A brief PowerPoint presentation about the benefits of and reasons for studying classical music.

1. Studying
Classical Music

2. Music and Culture
Historical and anthropological
studies have found that music is a
basic human behavior - a form of
human expression as natural as
speech.
Virtually all known cultures
throughout recorded human history
have had some form of music.

3. What is
classical
music?

4. The category of music commonly
called classical music is a form of
music that first developed in Europe
during the Middle Ages (also known
as the Medieval Period of Western
history) and continuously developed
over the centuries through different
periods of cultural and historical
development to the present day.

5. In addition to the category of Western
classical music described above, the
term "classical music" can also be
used to refer to certain types of
unrelated music that originated in
other parts of the world, such as
Indian classical music,
Chinese classical music,
Indonesian classical music, etc.

6. These other types of “classical music”
generally all developed
independently of influence from
Western classical music.

7. Classical music, which can
also be called “art music,”
is a category of music that is
distinct from both
traditional music
(also called “folk music”)
and popular music.

8. Why Study
Classical
Music?

9. Studying classical music is
an alternative way of learning
the history of Western
culture. The periods of
Western classical music run
parallel to the general periods
of Western culture.

10. Western classical music is the
music from which nearly all
forms of contemporary popular
music around the world are
derived, especially with regard
to harmony.

11. While many other forms of music
around the world possess their
own unique types of melody and
rhythm, virtually all forms of
contemporary music throughout
the world have adopted
the system of harmony first
developed in
Western classical music.

12. Studying or appreciating classical music is
easy to do… it mostly involves listening.
Unlike reading a great work of literature,
which requires concentration and a serious
time commitment, great works of music can
be experienced in relatively short periods of
time - most in well under an hour.
You can also do other things while you
listen to music at home. You can cook,
clean, exercise, or do all sorts
of simple tasks.

13. Music is very accessible and
inexpensive nowadays.
In fact, a lot of classical music
can be listened to for free.

14. The great composers of Western
classical music are among the
greatest creative artists in world
history, especially the great
composers of the Baroque,
Classical & Romantic periods.
Listening to their music can be a
very uplifting experience
in many ways.