I recently wrote something for the Houston Chronicle about Amy Chua's views on the value of classical music. She's the author whose memoir Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother has been, to say the least, controversial. You can read my article here.
She seems to view classical music as a means to an end, rather than an end in itself. It’s for instilling discipline and a perfectionist mindset. It’s for the cultivation of a competitive spirit. It’s for achieving social status. The music itself doesn’t seem to interest her much. (She claims to love classical music, but this love is certainly not a prominent feature of her book.)
Unfortunately, she’s reinforcing a lot of negative stereotypes about classical music, and the kind of people who get involved with it. With friends like Tiger Mom, does classical music need enemies?
