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Writer's pictureEmma Foreman

Researched Reflection- Decolonizing the Canon


In my career as a musician, canon has been a constant presence. Whether it be the repertoire I have chosen for myself, have had selected for me, or simply being surrounded by other talented musicians and listening to their repertoire, I would say that the variety of that list does not extend far at all.

In most cases, cellists start their career with some training, often Suzuki training, which, by nature, leads them to the Haydn C major concerto or Saint Saens A minor concerto. Although these pieces are staples of classical cello music and are recognized for their beauty and specific techniques needed for a growing musician, many other pieces could cater to this need. Famous musicians such as Jaqueline Du Pre, Alisa Weilerstein, and Mischa Maisky have played and continue to play the canon repertoire. At the same time, they are well past their developmental stage of cello playing due to the beauty and in and more entrepreneurial sense to further their career and likening from audiences.

Through my university education, I have become immensely aware of the “concerto of the year” or even just a repetition of the same few concertos, sonatas, etudes, and suites that, in turn, almost drive me crazy. In many ways, canon has prompted me to resent a piece like the Vivaldi Four Seasons, Pachelbel’s Canon, the Saint Saens Concerto, and others simply due to the numerous times I have heard it played or even hummed in the hallways. On the contrary, it created a deep-rooted knowledge of fundamental composers and pieces in ways that are ingrained for the rest of my life. This, too, gives me the ability to enjoy analysis and ease of teaching them due to knowledge gained from mere aural repetition, as well as applying similar techniques to create music that can be presented for hundreds of years.

The image I chose above was the way I see the canon. It can be a cyclical cycle and, if not adequately nurtured, can quickly turn into a ridged business than a beautiful and diverse art form.

As crucial as repetition is for a musician, the canon does not need to be entirely repeated. Collegiate students are taught about mostly the same repertoire and composers throughout their education with little to no variation in the syllabus. Unfortunately, many of our most prominent composers are white males who have paved the way for many other white males to follow. Further, thousands upon thousands of works written by women and ethnically diverse composers have not found their way to the limelight due to their difference in a monotonous society. 

Composers such as Clara Schumann, Florence Price, and Joseph Bologne are prime examples of composers who are diverse as well as knowledgeable in the field of music. The common misconception of diverse composers is their inability to create music as powerful or influential as those of the mainstream that we all know. Of course, Bach, Brahms, Beethoven, Mozart, and others have paved music in a gorgeous and respectable way, yet many others have done the same. Yet, their underrepresentation has caused them to fall short in the way that we study music in its entirety. ​

To create this immersion into musical studies, it must start from the very beginning. As we progress in our studies, the fundamentals should maintain their position. Still, the inclusion of other composers should be present in facilitating learning, and inclusion should be included in this learning. As musicians, we have a very powerful position to paint pictures to audiences of the past, present, and future. To me, each and every detail should be portrayed, whether that is a diverse or controversial detail.

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