How can we improve congregational singing? Part VI

Tags

alternative harmonizations, anthem, church choir, church music, congregational singing, Education, Hymnal, music education, new hymns

Source: Pixabay

The following conversation, in response to Part V of this series, took place on Facebook:

• Contributor Hi Gretchen, what’s your suggestion making sure the congregation doesn’t get thrown off when using alternative arrangements to accompany congregational singing (as opposed to using them when the choir is singing a hymn as an anthem)?
• Gretchen Saathoff  Hmm… I’ll think about it! At Riverside, it’s not a problem. Have the choir sing the melody, disperse the choir throughout the congregation, try the Hymn of the Month approach, Try practicing the alternative arrangement for 2 minutes with the congregation, then use it in the hymn. Use the traditional harmonization for all verses except the last. That way, the congregation has been singing the tune for several verses already.
• Gretchen Saathoff  And try not to go too far afield with the alternate harmonization. The green Lutheran hymnal that replaced the red one had so many funky arrangements, they made very little sense. So why would anyone want to sing them.
• Contributor  Thanks, Gretchen. Good advice here. There is a new red Lutheran hymnal, the ELW, that kept some of the old arrangements from the green LBW, and has lots of new hymns without harmonization, just melodies. So that helps. (But they left off the time  signatures, which leads to confusion.) But if the hymn is new, even if only the melody is printed, the alternative arrangement still challenges the ear. And about the funky arrangements, people who can sing parts, oftentimes can sing even the funky ones, and some need to do that, because the melody is too high for them. I like the idea of practicing the alternative arrangement with the congregation – hadn’t thought of it as a possibility before!
• Gretchen Saathoff  No time sigs? Not especially helpful, I’d think.
  Also, there is no need to use only the arrangements in the book. Change it so it works. Keep some parts and not others. Write a new one. If the melody is too high, something needs to change, such  as trasposing down or maybe singing the melody an octave lower. The congregation needs the choir to sing the melody in unison on alternate harmonizations. When they can hear it, they sing better.
• Contributor  Great advice!
• Gretchen Saathoff  There are lots of alternative harmonizations out there: volumes of hymns for organ, choral anthems, hymnals from other denominations, AGO website, etc. Plenty of hymn improvisations can be heard on YouTube.
• Gretchen Saathoff  Free association, you understand… and now it’s time for dinner! Back later.

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And a followup Facebook Message from yours truly:

During services in various denominations, I sometimes would play an alternative harmonization from a funky organ collection (The Sunday Morning Organist, I think). Just leave out the whiz bang awful parts when they don’t work.

Similarly, there are plenty of anthems that work, for the most part, but also have spots that don’t.  One example is asking the choir to hold the last note for 8 bars.  Does this make the ending better?  Does singing a high note improve the message?  That all depends on the choir, what else is going on (i.e. the keyboard part might be just fine on its own).  Sometimes a “festive” ending will be tacked on that isn’t really needed.  When the rest of the piece works well, I omit the parts that don’t work.

There may be one stanza of an anthem that splits into 8 parts, for example.  When you have 6 people in your choir that Sunday, you have to think on your feet and find something that works.  What do you have to keep?  The melody and the bass line?  Is the alto part more interesting than the tenor, or vice versa? 

If one stanza is too elaborate for your circumstances, then sing the rest of the anthem and omit that one.

If the printed introduction is too long or too short, or is confusing to your choir/congregation, then by all means change it!

Thanks so much to my contributor, who prefers to remain anonymous.

Which approaches have the most success in your church?Comments and suggestions welcome!

Please see previous posts in this series.

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While you’re here, please take a look at my ebook,

Goal-oriented Practice.  Now available at 50% off, only $10!

Free of musical jargon, it will save you time.  By identifying practice goals, you will soon be able to learn music more accurately, resulting in confident playing.

Click on the link to see reviews, book intro, and table of contents!

Thank you!

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How can we improve congregational singing? Part V

Tags

children's choir, choir, Church, Congregation, Education, hymns, introducing hymns, Music, worship songs

Femme accordant son luth; Gerard van Honthorst (Gerrit van Honthorst) (1592–1656); Source: Wikimedia

How can we introduce new hymns and worship songs to our congregations?

