Rock music is superior to classical music

I hope this debate will be enlightening and enjoyable. In my arguments I will be supporting classical music as a more worthwhile study than rock music. As per my opponent's request I will define classical music as I will be referring to it in this discussion. My definition of classical music spans the Baroque period to the 20th century. For clarification, allow me to show you the major periods of classical music and their noted composers. The Baroque period (about 1600-1750): Bach, Vivaldi, Corelli, Handel, Pachelbel; Classical period (1750-1815; NOT to be confused with the term "classical music"): Mozart, Beethoven, Haydn; Romantic period (1815-1910): Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Brahms, Dvorak; 20th century: Holst, Stravinsky, Shostakovich, Britten. I am arguing in support of learning the techniques and theory associated with the music of these composers over learning the techniques of rock music, to put it one way. My opening argument consists of the following: 1. Classical music is much more complex, and if one masters classical music (i. e. learns an instrument through classical training) he can learn to play virtually any form of music he chooses. As a classical musician, I can personally attest to this fact. With the training I receive, I am able to play any form of music I choose, be it jazz, rock, blues, etc. Let me explain what I mean by "more complex. " Most rock songs are in one meter (usually 4/4 or 2/4), one key and one tempo, and usually stay that way until the end of the song. Is this the case with classical music? One must only take a quick look at the score to a popular classical work, such as a symphony, and it is possible that you will find many changes in meter, key and tempo. Tchaikovsky's 6th symphony, considered by many, including myself, to be the greatest symphony ever written, contains 5 separate key changes. The first movement starts in 4/4, then changes to 12/8, and then goes back to 4/4. The second movement is in 5/4, the third movement is in 4/4, though the score suggests it be counted in 12/8, and the fourth movement is in 3/4. The changes in tempo and key are much more numerous, so I will not list them here. Going back to my point, it is clear that classical music contains a much higher degree of technical complexity than rock music. You will be lucky to find many rock songs that change key more than once or twice, or change meter or tempo at all. Given the complexity of classical music, imagine what would happen if a classically-trained musician applied himself to the rock genre! A good example is George Martin, whose classical training was invaluable to the success of the Beatles. 2. Classical music has been appreciated for centuries. Many popular songs tend to dramatically decrease in popularity and/or die out. Popular music tends to change drastically over time to fit social norms as they change. There are obvious differences between Elvis Presley and Justin Bieber. The question is: will the works of Justin Bieber, Eminem and Metallica be as popular three centuries from now as they are currently? I will answer this question, with a question. Have you ever heard of a song called The Lincolnshire Farmer? I hadn't either until I saw a list of the most popular songs of the 1700s. Given that popular songs almost never keep their reputation through the centuries like classical music does, I doubt that we'll be going crazy about Justin Bieber 200 to 300 years from now, just like we're not hearing 8-year-old girls belt The Lincolnshire Farmer today. But today, orchestras around the world continue to delight audiences in performances of Mozart's 200-year-old symphonies and Bach's almost-300-year-old Brandenburg concertos. Thanks for reading. I eagerly await my opponent's response!