Annotated Bibliography

My essay is going to go in depth on the reasons why classical music may be declining in

popularity because of modern music and our new generation. It will also explain the art in depth

as well as why the genre is actually prospering in today’s society.

Albright, Charlie. “Opinion: 'Classical' Music Is Dying...and That's Good.” CNN, Cable News

Network, 29 May 2016, www.cnn.com/2016/05/29/opinions/classical-music-

dying-and-being-reborn-opinion-albright/index.html. 23 June 2019

This source is telling its readers about the analytical side of classical music and how it’s

getting harder and harder to fill the seats. Facts such as there only being 8.8 percent of people

who have gone to a classical performance can be used as evidence to say that classical music is

on the decline. CNN does a great job of pushing this idea by throwing a plethora of facts and

statistics to the reader in favor of their motive. They are trying to push the idea that Classical

music is dead because of their lack of drive to change their ways. Charlie Albright is the writer

of this article and he is credible because he is a classical performer who is knowledgeable in the

subject. CNN picked him to write this article which adds to his credibility. This is relevant

because it contains credible information from both CNN and a credible musician. The article also

contains many facts that will help back up my claims.

Burrows, John. Classical Music. Book/ebook, Charles Wiffen, Ed, 2005,

https://ohdbks.overdrive.com/media/9FC48C0C-4FF4-4142-B853-

1C5F0DD5BA2F. 23 June 2019

This is a book written by Charles Wiffen but the ideas within contain information from a

bunch of different musical influencers. The stories are about how these musicians have
shaped the ongoing musical landscape over the many years that classical music has been around.

The book goes in depth on the intricacies and diverse repertoire that the genre includes. This

source is more positive about my subject and will help me argue the opposite side more than

most other sources, that classical music is still alive. This makes the book relevant for my paper

because it offers many counterclaims. Furthermore, the author is trying to push the idea that

classical music is still alive and has impacted our world in many ways throughout time. Our way

of life was changed throughout history because of this art. The author is able to push his idea

because of the many artists that he uses, which ultimately leads to the increase of his credibility.

Christina|Asaah, et al. “The Art of Listening: Listening Skill Development, Classical Music

Appreciation, and Personal Response through Visual Art in a Middle School

Program.” Research and Issues in Music Education, University of St. Thomas.

Graduate Programs in Music Education, Loras Hall 103, 2115 Summit Avenue,

Saint Paul, MN 55105. Tel: 651-962-5729; Web Site:

Http://Ir.stthomas.edu/Rime/, 30 Nov. 2017, eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1201779. 23 June

2019

This page offers a new kind of insight by explaining how people should listen to classical

music. It explains that people don’t understand that classical music takes a different kind of

listening ears and consists of “thought”, not passive listening. This is a relevant article because it

consists of information that can allow me to inform the reader that if they change how they listen

to music, they might be able to enjoy classical music. The article was written by three people

from Harvard and Pennsylvania, which adds to their credibility because they are knowledgeable

professors at these schools. Their purpose is to challenge how people listen to music casually and

possibly change their perspective on the classical music genre.

“Classical Music.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media,

www.theguardian.com/music/classical-music-and-opera. 23 June 2019

The Guardian contains many music articles that will be extremely useful when arguing in

favor of classical music. One article, in particular, is written by Ryan Evans which talks about

the successful musicians who have made it in life with all of their accomplishments.

Accomplishments include competition winners and orchestra spots that have been acquired by a

certain musician. The author is trying to inform readers that classical music is thriving and that

there are so many people that prosper within this field. Besides a large number of

advertisements and confusing articles, this seems to be mostly credible. The only thing that I

question is the credibility of the website’s authors but besides that, this website is well known for

having credible information. This article can be relevant if I want to list some of the major

accomplishments of classical musicians who are successful in this field.

Driblette, Randolph. “Difference Between Classical Music & Modern Music.” Our Pastimes, 10

Jan. 2019, ourpastimes.com/difference-between-classical-music-modern-music-

12328080.html. 23 June 2019

This article is quite different from the others in that it explains the key difference between

classical music and modern music. This can be helpful in writing a final paper because I can

explain how these genres are different and whether these differences affect the popularity of the

music. Furthermore, the article basically says that classical music is more complex, using more

instruments and people to put a show together. You can easily make modern music in a
recording studio by yourself or in the comfort of your own room. Also, the article talks about the

accessibility of the music. Both are easily accessible through apps such as Spotify but the

performances are quite different. You can be loud and obnoxious at a pop concert, but not at a

classical show. This may appeal to younger generations as well as the faster pace that modern

music holds. Moreover, these are just differences that have been setting the genres apart. The

author, Randolph Driblette, is a credible writer who writes many other music articles that are

posted online. This article is not on a website that I know of, but it includes many relevant and

easy to see ideas that will help me write my paper. The author’s purpose is to inform readers of

the major differences between the genres so that they will be knowledgeable about what they are

listening to.

O’Brian, Dara. Music: Dara O’Brian’s Music Club. Digitalfilms.com, BBC, 7/10/2014,

https://digital-films-com.sinclair.ohionet.org/p_ViewVideo.aspx?xtid=57464. 23

June 2019

This article talks about period music, music that’s within the era that we live in. It

explains how film designers use different music genres within their movies and how they pick

different genres. It explains that the music has to go with the storyline and that most of the time,

the music should be dramatic or on the other side of the spectrum, somber. This storyline comes

from BBC, an extremely credible news site, which adds credibility to the author, Vincent Dowd.

Honestly, I don’t see the purpose of using this source besides giving examples of movies that use

classical music, which is usually most movies. It doesn’t contain much content that will help my

argument or claim.
Kontos, Lydia. “From Bach To Beyoncé: Is Classical Music Dead?” HuffPost, HuffPost, 7 Dec.

2017, www.huffpost.com/entry/from-bach-to-beyonce-is-c_b_12842972. 23 June

2019

The webpage takes a clever look at how music has changed. It goes into depth on how the

dedicated fanbase of classical music consists of an old and white population when our generation

is increasingly becoming more diverse. The author, Lydia Kontos, has suggested this as the

major impact on the decline of the genre. Also, she explains that there are many financial issues

within the top classical symphonies, which is making it harder to produce content. It is extremely

expensive staging a classical concert because you have to pay so many musicians and workers to

run the event. On top of this, the aging audience and a lack of a younger audience is contributing

to the decline of this genre. Moreover, this information comes from a credible site with HuffPost,

which is a source that many individuals see as credible. The author doesn’t have much work or

articles out which could mean that she isn’t credible, but she does make some valuable points

that will be useful in my final paper.