Art in the 21st Century

For years, I have felt passionately about fostering quality experiences with the arts, and I have studied the trajectory of music history, in particular, with a growing sense of dismay.  

As the divide between elitist sub-groups and the general public has widened over the course of the 20th century, critics began predicting the death of classical music, and even institutions as ostensibly "popular" as Broadway seemed destined for extinction. 

Thankfully, an unexpected shift took place around the turn of the 21st century, aided, in part, by technological advances, an ever-widening global community, and a generation that tends to gravitate towards eclecticism.  

Broadway grossed more in 2012 than it ever had before.  

Classical music sales skyrocketed.  

In many ways, 21st century technology is giving birth to a new world--one which widens and improves accessibility, feeds creativity, and invites a previously passive consumer base to reactivate, participate, and contribute directly to the larger cultural capital.   The era of top-down passive reception (standard television programming, concert halls, hospital-like museums, etc.) seems to have ended, and this new era is characterized by grassroots participation, the mixing of genres, and the crossing of previously impenetrable boundaries.  

It's a wonderful time to be a classical composer seeking to activate an upcoming generation of listeners/participants.  

It's also a wonderful time to be an educator.  

In my future position as the Performing Arts Director at a new charter school that will employ a student-driven, project-based blended learning model, I look forward to encouraging active participation and collaboration on multiple levels: 1) with other art forms, 2) with other disciplines, and 3) with the larger external community.  

My hope is that our school can build a unique, experiential arts program that gives young students the agency and resources they need to begin shaping the future of the arts.