It's not your taste that I'm questioning, it's realism. The choir in this film were a professional choir with a traditional conductor. Why is it most musicians can play "Ode to Joy" or "Canon in D" without hesitation? Because they're good for practicing scales and intervals in specific keys. You can't drag out a Lady Gaga song or even a Beatles song and train in the same way if you're to be a choir boy of this sort. They're singing for churches, music halls, etc, not forming a karakoe group. And as the film make a point of... choir boys have a shelf-life, once their plums drop, that's it... voice breaks, game over. That's when they should look to signing modern trash on their own time if they want to pursue a career in singing for a broad audience. Or they can stick with the traditional and adapt to their new vocal range.
All music is about taste, but the music you expect, Lady Gaga or Katy Perry, is far too specific and very subjective – the film wouldn't attract as many people. The thing about classical music is that it's all written out, conductors are highly familiar with it and can know it each note is being sung right or wrong in an instant. Why would they want to learn Lady Gaga's discography and start over again learning each piece? They're not traditional. Would you want to watch a film about a choir who only sang Justin Bieber songs? Yuck! The very thought of it makes me want to puke...
I've see "Whiplash" – last night straight after "Boychoir" actually. It's about jazz, which is a completely unique genre. You wouldn't expect them to play Rolling Stones or Eminem songs as part of their practice schedule anymore than a choir to practice with Gaga. Even the "Sister Act" comedies stick to practicing with traditional means.
We've already got too many movies made "modern" and to be honest, it's just laziness aimed at fan bases. Productions which adopt traditional and cultural pieces are always going to better received. The French film "The Chorus" also did a brilliant job of keeping things real. You don't have to like classical music to recognise its significance and role in musical training. Everyone recognises it and those who don't respect it are only fooling themselves.
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