Democratizing Taste on Classical Music for All

Abstract

The right of every citizen to access cultural heritage, such as classical music, has been widely pointed out by international organizations. However, there are certain barriers that impede members of vulnerable groups from enjoying the benefits of this type of music, namely cultural elitism. Some authors have stated that the taste for classical music depends on the social class. Nevertheless, our research has found evidence that demonstrates that it is not so in nine different contexts. We present here results of Dialogic Music Gatherings (DMG), that demonstrate that everyone can enjoy classical music. Thus, the purpose of this article is to analyze the impact the DMG have had on widening participants’ access to classical music and increasing the taste towards this music from very diverse age and socioeconomic groups. To that end, a survey study was conducted among nine education centers from elementary to adult education. Data has been analyzed through the Communicative Methodology by defining the transformative and exclusionary elements in relation to the access and taste towards the classical music. Results suggest these participants have accessed classical music and increased the taste towards this music after participating in the DMGs, regardless of their social and cultural background.