Why do american schoolchildren play classical music and not rock?

The same reason Shakespeare is still taught in schools: Conforming to the tastes of posh snobs who consider themselves the social elite, and think they decide what constitutes good art and what doesn't. They've got nearly everyone clamouring to be like them and to be accepted by them, so that's why schools try to appeal to them too.

The school system is severely outdated.

Never really thought about it, actually. I used to play the violin in junior high and high school, and we did play mostly classical music, but also played a bit of more popular music from movies and the radio, as well as holiday music. I was never really into the music itself, but enjoyed playing the instrument (as weird as that sounds). I've been playing around with my violin again after 9 years and only remember the National Anthem (USA) and a few parts of a few songs we played.

Classical music and Shakespeare are still taught in schools to expose kids to art with real depth of meaning which has lasted for ages, not just shallow fads that in a few years no one will remember.

I imagine classical instruments are cheaper than modern electric instruments.

I'm from the UK and we always played a wide range of music from different genres. I thought it was the same in American schools but I have never been there so I wouldn't know, I'm just going off media and stuff friends have told me.

Where are you from?

Classical composers would’ve loved metal.

What's wrong with the classics? Wap isnt going to last in the collective memory for any longer than 10 years. Classical music has been in style for hundreds of years.

There is an actual reason once you hit a more advanced level of music.

So lets start with that most music instruction in the USA actually uses popular songs mixed with some old classics that are easy to teach initial techniques (Mary had a little lamb, etc).

As a student's interest and willingness to learn music advances they are taught a variety of classical music because it takes more skills and techniques to play than most popular music. You have to really master an instrument and various techniques and skills, timing, and working together with other musicians to make much of the best classical music sound good.

The very reason that most orchestra's play major classical works (and practice professionally days and weeks on it) is because it is very difficult music to play.

Another reason is that what most non-music majors do not understand is that the basis of the musical tracks for most popular music actually is pulled from classical music from around the world (classical music in Asia is much different than Classical music in Europe).

I suggest that you watch the movie: "Mr. Holland's Opus" for a clue on this (its also a great movie for all - and the "Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation" was created and is still active decades after the movie: How's that for making an impact on the world?).

So, anyone who is serious about instrumental music as a carrier learns classical music to improve their abilities to play music.

Most of the biggest "pop" or other modern musicians are very well versed in classical music and can pick up their high school instrument and play a variety of it from memory.

One of the great stories about this was from a band member who played during "Prince's" super bowl halftime show. Prince had met with the band a few days earlier about the music they would play to support the halftime show. All the band members were excited about meeting Prince in person and just thought they were going to have fun doing something easy.

The report from the band member is that Prince quickly convinced the band in less than 5 minutes that he was a serious musician with very high expectations (and nobody to let down - he was using professional musician language and had very high expectations for what they would do that challenged them to do better than they had ever done); something they never expected from a pop music star. That the band really had to work to improve - and that the performance was the high spot of his life - even with all the rain and that they got totally soaking wet.

In the end its about quality of music. The best instrument players only become good by learning classical music.

Probably because it's not based on passing trends and fads.

Where is your country?