“Don’t go to music school”

Tags

arts, Education, music industry

“Penguin questioning by mimooh” by Mimooh – Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons – http://bit.ly/1Nkzxok

Hmmm… 

When I made the decision to become a music major, I didn’t allow the question of practicality into my head. I remember saying things like, “Mooooom, it’s what I do!” “It’s meeeeee!” and “I can’t live without it!!!”

At times, musicians who are already working professionally have acquired a comprehensive education in music before reaching college. A music degree would not necessarily enhance their careers. Language study, literature, or history might make more sense.

Lately, though, I have gotten to know several accomplished musicians (not yet professional level) who have either double-majored (solo instrument/biochemistry, solo instrument/computer science, solo instrument/liberal arts) or chosen other fields while hoping to continue with music, professionally or “on the side,” after college.

Students’ reasons for going to college seem to be far different in 2015 than in past decades. Tuition has become so expensive, fewer students can afford to spend time in college exploring their interests and deciding what kind of job they might want to have post-graduation. Priorities have shifted, making it far more important to choose a major that corresponds with the best job prospects. Student loans go on and on, so having a decent salary soon after graduation is paramount.

Schools with which I am familiar have stopped offering “fun” courses, concentrating on business training instead. At UMass/Amherst, for example, it was easy to sign up for private music lessons for one credit through the university whether one was a degree student or not. The Continuing Education department offered tap dancing, drawing for beginners, and adult piano class for years. Now the summer catalog features classes in arts management, languages, and wind energy. Take a look at the Fall Continuing Ed. course listings here. Want tap dancing? Photography? Drawing? Try someplace else.

In Connecticut, students would hang out at the jazz department at The Hartt School in the evenings. Faculty would jam along with students for camaraderie and fun. What an opportunity! For the past few years, though, the place has been quiet after 5:00 p.m. One professor told me that students just want their piece of paper (degree).

In addition, I have heard that high school guidance counselors have been recommending against going to music school. Why? The changing job market is undoubtedly a major consideration. What is happening to pursuing things one is curious about? That seems to be more elusive.

Funding has shriveled so much recently that concert series have been canceled. Orchestras, opera companies, and smaller groups have disbanded. Players in surviving organizations have taken major pay cuts.

It is true that only a small number of those pursuing a major career in music will actually “make it big.” Even with a great deal of talent, luck is required. Having money and knowing influential people both make a difference, Being ready for one’s luck is crucial. And even then, there are no guarantees.

Do these scenarios sound familiar? Is this why Bert Stratton recommends, in his New York Times op-ed piece, not going to music school?

A different writer provides an accurate list of what is needed to make it as a pro.

Paul Weller of Salon talks about the music industry today.

Further thoughts…

With all this in mind, my goal in teaching has always been to instill a love of music in my students. When a child is grown, I would like for him/her to know what is happening when attending a concert, listening to a soundtrack, and educating his/her own children later on. Isn’t this where informed audiences come from? Future supporters of the arts? Savvy board members? Donors with an eye on sustaining the arts for generations?

Audiences and financial support are crucial. Aren’t people who were exposed to music as children more likely to be enthusiastic participants in adulthood?

… and links

Top 10 Reasons to Support the Arts, by Randy Cohen

From kidsmusiccorne.co.ukr:
Why is music important?

12 Amazing Things Scientists Discovered about Music This Year

Throw out the bath water! An excellent article about breaking down fences, expanding the definition of art to be friendlier and inclusive:

Each of these articles is relevant to the place music occupies in today’s world. In the interest of a civilized society, we all need to care so music remains in our schools, our concert halls, and all of our lives.

What in this dialogue resonates with you? Would you send your students to music school? Your children? How are you engaged in encouraging creative expression?

★ ☆.•*´¨`*•.¸¸.• ヅ★

Please take a look at my e-book!

“Goal-oriented Practice”
Are you practicing safely? How do you approach physically demanding works? Do you power through when the pressure is on? How do you guide your students?

Do you have a plan for putting difficult pieces together at performance tempo?

This book will help you take a step back, save practice time, learn more music, and perform with confidence.

50% off!!!  Absolutely NO JARGON!  Even my non-musician little sister says so.

Click on the link to see the book intro, table of contents, and reader comments.

What did you find here?  What would you like to see? Comments welcome!

If this post has been helpful and you think your friends and contacts would benefit from reading it, please share.

I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks!

Back to top

Happy Birthday, Norman Luboff!

Tags

arts, Music, Norman Luboff, Norman Luboff Choir, Pianist, piano

Norman Luboff
(May 14, 1917 – September 22, 1987)

I had the privilege of touring the United States as pianist with The Norman Luboff Choir twice. I am grateful to have had such a wonderful experience.

 Discography of The Norman Luboff Choir

 

 

Back to top

 

Q&A: Can the prelude to a church service be sung?

Tags

arts, church music, Church service, order of worship, Prelude

Light Singers – 61 (Photo credit: pixiduc)

Short answer:  there is nothing that says “no” to this in all cases.

You would need to check out each situation.

A more detailed answer:

In my experience, the congregation is in “music on the side” mode before the service begins.

There are also some situations where singing could work:

A pre-service concert series

One church where I’ve performed concerts designates one Sunday per month as their concert Sunday.  The musician(s) play a half-hour program which is followed immediately by the service.  The congregation arrives 1/2 hour before the usual service time expecting to listen to the music.

