artistic director. The Hub aims to help increase visibility and recognition of female and non-binary artists in the music industry, science and technology.

Bishi is Bengali and she is showing it in her art work, from lyrics to sound. Her new single “Don’t shoot the messenger’ is a great example and the sound shows her roots.

Laban for all

Rudolf von Laban the ”FOUNDING FATHER OF EXPRESSIONIST DANCE”

a teacher, dance designer, choreographer, artist.

There are many names Laban has been called, in a positive way. He dedicated his life to dance and during his lifetime hie opened a lot of schools that involve, dance and vocal training and painting.

After I WW Laban open a school in Stuttgart, one of his students was Kurt Jooss – creator of Ballets Jooss and teacher of Pina Bausch.

His influence between wars was huge and still is. But in private life he struggled financially and with his mental health.

Laban was convinced that everyone should dance. He often worked with amateurs. His aim was to get rid of music limiting dance and stated that natural body rhythms are more important that music tempo.

Dörr, Evelyn, and Lori Lantz. “Rudolf Von Laban: The ‘Founding Father’ of Expressionist Dance.” Dance Chronicle, vol. 26, no. 1, 2003, pp. 1–29. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/1568111. Accessed 20 May 2021.

Pina Bausch and “Tanztheatre”

Pina Bauch- born in Solingen, Germany. She started learning how to dance at the age of 15. has influenced the world of dance and thatre. She broke the barriers that ballet offers; wanting to experiment, express emotions. Her style is not quite straightforward, has a lot of mystery and it is feel to interpret. People wanting to see her show never said “I am going to see a theatre piece”, but ” I am going to see Pina Bausch”. It is iconic. One of her dancers even said that every show theme has been the same, but people were not able to notice the similarities.

Dancers of Pina Bausch were challenged by looking deep inside their emotional world. Every text, every scene had to be performed with emotion, often for Pina meaning of text was not as important as its emotional side.

Pina Bausch has influenced theatre and dance worlds connecting them both. Her pieces are studied until now and every time something new can be discovered.