Mozart, Beethoven, and all the rest were legends of their time; but does classical music have a place in today’s society? Since the emergence of other musical genres such as pop and rock, classical has become much less mainstream in the world, and listeners have greatly decreased for the past century. However, it is proven that classical music is not only beneficial to one’s ability to learn but still prevalent in the music industry today.
The era of classical music began around 1750 and lasted until the mid 1800s. The major pioneers of classical music included Bach and Gluck, the “founders of classical music.” Mozart and Beethoven shined during this era, and composed many revolutionary pieces that brought them to fame. After this period of time, the main themes of classical music lived on through Chopin and other instrumental musicians.
In many cases, film music has been accepted into the title of modern classical music. Toward the end of the 20th century, film music became the most popular form of classical music in the modern world. Classically trained composers such as John Williams carried many themes from their training into the films they were working on. For example, the theme from “Superman,” which was composed by Williams, carries many of the same musical themes as major classical works. The track begins with trumpets, strings, and then brings an entire orchestra in a buildup of percussion instruments.
Classical music has also proven to be extremely beneficial to students for several different reasons. First, it has been observed in a study that listening to classical music reduces stress levels, lowering the amount of cortisol in the body. Second, classical music aids sleep. Listening to one’s favorite classical piece for around 45 minutes before sleep greatly improves the quality of a person’s sleep. Also, classical music is proven to decrease the blood pressure of those who listen to it. All of these aspects are extremely important and beneficial for anxious students with high stress levels. Finally, listening to classical music seemed to help adults to perform better on memory and processing tasks, according to a 2014 study.
Classical music has proven to still be prevalent in today’s society. In fact, John Williams is the second most-nominated individual for Academy Awards, after Walt Disney himself. So, the genre seems to be gaining recognition, if mainly through film soundtracks. If nothing else, it’s important to understand and respect the importance of the genre for its rich history and benefits upon an individual.