People attend church for many reasons.  Among them are:

• to seek comfort and stability
  • through ritual (liturgy, order of worship)
  • through familiarity
• to hear compelling sermons
• to listen to the music
• to participate in making music
  • by singing hymns
  • by singing in the choir
  • by playing in the bell choir

We need to respect the desire for comfort and stability when introducing new hymns. Important factors include:

• Accessibility of the music
• Clear, inviting introductions
• Familiar hymns must be used in any service that includes a new hymn
• Remember that congregations in most churches are comprised primarily of non-musicians

Congregational Seating

If congregants are seated with large spaces between them, such as empty rows, encourage them to move forward and sit closer together.  This builds community and encourages people to sing.  They will hear each other much better and feel supported.

Hymn of the Month

This is an excellent way to give the congregation time to become more familiar with something new.

Including a different new hymn in every service is a good way to discourage participation. People feel overwhelmed and stop participating.  One new hymn or less per month is plenty, in my experience.

Rehearse with the Choir

• Yes, rehearse new hymns with the choir (and familiar ones, too.)  It makes a huge difference when the choir understands the words, sings with an emotional connection, and shows enthusiasm.
• During the service when a new hymn is being introduced, disperse the choir within the congregation.  Ask them to sing the melody until the congregation becomes more familiar with the music.  Part-singing can be added after a week or two.
• Avoid singing at the congregation or singing instead.  There can be a perceived gap between congregation and choir regarding ability which results in a reluctance on the part of congregants to try singing.
• In my organist/choir director positions, I have enjoyed using something familiar as an anthem from time to time.  One way to do this is to use an alternative harmonization for one verse.  A descant could be added, or the parts could be sung in different combinations (S and B, S and A, asking the tenors to sing the melody in T B, or making the alto or tenor part into a descant).  We invited the congregation to join us on the refrain of each verse.  The idea was to encourage participation, sparking interest and confidence and fostering inclusion.
• When a hymn is printed with two tunes to the same text, they can both be sung, alternating verses.

Teach New Hymns to the Children

• This can be done with your children’s choirs or religious education classes
• Children are quick to pick up new tunes
• Children will encourage their families to sing
• As the children become older, you will find the hymn repertoire expanding in the congregation.  So keep on keeping on.

Introduce New Hymns With Children Present

• Children often leave the sanctuary partway through the service to attend classes. Why not include them in introducing new hymns?  They love to sing!
• Children sing in other places as well.  When they go home, they will be singing the same music.  Their families, then, will learn it faster.

Hymn Leader

• Be prepared.  This cannot be overemphasized.  When the leader is unprepared, people stop participating.  Know what pitch to start on, know the tune and the words.  If you are unsure, enlist the help of the church musician(s) or someone in the choir.  If you are playing an instrument, learn the part ahead of time!  When you stop to correct missed notes, people can’t tell where you are, and they stop singing. Enthusiasm is not enough.  You need a plan and the preparation to carry it out.
• Welcoming.  Leave the guilt trip at home.
• Inviting.  Enjoy this with me!  Not, I’m going to show you how this goes.
• Non-operatic.  People hear an operatic sound, feel that they can’t do that, and drop out.
• Be non-judgmental.  Don’t criticize people for not singing!  Look at the situation instead. Why are they not singing?  It may be due to a lack of clarity, not shyness.
  • Since I am a trained musician, it helps me to think of myself in other situations, for example going into a hardware store.  I know nothing, and always ask for the manager.  Congregants who are not musically trained are also at sea.  It doesn’t mean that they’re stupid.
• Consider using banjo, guitar, autoharp, or piano, not always organ
• When organ is used, register the melody louder than the other parts and avoid mixtures.
• People need to hear an entire verse before singing something new.  If the leader is the only person in the room who knows the song, patience, clarity, and repetition are crucial.  Expecting a group to learn something after hearing it once is not realistic. You might think the song is easy, but in reality you have probably been singing it for years.

I recently participated in a sing-along that used material from Pete Seeger’s wonderful book.  A banjo player who attended would have been an excellent song leader.  The banjo has a timbre that can be easily heard.  His voice had a distinctive quality that would be heard over a group.  He had good rhythm and a great sense of style.  

What he lacked was a method of introducing songs.  He would begin playing, and people had to jump in somewhere if they wanted to sing.  Inexperienced singers have no idea how to do that.

My thought was that, given an appropriate situation with music he was comfortable playing, I would practice with him to find an introduction that worked.  After a few minutes of collaboration, he would have rocked the house!

