A brief thought on contemporary music

Cartoon credit: Far Side by Gary Larson

 

Gary Larson Far Side cartoons occasionally had banjo players in them. In this one, the conductor seems rather surprised and upset or offended by the sound of the banjo. The cartoon, I think, is quite profound in that it underscores how "foreign" music can sound to those who have their preconceived views of what it should or should not be. I appreciate those in the music world who are willing to risk and experiment and break new ground. When I first began listening to 20th and 21st century classical music, I was rather offended by the atonal sounds. However, I kept listening, and now I have come to a deeper appreciation of how creative several of our contemporary composers are and how they incorporate into their music the sounds of everyday life.