As I have been rehearsing the various bands at Case for which I am an assistant conductor, I have been improving in awareness of the sound and in technical problems. However, one area in which I have still not found much success is in getting the groups to play more musically in an organic way. I've even noticed this in some of the groups I participate in as an ensemble member. The choir is performing Mozart's Requiem Mass, and most of the "musicality" of the choir seems to come from being spoon fed extensive score markings of dynamics and articulation. To me, it sounds like just that in practice: a bunch of technically competent singers who are following very detailed directions. I miss the natural fluidity of the phrasing and the Latin language.
Great musicians are like great speakers: the constantly shift their tone, turn on a point, carefully phrase, and bring the most out of the words or notes, beyond even what the most extensive score markings can convey. It has a naturally fluidity and strong purpose to it.
Though I have limited time, I don't feel like I've been able to adequately bring this point to the musicians I have been conducting. Sure, you can say it as many times and as many ways as you want, but I don't think it is enough. And besides, there are too many other things to do. We have to fix rhythms, balance, notes, intonation etc. And our system of incentives backs this up. What is the worst thing you can do at an audition? Play a wrong rhythm, note, or be out of tune.
How can we teach students to strive for this natural and personal musicianship? It's really hard, even in private one on one instruction. Some people don't even think it is possible, that is what "musical talent" means and that you are born with it. I care a lot about this issue, and so I thought I might look at my own education and see if I might make some guesses as to why it became so important to me.
First, I had a strong musical background at a young age. I heard lots of music, had musicians in my family, got to go hear concerts by professionals, and had an unusually high amount of general music instruction in elementary school. I also had piano lessons when I was 6. This conforms to our discipline literature: a strong musical background at a young age bodes well for future musical success.
Second and perhaps more nebulously, I mostly had teachers who respected my individual personality as a musician, gave me a good deal of freedom, and made the effort to incorporate my personality as a musician into the instruction when they wanted me to change the things I was doing.
I've found in my education so far that we emphasize connecting with a student's personality in order to learn about how they learn and to make sure we reach them, but there is not as much emphasis on students' personalities as musicians.
I meet in my life today musicians with diverse musical personalities. I know musicians for whom music is primarily a competition in which the goal is to be better than everyone else, others for whom it is a craft to be polished and perfected, still others from whom it is a receivership of the will of transcendent geniuses from ages past. My own personality that I try to live up to is the idea that music is a journey of discovery about both the piece and myself, and that to succeed I must a compelling way to represent both with integrity.
We must be aware of these elements, for we help shape them. If we send our students to contests constantly, they may come to view music as a competition. If we give our students extensive lists of drills and repertory with no input from them, they may believe music is the perfection of this finite universe. If we promote a system of incentives that places the highest priority on technical details, regardless of what we might say in rehearsals, our students will place the highest priority on technical details. If we pay tribute at the feet of the aesthetic work, students may see themselves as recreators of this immutable work.
There isn't one "true" musical personality, and I still think I have a lot to learn about this in general. But I hope that eventually, but getting both myself and students in touch with their musical personalities, that my students can develop personal musicianship that expresses their selves with integrity and that they can bring to all the music they perform.
I agree with you on many parts of this reflection. However, when an individual joins an ensemble, they may have to ignore some of his/her personal musicality in order to be part of the group musicality as perceived by the director. Our ability as teachers to understand a composition and provide opportunity for student input will encourage that individuality while still being part of an ensemble that still needs to function as a total musical entity.
ReplyDeleteYour experiences may be unique compared to the students you will be teaching. This is where home and school environment and individual learning styles come into consideration.