Hymn-playing on the Piano

Leading hymns from the piano requires a specific way of playing.

• More percussive than a solo piece (i.e. Schumann), in order to be heard during the singing.
• Voiced so the melody stands out.
• Prominent bass line for support.
• Every note must be heard.  This may seem unmusical to the player, but when a focused sound cannot be heard, the result is a lack of clarity and easily-perceived rhythm.
• Using less pedal is very effective in maintaining the tempo.  Congregants may not know how to count rhythm, or be unsure about when to sing next. Sometimes people will wait for someone else to sing first.  When that happens with enough people in a group, the entire group slows down. Acoustics influence the way people hear the tempo as well.

Using Percussion Effectively

Drums and other rhythm instruments, when used to enhance the singing, can be wonderful. But a word to the wise:  don’t drown out the singers!  Your job is to impel the rhythm, not obliterate the sound.  It’s not a percussion solo, you are part of a group.

If you hand out hand instruments to untrained congregants, you could suggest a rhythm for each person to play.  It only takes two seconds, and the results tend to be more successful than random efforts.

Special Events

• Church dinners, presentations, and gatherings other than services can include singing a new hymn along with several familiar ones.
• Perhaps one service per month could begin 1/2 hour early for the purpose of singing a new hymn.  Introduce the hymn at the stated time and allow time for coffee.
• Some churches have a Music Sunday once or twice per year.  A new hymn could be introduced at that time and repeated on subsequent Sundays.

Are you hearing progress?  Are you able to tell?  Ask for feedback!

• Ask people how they feel
• Distribute a questionnaire
• Record the event.  You will always hear so much more on a recording than you can when participating.

What do you think?  Comments welcome!

Please see previous posts in this series.

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While you’re here, please take a look at my ebook,

Goal-oriented Practice.  Now available at 50% off, only $10!

Free of musical jargon, it will save you time.  By identifying practice goals, you will soon be able to learn music more accurately, resulting in confident playing.

Click on the link to see reviews, book intro, and table of contents!

Thank you!

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New program

Tags

Bach/Busoni, Grieg, Shostakovich

2000 Russia 2 rub 50 kopeks stamp. Dmitri Shostakovich (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Now that there’s time, I am learning a new solo program (piano).

I have chosen 35-40 min. of music so far, and will need more for longer recitals.

Nun komm’ der Heiden Heiland ~ Bach/Busoni

(Now comes the gentiles’ Saviour)

From Holberg’s Time ~ Grieg

Originally for piano, this suite was orchestrated a year after it was composed.  It is often called the Holberg Suite.  Ludvig Holberg, in whose memory the suite was written, was a Danish-Norwegian poet who was born 200 years earlier.

4 Preludes (selected from the set of 24) ~ Shostakovich

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Are you planning to play something different this season?  Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!

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How to practice for many different situations at the same time

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rehearsal preparation

Image via Wikipedia

Keeping several balls in the air at once is something working musicians need to be able to do.

During college, I had a great deal of trouble putting one piece aside to work on another.  In order to handle lots of playing, I practiced longer hours instead.

Fortunately, I can trust myself to learn music by a certain date now.  A  practice log is indispensible for tracking a lot of repertoire, how much time you’ve been putting in, etc.

At the moment, I am practicing for:

1. operetta rehearsals;
2. chorus rehearsals;
3. church services (organ music, planning choir rehearsals);
4. timing service music to use later;
5. looking at anthems for the future;
6. thinking about a new solo piano program;
7. thinking about a summer concert series at the church; and
8. anticipating learning a cantata for a March 10th concert (don’t have the music yet).

Am I doing each of these every day?  No.

The rehearsal/service schedule looks like this:

My teaching schedule does not appear here, since that is a time commitment but doesn’t require me to play.

I have 2 or 3 hrs./day to practice.  To get everything done, it helps to keep the rehearsal schedule in mind.  It is also important to estimate how much total practice time is needed for each piece of music.  That way, you can split up the time available without panic, because you know you can learn the music by the date needed.

Practice segments

Sunday
I arrive at church at least an hour before the choir rehearsal.  This gives me time to “run” the entire service, get all my ducks in a row, and start thinking about the choir music for a few minutes.

