66 Somebody said that people without formal musical training cannot appreciate progressive music. I am a non-musician who really enjoys progressive music, and I am insulted by this person's "elitist" attitude. Why do people say these things?
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This article is from the Progressive Music FAQ, by Phil Kime(Philip@kime.org.uk) with numerous contributions by others.
66 Somebody said that people without formal musical training cannot appreciate progressive music. I am a non-musician who really enjoys progressive music, and I am insulted by this person's "elitist" attitude. Why do people say these things?
Sometimes because of silly ideas about classical training and
sometimes because of valid insights. Training is neither necessary
nor sufficient for "real" appreciation, mainly because there is
no such thing as "real" appreciation. There are many aspects to
appreciate and everyone has their nuances. However, I will say
that an understanding of music can greatly aid your understanding
of a piece and I have found that, for example, an understanding
of rhythm greatly enhances my appreciation of much music. However,
I know classically trained musicians who adore Status Quo exactly
because analysis is so pointless there. Musical training cannot
hurt. There are no guideliens for this. Some people find that
an appriciation of the exact music score of a piece ruins their
naïve appreciation. I have found this on occasion: learning to
play a line you admire can spoil its mystique. This question has
no answer. Experiment for yourself.
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