Chris Bonds wrote:

>Next point--I agree that young ears MAY be more receptive;
>however my take on much atonal music is that you at least understand it
>better if you have a broad musical background to start with.  The fact is
>that we on the whole do not introduce complex atonal music to our children
>even when we cultivate a taste for it.  All those who have abandoned tonal
>music for an exclusive diet of atonal and 12-tone music, stand up and be
>counted!  How many grade school kids do you know who compose atonal music?
>Or sing it? I think you interest people in it AFTER they've committed to
>serious musical study.  When I see otherwise happening I will change my
>opinion on this.

My opinion is this, who is to say that children won't write atonal music
if they have been exposed only to atonal music in their entire lives?
Tonality, I feel, is truly a matter of conditioning.  For example, in
non-Western music, in a lot of musical cultures, such as Indian, Chinese,
Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Amerindian music, they do not all use
major/minor scales do they? Would they find Western music composed with
major/minor scales uncomfortable and strange?

Also, to write tonal music is not easy either.  A knowledge of harmony and
cadences might be required.  So, any child attempting to write music might
have written something atonal.  Why not? When children begin drawing or
painting, do they immediately follow the great masters in Classical art?
Or would they draw something similar to the more recent Expressionists?

I say, give these children a chance.  After all, it's their ears they are
using to listen to the music.

Edwin Phua