Monday
Operetta first, to make sure I get through everything to be done in the evening rehearsal.  There is always a rehearsal plan, so I know which numbers to do.  (This is not always the case, but this conductor plans ahead.  Very helpful.)  This usually takes about an hour.

Then I start choosing music for the following Sunday.  My goal is to get about a month ahead (and I have quite a ways to go!).  Then there is no panic.  (“Will I find an appropriate piece in time?”)  Things remain a lot calmer when practicing is the only requirement.

Tuesday
Church, operetta, and Hampshire Chorus music.

After dinner, I look at anthems and organ music (on the couch!).

Wednesday
Church, Hampshire Chorus.

Evening:  music on the couch.

Thursday and Friday
Now I have 2 days with no rehearsals.  Practicing can be more relaxed.  First I work on church music for Sunday, then  spend some time playing through anthems and organ music I’ve looked at earlier in the week.  I usually skip the operetta for a day, picking it up again on Friday.

Saturday
Practice at church, deciding registration (stops), marking the bulletin, setting up music in service order.

How do you apportion your practice time?  Do you help your students do the same?  Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Related articles

• My new Director of Music position! (gretchenspianos.wordpress.com)
• Working with the choir and congregation for the 1st time (gretchenspianos.wordpress.com)

E-books

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My book frees up time to learn more music, memorize, or do something else entirely!

“Goal-oriented Practice” is also available in print!

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Concert countdown on mostly unfamiliar music

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Bach, Busoni, Gershwin, Katerina Stamatelos, Liszt

Katerina Stamatelos, "Little Girl III" ~ used by permission ~ click image for description

Purchase information available here.

It’s concert countdown time! 

The program below will remain the same for 2 performances in MA, on October 29th (Williamsburg) and November 6th (Amherst).  My November 9th concert in New York is part of a 1/2-hour lunchtime series, so the program will be shorter.

This program feels particularly demanding because I have included four musical styles unfamiliar to me.

Bach Prelude and Fugue

For 2 or 3 weeks, I had planned to open the program with the Bach/Busoni.  Having only played the piece twice, though, finding the sound I want is difficult right at the beginning.

So I will begin with the Prelude and Fugue, which I have performed a few times.  There are many ways to play Bach, so I am practicing with that in mind.  This time will be different.

Bach/Busoni Chorale Prelude

This is such a beautiful piece, I hope I can convey everything I’d like to audiences.

There are 3 distinct sounds required to play this well:  the melody, the bass, and the inner part.  Listeners need to be able to hear the way each line moves.

Does this seem more difficult than a fugue because it’s Busoni?  Perhaps I’m wishing for organ manuals, pedals, and registration changes.  With piano, you have to achieve different sounds with your hands, alternating hands for the middle part.

Another part of what’s in my head about Busoni:  Mischa Dichter played the first Fall concert at my school when I was a 19-year-old transfer student.  He took the stage and began with Bach/Busoni!  I no longer remember which piece he played, but the feeling of being blown away remains.

Mendelssohn Songs Without Words

For this program, I will be replacing the Funeral March (Op. 62, No. 3) with Op. 62, No. 1, which I feel is more appropriate for these audiences.

Details about the songs on this program can be found in 2 previous blog posts:  Emily’s Movie:  Music for Piano and The Ones That Got Away.

Liszt

Hard to believe, but this is the first Liszt solo piano music I’ve played!  The challenge for me is getting the rubato to sound natural, and not like Chopin or Brahms.  And the piano dynamics are intended to be heard by the audience, so practicing too softly is a waste of time.

I chose “Nuages Gris,” which has been cited for the modernity of its sound, specifically to lead to the next work.

Katerina Stamatelos VARIATIONS and INVOCATION upon a “Kyrie Eleison” and an “Anathema,” Op. 4

Katerina and I “met” on Twitter!  Both she and her work sounded interesting, so I visited her web site to read her bio and listen to some of her compositions.  Once there, I discovered that she is also a pianist, a painter, a poet, and a fashion designer!

I feel a connection with her through the University of Iowa, where she earned two of her degrees.  I grew up 75 miles from Iowa City, attended music camp there 4 times beginning in 7th grade, and studied piano and organ there in high school.

After looking at this piece several times, then putting it away, these concerts came along.  I’m so happy to be programming Katerina’s beautiful piece!

Here the challenge is learning the composer’s style with no previous knowledge.  Beyond that, some of the tempi are fast.  The fastest marking is quarter note = 168.

