# WaPo Article: Classical Music Marketed as "Background" Music



## Logos (Nov 3, 2012)

_If classical music really sounded the way it's described in radio ads, composers would have fallen asleep while writing it._

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...music-thats-a-problem/?utm_term=.eb48d9fc6d35

Interesting article on this subject in the Washington Post. I'd like to hear your thoughts.


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## arpeggio (Oct 4, 2012)

I agree...…....


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

Me too, without the #


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## Littlephrase (Nov 28, 2018)

Whenever somebody says classical music is relaxing, it's best to give them this: 





This article nails many things, especially as it pertains to the classical marketing world's desperate attempt to sell the music as "relaxing" and therapeutic in order to dispel its connotations with elitism. It's sad all around.


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## KenOC (Mar 7, 2011)

At 5:00 PM each weekday, KUSC offers up two CARR-tunes – yes, that stands for Classical Anti Road Rage music. Very relaxing indeed, Faure and the like. I can’t get in too much of a snit about this, since given the traffic around here it’s probably prevented a couple of homicides.


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## rodrigaj (Dec 11, 2016)

The "elephant in the room" : People, even so called audiophiles, don't *LISTEN* to music.

I'm amused by the comments in other forums about "music" in "my office" or "work area". You can't do work if you are actively listening to music. No one can. Yet I constantly read about how this or that speaker or piece of equipment is great in an office. Always followed by "it's all about the music". Yeah, right.

I totally agree with the article.


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## MarkW (Feb 16, 2015)

Back in the '60s I spent an entire high school summer working on the outside of a neighbor's house. I brought over a radio which I tuned to Boston's commercial classical station -- WCRB -- while I was working. I was bored to death -- the music they played during the day was glorified background sludge, not nearly so interesting as the standard repertory works I played at home at lunchtime. I never quite understood it -- even wondered if maybe CM wasn't by and large so great after all. That was before I became an announcer myself, really explored the repertory, and discovered that there were levels of greatness and that daytime commercial CM seemed to hew to the mediocre background noise level for women (this was the '60s) to do housework to.


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## janxharris (May 24, 2010)

Logos said:


> _If classical music really sounded the way it's described in radio ads, composers would have fallen asleep while writing it._
> 
> https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...music-thats-a-problem/?utm_term=.eb48d9fc6d35
> 
> Interesting article on this subject in the Washington Post. I'd like to hear your thoughts.


Article unavailable.


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## Logos (Nov 3, 2012)

janxharris said:


> Article unavailable.


The link seems to be working for me. Is anyone else having this problem?


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## janxharris (May 24, 2010)

Logos said:


> The link seems to be working for me. Is anyone else having this problem?


it's working now.


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## janxharris (May 24, 2010)

Logos said:


> _If classical music really sounded the way it's described in radio ads, composers would have fallen asleep while writing it._
> 
> https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...music-thats-a-problem/?utm_term=.eb48d9fc6d35
> 
> Interesting article on this subject in the Washington Post. I'd like to hear your thoughts.


Bartok = heavy rock.


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## senza sordino (Oct 20, 2013)

I can read the article, the link works for me. And I agree with the article. While I admit I use classical music as background music while at work marking and preparing after school, it's not relaxing music. Colleagues at work think I listen to classical music to relax after a stressful day with teenagers. Two things wrong with that: I don't find my job that stressful and I don't listen to classical music to relieve stress. I've learned how to do my job without a lot of stress involved, it's time consuming but not stressful. 

I listen to classical music because I like it. I listen to music at home more actively.


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