Why the Social Stigma...?

I vividly remember my first violin lessons at school. I can still recall the creaky hinges of my battered case, the smell of the resin and the sound of my strings being tuned by my (very patient) teacher. I think I must have been around ten or eleven when my parents bought me my first violin and paid for private lessons for me. I had been begging them for so long and I was over the moon when they finally said yes. They were taught within school hours, yet I would have to go off to the music room and essentially miss around forty minutes or so of my school subject (it was always a good day if I missed Maths!)

I had high hopes of becoming the next Vanessa Mae; she was so beautiful and successful not to mention ridiculously talented. I wished that one day, and after many years of hard work, practice and lessons, I would be able to be just like her. Except of course, I quit playing the violin when I turned thirteen. And I still regret it to this day.

But at the time, carrying my cumbersome case along the busy school corridors along with all my other bags and PE kit, or bashing girls' knees and shins with it on the bus-ride home just proved to be too much of a nuisance in the end, and so I did the cowardly thing of quitting. All because it was literally getting in the way of my life at a time when I just wanted to fit in with my other non-music playing friends. I went to an all-girls school where fitting in was something everyone seemed to take pretty seriously.

I had been in the school orchestra along with a couple of my best friends (they played clarinets so we would wave at each other from across the hall whilst I sat amongst the other strings). I really enjoyed being a part of the orchestra and missed it very much when I decided to quit playing. I think my music teacher was a bit upset, as were my parents (who I think had also harboured high hopes for my future career as a successful violinist). But it just wasn't to be. I caved. Why?

Because at a seminal time of my life when I had just entered my teens, I didn't think playing a violin was very trendy. It wasn't the image I wanted to project to my friends and peers. (Even though a few of them did play instruments and/or sing in the school choir). All the pretty and popular girls at school that I can remember off the top of my head didn't play instruments or sing, they were just 'regular girls' who thought that being in the choir or orchestra was too much of an old-fashioned thing when they could spend their break and lunchtimes practising dance moves and singing along to the newest pop songs, or talking about their latest crushes (most often pop stars too).

And so I became a sheep like them in order to fit in....

Typing this post has made me quite sad to be honest with you, as a big part of me wishes I had stuck to my guns and been more my own person. But at that time in my life, especially at an all-girls' school, social acceptance was key. And playing instruments or showing an interest in anything remotely 'classical' would show you up to be either a) a posh snob or b) a bit of an 'arty-farty' type. And sadly, both those categories didn't stand you in good stead for popularity.

This leads me quite nicely to the whole purpose of my post; that is to say, why is there such a social stigma regarding classical music and young people. I remember my friends and I would snigger if we had to listen to anything classical during music lessons. Why was that? What stopped us all from saying, "you know what, that is actually a beautiful piece of music."

I would love to know whether knowledge plays a big part in all this. If classical music and music lessons were taught as part of the curriculum alongside all the other humanities, would we still have such a culture of classical-phobes who would much rather hear the latest pop songs. Is education at the heart of this classical socia stigma? 

Or is it precisely because of the social bracket that classical music is synonymous with; it essentially detracts the middle and lower classes from becoming involved with with for fear humiliating themselves infront of others due to a lack of musical knowledge? So many questions. Would really love to hear you thoughts on this particular issue.

Take care and I will be back very soon.

In leaving though, I couldn't resist not sharing this image from Tone Deaf comics with you all...

Food for thought right there....