Judge sentences rap music fan to Bach, Beethoven

[susanbanks44]

URBANA, Ohio (AP) _ A defendant had a hard time facing the music.

Andrew Vactor was facing a $150 fine for playing rap music too loudly on his car stereo in July. But a judge offered to reduce that to $35 if Vactor spent 20 hours listening to classical music by the likes of Bach, Beethoven and Chopin.

Vactor, 24, lasted only about 15 minutes, a probation officer said.

It wasn't the music, Vactor said, he just needed to be at practice with the rest of the Urbana University basketball team.


More:

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wire/sns-ap-odd-symphonic-justice,0,1821775.story

[yojon]

1. Like Clockwork Orange in reverse

[Hugabear]

2. I love me some classical music

I think many people would be shocked to see just how much classical music and heavy metal rock have in common.

[VWolf]

6. Yep. Just listen to

The Trans-Siberian Orchestra, for example.

[Hugabear]

7. Savatage, Dream Theater, Nightwish, etc

Plenty of examples of neo-classical metal, or progressive metal if you will.

[A Brand New World]

3. I just read this in my local paper. I live in Urbana. It's a hoot

to see something on here from my home town of 12,000. (Which is twice as big as Wasilla!)

[RaleighNCDUer]

4. Hey, if I got pulled over for rattling the windows listening to Beethoven

and was offered 20 hours of rap - I'd have paid, too.

People have to understand what it's like to be forced to listen to music they don't like. It's pure noise pollution, and should not be inflicted on others.

[alcibiades_mystery]

5. Because Western European music is superior to that "noise," blah blah blah

Imagine if a judge did the reverse to an woman who kept her neighbors up by playing Mozart too loudly. The screaming here would be deafening...

[superduperfarleft]

10. Seriously...

Just more "rap isn't music" garbage. I don't know what this old coot of a judge expects to teach the defendant by doing this. I wish I lived next door to her so I could teach her some appreciation of other cultures.

And for the record, I like classical music AND hip-hop.

[alcibiades_mystery]

12. Yes, me too... I understand the purpose, but the judge mucked up the execution

I can put on either and enjoy it.

I can see the point of saying "You're forcing people to listen to music they may not like, and here's how that feels." That's OK. But the choice of classical is really dubious and value-laden. Why not pick some Mongolian peasant string music or something? Wouldn't that do the same, without importing all the prejudices of Western cultural superiority into the mix? The impulse is correct; the execution of it is cringe-inducingly tone deaf.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

8. LOL That's Too Funny!

I love creative sentences!

[DemoTex]

9. If he listens to 20 hours of classical music, he will probably become a fan.

I had three college roomies at Auburn back in the mid-1960s who were dyed-in-the-wool C&W fans. They hated everything else. I was heavy into jazz and classical. But I persevered and often played my classical "sides" on the community hi-fi (as it was called back then).

I came back from class one day and heard Dvorak's New World Symphony playing on the hi-fi. Billy Mac from Hueytown Alabama was listening to my classical music! It wasn't long until the other two started putting on classical records too. They are still hooked on classical to this day. Well, not Ronnie. He was killed in Viet Nam (as a 2nd lieutenant).

[KansDem]

11. Bach?, Beethoven?, Chopin? Hell, make him listen to Anton Webern!

That'll learn him!

Ahh, I love the sound of dodecaphony in the morning!

[B3Nut]

13. How about Messiaen?

especially his ouevre d'orgue...Apparition de l'eglise eternelle....Le Banquet Celeste...La Nativitie du Signeur...great stuff! He can get inside your head and dismantle it...strangely brilliant composer.

Todd in Cheesecurdistan

[marmar]

14. I like rap, Beethoven and Bach.....

How's the judge so sure this is going to be a punishment?

[Jeroen]

15. Bach's counter-punches are well known n/t

[Are_grits_groceries]

16. Sentence him to Tony Orlando and Perry Como.

That is even worse to me.

[Hugabear]

19. Maybe force him to listen to Pat Boone

Although that might constitute cruel & unusual punishment.

[Coventina]

17. Classical music shouldn't be used as punishment.

That only reinforces negative stereotypes about it.

*sigh*

[AlCzervik]

18. Some wonderful classical music has been sampled in rap. I love both genres.