When learning chordal passages in traditional music, I “block” the hand positions and practice getting to each spot early.  With triads and inversions, that becomes standard procedure.

Now I’m practicing chord clusters the same way!  Noticing the similarities between clusters helps.  In one passage, the 2 middle notes stay the same.  The 1st chord is higher on the keyboard than the 2nd.  Using the same fingering for the middle of each is working.  If I keep my hand in that shape, then head for the middle of the 2nd chord (with the center of my hand), finding the 2nd chord quickly is no problem.  (I lead with the thumb or 5th finger most of the time.)

In this piece, the Kyrie has variations.  In addition, the Anathema has its own variations.  As you can imagine, the possibilities for alternating sections are many.

The Anathema is fast, and faster with each of its new sections.  These alternate with, or are interspersed with, the Kyrie theme.

The performer has to be alert and ready to go.  No matter whether the practicing is at tempo or slower, I practice the transitions every time.  If you arrive at the beginning of a section late, insecurity immediately gets in the way.  I’m practicing for success.  Switching from slow to fast, and also not waiting after “making it” to the end of a fast section, are crucial to the flow of the music.

Gershwin

Think Gershwin’s music is a no-brainer?  It’s not.  I don’t play his music every day.

Although I know the style and have listened to much of his music, his writing is chromatic.  And the detailed notation, such as short rests within a melody along with a bass line that appears to be pedaled through, requires close attention.

People love hearing Gershwin, so I thought this would be a good ending for the program.

How do you choose programs?

How do you learn new music?

Do you play Gershwin?  Why or why not?

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!

E-books

Learning a new piece? New program? Back in school? Looking for teaching ideas? Read “Goal-oriented Practice: How to Avoid Traps and Become a Confident Performer!”

Goal-oriented Practice

August 2011 review by pianist Robert W. Oliver

When You Buy a Piano

How to Maintain Your Piano

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What is a Vocal Coach?

Tags

Music, singing, vocal coach, voice teacher

Image via Wikipedia

This poor guy thinks voice teachers and vocal coaches do the same job!  The truth is, teachers and coaches focus on different aspects of singing.

We will assume here that most readers are familiar with what is addressed during a voice lesson.  But perhaps you have yet to work with a coach.  That is understandable, since you will want to have your vocal equipment working well first.

This next section first appeared on The Collaborative Piano Blog by Christopher Foley.

A clear explanation of the difference between a voice teacher and vocal coach was posted by Elizabeth McDonald on her blog:

The voice coach (aka: collaborative pianist) is the person who deals with the musical, language and dramatic demands of the vocal repertoire. They are pianists who have done training in diction, repertoire, collaborative piano and opera. The goal of the vocal coach is to serve as the other half of the music (piano part or orchestra reduction) and help the singing put everything together. They expect a singer to arrive with notes learned, language translated, and an idea about how the song should be presented. From there the coach is the musical “mirror” for the singer and reflects back what they hear and makes suggestions on how to make any necessary changes.

Voice teachers are not coaches.

A voice teacher is listening to her student’s vocal production​.  There is not enough time in a voice lesson for teachers to coach as well.

The reverse is also true:  a coach has too little time ​during a session to address vocal technique. 

Coaches are not voice teachers.

Speaking to my experience, I am comfortable demonstrating what I’m looking for, but would be out of my element singing a role or a solo recital.  During coaching sessions, I wouldn’t dream of suggesting changes in vocal technique to a singer.  My coaching time is devoted exclusively to interpretative concerns.

A coach will attend to the following aspects of singing:

musical ~ phrasing, including a breathing plan; tweaking a dynamic scheme to best fit your voice; finding a tempo to fit your voice; ensuring that the key is appropriate for you

language ~ even if you have taken language classes (and you should!), the manner in which words are pronounced (diction) changes between spoken language and sung texts.  Music elongates the vowel sounds (i.e., a single syllable sung on a half-note), so every vowel sound is heard as an exaggeration of speech by an audience.  If a diphthong (or worse) is a part of that vowel sound, or if a vowel sound is just plain wrong, it will be noticed.

Texts in your native language need to be coached.  For example, English has so many variations, depending on where you are from.  You could have one group of British songs, the next requiring a southern dialect, and then perhaps a group of Appalachian songs.  And every language is interpreted in the character of the piece.  That would mean using more or fewer elisions, very clear pronunciation or maybe a few dropped endings, etc.  (Think beat poet vs. Shakespeare.)

