Mignano’s article revealed an emerging snobbery among the musically trained. The concert announcement on the St. Olaf website invited Northfielders to enjoy an afternoon focused on orchestral works that entertain children. Does making music accessible to the non-music major crowd warrant the attack of being called “crowd-pleasing fluff”?

Outside of St. Olaf (and even at St. Olaf), most people do not care about “polymetrical and hocketed layered ostinati.” They want something they can understand and relate to. Conducter Steven Amundson’s explanations of “Petrouchka” and other pieces were not a distraction to someone who, like me, has not taken music history, but they gave concertgoers something to listen for and a story to follow.

Art is not bad simply because it is designed to captivate an audience of untrained ears. No wonder people are not clamoring to get in on the music conversation – they are pushed away by elitist musicians arguing that the common listeners’ needs are frivolous.

– Catherine Wing ‘06

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