Claire Charbonneau makes the case for classical music

The Dallas Symphony Orchestra‘s Teen Council  is sponsoring an orchestra performance to help spread the word about classical music. It’s happening Saturday at the Meyerson, and Jaap van Zweden and the orchestra will be joined onstage by teen piano phenom Don-yeong Kim.

The teen council is hosting a series of events before and after the concert, transforming the Meyerson into a club that any teen would want to visit.

You can find more information about the concert here. And you can enter below to win a free pair of tickets to this weekend’s event.

But this all got us thinking: Why would teens want to give classical music a try? We asked members of the council to fill us in on how they got interested in music, and why they think others should give it a shot. Our first guest blogger is  Claire Charbonneau, of Plano West High. Check back for more – and another free ticket opportunity – throughout the week. UPDATE: We have a winner! But check back thursday and Friday for more chances to win.

Name: Claire Charbonneau

Age: 17

School: Plano West Senior High School

How I got into classical music: My mother has played violin with the Dallas Symphony Orchestra ever since I was born, so I grew up going on tour with the DSO and constantly being exposed to classical music. But what really got me into classical music was my best friend, Charlotte. I go to the symphony every Friday night, but I sit backstage and practice my euphonium or do homework. One night, Charlotte wanted free tickets, so I got her some and when I told her that I was going to sit backstage, she forced me to sit in the audience with her. I was really mad at her and I really didn’t want to go, but I sat with her anyway to make her happy. I ended up enjoying the concert, and now I go out in the audience more often.

Why you should give it a shot: A lot of teens don’t know that there’s a variety of classical music out there, and not just Beethoven. Some of my favorite pieces of classical music are actually from the Land Before Time soundtrack, which I listen to in my car every time I drive to school. I found that the soundtrack has a lot more variety of instruments used, instead of just strings, and it makes it a little more interesting.  You might find that going to a concert instead of just listening to a CD makes it a lot more enjoyable. Personally, I enjoy hearing the music live rather than from a recording. Also, going to hear a symphony perform is great for date night 😉