• Question: Why do older people GENERALLY enjoy classical music more than younger?

    Asked by wizzyg12 to Rob, Matt, Claire on 21 Jun 2013.
    • Photo: Robert Woolfson

      Robert Woolfson answered on 21 Jun 2013:

      Hmmm, that’s one I have to put my hands up and say I’m genuinely not sure. I think it might be to do with as people get older different things become socially acceptable and for some people one of those things is liking classical music. However, that is a pretty wild guess on my part.

    • Photo: Matthew Pankhurst

      Matthew Pankhurst answered on 22 Jun 2013:

      I think a couple of reasons are plausible. Firstly, in the last few decades all kinds of new sounds and music have been made, and with this more people have so much more choice of what to listen to over the radio and internet. So, the older you are, the most likely you’ve grown up with more traditional styles of music. If you grow up with something, there’s a good chance you’ll enjoy it because you are familiar with it.
      Another reason is that many classical pieces are true masterpieces of art – the sounds and subtleties and power and emotion are a real rollercoaster (it helps that some of them are well over 10 minutes long – the pop songs of today are rarely more than a few minutes). Perhaps older people have had more time to appreciate what are amazing pieces of music. I’m not saying that a lot of modern music isn’t as artful, but the classics are the classics! Have you ever gone to see an orchestra play? If not, do if you get the chance 🙂

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