BY Joshua Hathaway/reporter

Musicians from the NW Campus Chamber Orchestra talked about where the classical genre is heading and how to keep it alive.
On March 3, students in the orchestra taught and conducted by music instructor Benson Lee, performed several compositions by famous composers, including Tchaikovsky and Mozart.

The orchestra was a mix of seasoned and beginner performers, and the compositions they played were different compared to what the Chamber Orchestra usually performs.

Lee said this was the first event that was a strictly classical-style performance with Mozart’s “Requiem.” Lee said they were happy to accept the challenge.

After the performance, NW student Caleb Torres, who plays trumpet, said the reason people were drifting away from classical music was because of the quick culture that has surrounded the music industry today.

“It resonates. It tugs at your heart, and I think that’s really important,” Torres said.

Lee said people want their music in five, three and even two minutes, but that can’t be done with classical music. It takes not only time to build but detailed listening to truly understand it. And in what Lee called today’s “fast-food culture,” that’s becoming a rarer event.

“Music is an art of time, not an art of space,” he said.

NW student Catherine Livesay, who plays piano and sings, said orchestra music includes a much wider field, including film compositions. Popular movies like “The Avengers” and “Pirates of the Caribbean” all have scores that draw in people.

“Orchestra music isn’t just classical,” Livesay said.

Torres and Livesay agreed that this kind of exposure would help the genre altogether.

“I think everybody has a love for classical music,” Torres said. “They just need to find it.”