In addition, the gutteral sounds of spoken French are deemed vulgar by the French themselves when sung.  The sound must be altered.

Double consonants are also a factor.  How long do they last, and where in the music do they belong?

dramatic presentation ~ a coach can help you define your character.  Your character must be you!

stage deportment ~ a coach is a reliable observer of the way you present yourself on stage, be it for a recital or an audition.  From the time you set foot on the stage until the time you are completely out of sight, the way you present yourself is crucial to a judge’s or an audience’s perception of you.  Often, one small change in something you hadn’t noticed can make the difference between being accepted to a program, winning an audition, being asked back, or being dismissed.

repertoire ~ a coach will be happy to help you choose recital and audition programs.  The order of the program, in addition to the selections, matters a great deal.

cadenzas ~ a coach will help you choose a cadenza that fits your voice, help you write your own, or even write one for you.  Again, a problematic cadenza (i.e., someone else’s or the one from the book) can wreck your chances, while a perfect fit can be a winner.  You should not be struggling to sing a cadenza from a book that doesn’t showcase your strengths.

What coaches expect of their clients

Singers are expected to know the music in advance of a coaching session.  Coaches are not there to “feed” people notes and rhythms.

Translate the text.  If you need help with a phrase or a couple of words, that’s fine.  You can still translate the remainder of your texts.

Have your ideas about performing the music in place.  Who is your character?​  What are you wearing (in the scene depicted by the text)?  Where are you?  What are you singing about?​  Don’t expect your coach to teach you the basics.  We are there work with you.

That said, Happy Coaching!

What would you like to add?  Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!

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Related articles

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Pathways to memorization

Tags

memorization, Music, piano, practice

"Brain Study: Graphic Designer" by matemute ~ Creative Commons license

How do you memorize music?  Do you incorporate more than one method?

Imagine the pathways in the brain.

Until recently, scientific brain mapping has involved tracking responses to stimuli as affected areas light up in brain scans.  Now there is a new method researchers are just beginning to pursue.  In it, specific pathways would be identified.  You may be interested in reading this 12/28/10 New York Times article.  Wouldn’t it be wonderful to know how memory is stored?

Since there are a myriad of pathways in our brains, we can imagine dedicating some of them to different kinds of memory.  I like to imagine a 4-lane highway, with each lane programmed in a different way.  Or maybe 4 strands of licorice (red) stuck together.  Use your own image!

You will want to program several pathways so you have backups when one or another type of memory fails in performance.  That happens regularly.  You can count on it.

Best time to memorize

Memory work should be undertaken at the beginning of a practice session, when we are most alert.  Commiting new material to memory when we are most able to concentrate ensures the greatest success and eliminates a whole lot of frustration.  (I can’t do this, I’m too tired.  But I have to memorize it by next week!  So you stick it out, become more and more fatigued, and get more and more frustrated.  That’s not progress, it’s a waste of time.)

Switch starting points

The piano teacher I had in high school marked “memory posts” in my music.  Although I hated it at the time, it works.  Can you start at the development section?  The coda?  Top of page 3?  You need to know very specifically where you are in the music.

In college, one of my teachers would make notations in my score as I was playing from memory.  That meant that she would often turn the page late!  So I had to learn to ignore that and have confidence that I knew where I was in the music.

You may want to call them “memory posts” or not, but having several points available and being able to start at any one of them is a great advantage when something interferes with your concentration.

Play starting points out of order

You should be able to start at any point, in any order.  First ending?  OK.  Second ending, where only one note is different?  First statement in a fugue, ending in a descending scale; second statement, continuing up the keyboard?  Those passages end in different fingerings.  No problem.  Two endings in reverse order?  Find a way to make it easy.  (Make up silly words or something.)  You will be happy that you went to all that trouble when the inevitable distractions happen during your performance.

Memorize music, not notes

Play expressively when you memorize, incorporating dynamics, changes in character, pedalling, etc.  You will then have the music memorized, not just the notes, making the playing much more enjoyable.  And you will have less work to do later.

Types of memory

Visual ~ the look of the music on the page, look of the pattern on the keyboard.

Aural ~ what the music sounds like ~ memorize each part, not only the general sound.

