Classical music chases some people away

What, oh what, would Mozart think of all this?

We spotted a story from the Columbus Dispatch the other day about how administrators at the city’s Downtown YMCA have found they can drive away loiterers and potential trouble-makers by playing classical music (loudly) on the sidewalk out front. “There’s something about baroque music that macho wannabe-gangster types hate,” a city planner observed. “At the very least, it has a calming effect.” As it should, though apparently it calms different people differently.

This isn’t a new thing, of course. Classical music has been similarly employed for some time around the country, including in Dayton. Officials say they see crime complaints drop when Vivaldi is in the air. As someone who likes and listens to all kinds of music, from Snoop to Scarlatti, it strikes me as a little sad that something that I associate with intelligence and joy can be such a caustic scourge to someone else.

Ah, well. No accounting for taste, as they say. And I think I do know what Mozart would say.

So, whichever tunes or genres you enjoy, here’s hoping you have a splendid day cranking them up. Maestro!

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