In some countries, only few young people go to classical music concerts or play classical music. Why is it happening? Should young people be encouraged to attend and learn more?

It is true that youngsters have little preference for classical music in some parts of the world. This could be explained by the elitist nature of the genre itself; however, I contend that young people should be motivated to go to live concerts or play a classical instrument as these would help them to be more creative and attentive. To begin with, young listeners are generally unfamiliar with classical music mainly because it seems to be too challenging for them to comprehend complex masterpieces or to be a part of a classical orchestra. Indeed, this genre is naturally sophisticated, which usually demands its audiences to have a keen musical perception and life experience, which are less common among teenagers. Meanwhile, it takes years of intensive training for one to perform just the intro of “Nocturne” by Chopin, whereas a complete beginner only needs a few months of infrequent practice to excel at covering mainstream songs from Justin Bieber or Taylor Swift. These factors are the reason why most young people are in favour of simpler types of music such as Pop or R&B. Nevertheless, classical music should be made popular among youngsters as it has been scientifically proven to boost creativity and concentration. Brain scanning has revealed that classical performances ignite various parts of the brain, of which many are linked with enhanced imagination and creative thinking. In an experiment carried out in an Australian university, students who can play symphonies composed by Beethoven or Mozart tend to have a longer attention span of about 30 minutes compared to only 7 minutes of other students. It seems obvious to me that these benefits are of paramount importance and would help classical music lovers to gain an advantage in their study and work. In conclusion, although classical music might be hard to perceive or play, its merits including boosted creativity and improved focus have convinced me that youngsters definitely should attend more classical concerts and classes. To encourage them, schools and other educational institutions could invite famous musicians to perform on special occasions and share their passion for this worthy musical genre.