Muscle memory ~ the way it feels in your hands, and your choreographic movements (leaps, hand crossing, direction of the hands).  This is more than just tactile memory.  Muscle memory involves programming different positions into your hands, similar to moving through dance steps deliberately, exaggerating the movements. Can you feel your hands working?

More approaches

Say the fingering out loud

Learn big leaps by saying names of notes ~ example, Chopin left hand.  I often say the bass notes apart from the following chords, memorizing the bass line by note names.

Sing each part.

Conduct each phrase, each section, each movement, then the entire piece.

Visualize the score and your movements on the keyboard away from piano.

Learn a section plus the next chord ~ this helps you feel secure, saving guesswork (and increased anxiety) between sections.

Can you hear the piece in your head just by looking at the score?

Can you hear the piece in your head away from the score, while you are doing something else?

Learn new sections first (when you’re most alert), then review previously memorized sections every day. If you’re like me, you won’t enjoy starting over!  The material you are reviewing may not be perfect, but you will remember more and more from day to day.

Learn the music better than you have to.

Start memorizing early, NOT the day before your jury!  If you put it off that long, you will not be a happy person.

How do you memorize music?  Please share your tips, tricks, the advice you give your students, etc., in the comment section below!

Many thanks to my friend Jane for the great blog post idea!   🙂

Read “Goal-oriented Practice” now in an E-book and in Print!  You’ll see great reviews and wonderful readers’ comments when you click on the link.

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Dr. Chris Foley’s review of “Goal-oriented Practice”

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Read Dr. Christopher Foley’s wonderful review of “Goal-oriented Practice” at The Collaborative Piano Blog.

Chris teaches at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto.

Happy 5th Birthday to Chris’s blog!!!

Thanks so much, Chris, and congratulations on your success!

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My Brain on Rep (conclusion)

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choosing a program

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As my New York super used to say, “Feeneesh!”

This post is the conclusion of my earlier article about choosing music for this 2010-2011 season.

Apparently things cooked nicely in the back of my brain during my week off.  That’s  a surprise, since I haven’t read through any of the pieces completely yet.

This week:

Monday

Bach, WTC I, Prelude & Fugue no. 5 in D Major

Individual parts are making more sense than they did two weeks ago.  And it’s fun to try two parts at a time for brief passages.  Hearing the harmonies and dissonances (and overtones!) close up for the first or second time provides the same element of surprise that audiences will hear.

Fingerings continue to demand attention. Whenever that goes into auto-pilot, sightreading takes over.  Allowing that to happen ensures the reinforcement of unwanted accents and flow problems due to bad fingering.

Katerina Stamatelos, Variations and Invocation Upon a ’Kyrie Eleison’ and an Anathema

Katerina is a composer I met on Twitter!  Several of her works are available in print and as audio files on her web site.  I became interested in her music upon listening to some of these and reading her bio.  She majored in composition at the University of Iowa!  So I feel a connection.

The Variations are wonderfully inventive.  In addition to melodic and harmonic considerations, they surprise when each variation proceeds to the next one.  Just as the listener expects a phrase to continue a certain way, perhaps, the music is already into the next section!

This piece is accessible to audiences, including those unaccustomed to contemporary music, largely due to the melody of the Kyrie, easily heard  throughout.  I can’t wait to perform these pieces!

Schumann, Kinderszenen

I’ve loved these pieces for a long time, but never thought of performing them.  Learning them for the first time is an excellent opportunity to use my imagination like a child!  (If I had a hobby horse…)

This set of character songs will be the center of my program.

Messiaen, Fantaisie Burlesque

This piece is so unusual for Messiaen, it’s going to be a great programming choice.  No one will know what to expect.  The harmonic and rhythmic language fit his style, but what about a burlesque fits his spiritual M.O.?

A customer review at Amazon says Messiaen wanted to write a “funny” piece.

The score has Messiaen’s extra staves above and below the staff, as usual.  But this time, only one hand has to move up or down.  So I’m thinking this is going to be easy!  Most of the time, Messiaen has so much going on that you could get dizzy.  When he has more to say and has run out of room, he just adds layers.

This piece has repetitions, both of melody and chord groups within sections, and whole reiterated sections.  There are several sections, and it’s a rather long piece.

