Classical music (and the educational institutions which teach it) seem to be in crisis.  Classical record sales are down, symphony orchestras have gone bankrupt, and universities are allowing tenured faculty to retire without hiring replacements.  One of the best-selling non-fiction books about music published in the 1990's was Norman Lebrecht's Who Killed Classical Music.

Composer David Stock expressed his opinion about the crisis of classical music in Music Theory: Explorations and Applications (volume IV), "the concept of high culture may be dying! . . . In today's world the arts are in serious danger. Today's composers are in serious danger. They are an endangered species."

What has happened to the fine arts in late-twentieth-century society?

I believe that, due to the rapid increase of communications between formerly remote parts of our planet, our Western society is discovering on an unprecedented scale the rich folk music traditions of indigenous native cultures, such as the Asian, African, South American, Native American and even European folk cultures.  Our musical tastes are becoming more diverse.  At the same time, there seems to be a negative reaction against the European classical music traditions of Bach, Beethoven, and Brahms.  Classical performers are beginning to capitalize on this trend, such as cellist Yo-Yo Ma, who recently recorded an album of tango music, and violinist Itzhak Perlman, who recorded an album of klezmer music.

Not only folk music, but also American popular music -- such as swing, jazz, rock and rap -- is heard more and more in today's classical music concerts.  For example, the American composer, Aaron Jay Kernis, used rap music in his orchestral piece -- New Era Dance -- which was recently performed by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.

In addition, ancient music -- such as Gregorian chant -- has also experienced a revival, as shown by the incredibly huge sales of the CD Chant by the Benedictine Monks of Santo Domingo de Silos.  The
compositions of Arvo Paart and Henryk Gorecki exhibit meditative Medieval chant influences which are very much akin to modern "new-age" music.  (Gorecki's big hit -- Symphony No. 3 -- has been called his "new-age symphony.")  And the popular "electronic space-music" radio program -- Hearts of Space -- featured minimalistic classical works by Scandinavian composers on a recent broadcast.

Truly the earth is increasingly becoming one big melting pot as cultures merge.  American and British rock successfully permeated the far corners of the globe for the last thirty years, and now in return, Western music is being influenced by the traditional music of far-flung native cultures.   One of the best examples of this on radio is the weekly Schickele Mix -- hosted by composer Peter Schickele of P.D.Q. Bach fame -- which is perhaps the ultimate "cross-over" radio program, as it features a potpourri of music from classical to folk, from rock to jazz.

By citing the previous examples, I do not mean to imply that classical music has never before been influenced by folk and popular music; that is certainly not true. But today, as we approach the dawn of a new millennium, the influence of folk and popular music on the classical music scene seems stronger than ever.  Clearly, as singer/songwriter Bob Dylan said more than thirty years ago, "the times, they are a-changing."

I believe that the innovative music educator will follow (and perhaps even anticipate) the changing trends of society and adapt his or her curricula accordingly.  This does not mean that music students will cease to study Palestrina, Bach, Mozart and Beethoven; it only means that students will also be able to take other classes which may be more helpful to prepare them for a diversified music career in today's competitive market. For example, a theory major might analyze the songs of Cole Porter, George
Gershwin, and Lennon and McCartney as well as the songs of Schubert.  Similarly, an applied music major might take classes in improvisation, jazz and world music, and perhaps even take classes in personal marketing, such as How To Get The Gig 101.

One last point: the music educators of the 21st century must be computer literate, as students already are!  The computer can be a great aid in teaching, especially in ear-training.

In conclusion, I believe the twenty-first century will be a challenging, yet rewarding time for music educators and the students they teach.  One must only keep abreast with the times to succeed.