Gershwin, Preludes

“Sleepless Night” and “Spanish Prelude,” and possibly “Novelette in Fourths,” probably not in that order.  “Spanish Prelude” would end the group more impressively, with energy.

An additional word about Gershwin

I feel compelled to play Gershwin.  There are three reasons for this:

1. Gershwin was a very inventive and talented composer (so I don’t see programming his music as “dumbing down”
2. I have been told that I play Gershwin well (Norman Luboff hired me based on his hearing me play “Summertime” from Porgy and Bess)
3. Last Sunday’s performance of Gershwin’s Piano Concerto by the BSO was disappointing to me, giving me all the more reason to perform his music well.

Sunday’s performance was part of the Boston Symphony concert broadcast from Tanglewood.  The soloist, Jean-Yves Thibaudet, was wonderful.  His playing sounded jazzy and free.  The BSO, though, was playing straight 8th notes!  Why?  That would be appropriate to Haydn, Mozart, Schubert, and many other composers, but certainly not to this one!

Had Bernstein been conducting, the BSO probably would have sounded great.  Why wasn’t the orchestra listening to the soloist?

OK, what do you think? Do your programs reflect your interests? How do you feel about mixing styles?  Do you play Gershwin?

Please share your thoughts about programming in the comment section below.

Read about my new E-book here!

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Programming “lighter” music: is it dumbing down?

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arts, audience, Education, George Gershwin, Greg Sandow, Music, Programming, Speech

Image via Wikipedia / OK, so it's not much of a pic ~ look at the program!

Greg Sandow, American music critic and composer, is writing a book entitled “Rebirth:  The Future of Classical Music.” A recent post on his blog speaks to his line of thought.

Upon reading his well-considered post, I found myself commenting rather extensively.

The topic concerns programming “lighter” music as part of a concert.  Is it a sellout?  Unacceptable?  Dumbing down to the audience?

Let’s continue the conversation!

My comment (beginning)

“Hi Greg,

I agree, and can speak to #7, especially.”

[This next section (indented) is from a portion of Sandow’s post, originally written by Ken Nielsen.]

“7. I believe that greater engagement with and involvement of the audience is an important part of the puzzle. A concert should be more like communication than a one-sided speech. .”

My comment (cont.)

“For the past 2 or 3 yrs., I’ve been speaking to audiences to introduce a piece if it’s unusual. They love it! Contemporary music and Bach fugues both qualify.

First, they immediately feel like they’re welcome participants, not cabbages who are expected to just sit there.

Second, when something is introduced in friendly, not dry, terms, they are able to listen and understand some of what they hear.

How do I know this? They make a point of talking to me afterwards! When I’ve played Messiaen, people tell me about the pictures they saw in their heads.

One of my favorite scenarios is to introduce some Messiaen preludes, then let the audience know that Gershwin is next! That way they know that even if they don’t like 7 or 8 minutes of the program, they’ll be able to go home happy.

Take care,

Gretchen”

There are other instances of programming “lighter” music, of course.  Two of those would involve presenting an entire concert of “lighter” music or playing simplified versions.

I do not believe that any audience needs to be accommodated by simplifying the program. It is important to me to try for a good “fit,” matching the type of audience with the sort of program offered.  But that feels like a different way of going about programming.

Meeting the audience where it is has always been successful for me.  I find it important to speak to my audiences without talking down to them, but also without assuming that everyone has a music degree.

Inquiring in advance about the likely makeup of the expected audience is very helpful.  Talking to the person who hired you is usually an excellent place to start.

One way to arrive at a place that works, for me, is to remember what it feels like for me when a different field of expertise is involved.  I have had economics explained to me in clear terms, without jargon.  And that same approach is entirely possible in speaking to audiences about our programs.

Another example: I’m completely out of the loop when I walk into a hardware store!  (Well, OK, I’m a little better than I used to be…)  So I always find the manager immediately and ask for help.  That effort always saves me at least 1/2 hour!

So, what do you think?  Do you program “lighter” music?  What percentage of your program is devoted to that?  What are the circumstances?

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!

And while you’re here, please check out my new E-book!  It’s called “Goal-oriented Practicing:  How to Avoid Traps and Become a Confident Performer” Both individual and volume purchase rates available!  Buy now, before the price increase!!!

Also, a progress note:  next week’s post will be “My Brain on Rep, cont.”  The one-week delay is due to my having whatever bug was going around, so, no practice.  Better now, though.

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