A sung pre-service concert would be wonderful!

Congregation expects to listen

At The Riverside Church in New York, the prelude occasionally consisted of Mozart sonatas for piano and violin.  William Sloan Coffin, who was trained as a concert pianist, enjoyed teaming up with an accomplished violinist from the congregation.  However, at Riverside, the congregation is accustomed to hearing great music played by organists at the top of their field.  People come early, find a seat, remain quiet, and listen.

A singer would be comfortable in this situation.

Most of the time

My suggestion would be to include a singer after the service has begun. When the minister is at the front of the sanctuary and the call to worship or opening prayer has been spoken, people are more settled.

Why planning matters

Choir members at a nearby church (not mine) told me that when they sang an anthem as the prelude, nobody listened.

The text of a song or anthem is much more important than background music.   We need to keep that in mind when deciding where to place sung music in the service.

People who write advice columns about party/dinner planning say that instrumental music works best when guests are talking.  The prelude can be seen in the same way.  The congregation is just arriving, and they want to greet one another.  When they are talking, the text of a song is lost.

Please comment!  What have you experienced with sung preludes?

 

Back to top

“I owe it all to my bassoon teacher” and other important links

Tags

articles, arts, Arts Journal, audio, funding the arts, interview, links, Melissa Block, Minnesota Orchestra, Music, music education, music in the schools, music lessons, New York City Opera, Nobel prize, NPR, The Atlantic, The Lancet, The New York Times

Nobel Prize ceremony at Stockholm City Hall (Photo credit: Michael Cavén)

The Minnesota Orchestra has disbanded. New York City Opera has performed for the last time. Entire concert series have been discontinued.  Arts in the schools have been cut drastically.

We should all be outraged!

Perhaps that is why the following discussions of the overwhelmingly positive effect of music study have appeared in the media in just the past week:

Nobel medicine winner says: I owe it all to my bassoon teacher

October 9, 2013 by Norman Lebrecht
Arts Journal

Is Music the Key to Success?

By JOANNE LIPMAN
Published: October 12, 2013
The New York Times

The Band’s Robertson Wants Kids To Know Music’s ‘Legends‘

Interview by Melissa Block
October 14, 2013   4:34 PM
National Public Radio

Audio and transcript

Using music to close the academic gap

LORI MILLER KASE  OCT 9 2013
The Atlantic
via JDW at Piano World

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below! 

Back to top

Q&A: “Can a non-coloratura sing ‘Rejoice Greatly?'”

Tags

"Rejoice Greatly", arts, Coloratura soprano, Haendel, Messiah, Soprano

questions & answers (photo credit: flickr)

Someone did a search for this question on my blog.

Short answer:  Yes!

“Rejoice Greatly” is written for soprano, not specifically coloratura soprano.  When a “non-coloratura” sings the aria, a slower tempo would be indicated.  The voice needs more time to navigate the melismas.  (Scroll down after you click on the link for the best visual example of melismas.)

Listening to, say, 3 different singers gives us a better idea of matching the tempo to the voice.

In addition to the individual singer’s voice, acoustics must also be considered to ensure clarity.

Hope this helps!

Clara Clairbert, Belgian soprano (1890-1969)

(source: Historical Opera Singers)
(photo credit: flickr)

What do you think?  Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Back to top

How to Actively Engage Students in Their Musical Education

Tags

arts, Child, Methods and Theories, Music, music education, student

Learning by Doing (Photo credit: BrianCSmith)

Guest post by Eric Rader

It takes a lot of work to reach a child; it takes even more to engage them.  In an area such as music education where students may not see merit or inherent value, there is a strong disconnect between the student and the material.

Students, especially young ones, do not understand the value that music can have in their lives.  As adults, we see the importance of music education and its many benefits.  Students however, do not.  It’s our responsibility as adults to help create an atmosphere that makes learning music a more enjoyable and life-long experience.

How to Engage Students

Whether we are music teachers in public schools or private instructors, it’s important that the students we teach are being engaged.  Not that they just “have fun,” but that they are actively engaged in what they are learning.  This means that we try to create an attitude of “learning for learning’s sake.”  Help them to want to learn the material because they are excited about it.

This is a very hard task to accomplish, especially with children.  Between short attention spans and wandering minds, children require much more attention when teaching a topic.

Here are a few tips that you can use to help motivate students to become actively involved and engaged in the musical learning process:

1.  Use Hands-on and Kinesthetic Activities

Children love to use hands-on actives when learning.  Children love to be active.  Using an activity that promotes hands-on learning will not only help engage the student, but will help stimulate a part of their brain that visual and verbal instruction can’t reach.

Allowing students to use manipulative and hands-on models will extend their attention span and make their learning experience more fun and enjoyable.  Using activities with hand-held objects will keep students excited about learning music.

2.  Promote Success

When learning to play an instrument or any other musical concept, it is important that the student feels as though they are succeeding.  Try to set short easy to achieve goals for the student at first.  This will help the student feel more confident and comfortable in their abilities and in the new concept.

You want to make sure that you are challenging the student.  However, you want to use tasks that will promote their success, then elevate to more complicated assignments.

Start small.  Allow the student to gain confidence, and then begin to add more rigorous activities as they become more successful.

3.  Use Multiple Styles of Learning

Above, I discussed using hands-on activities to help keep kids excited and focused on learning music.  There are many other types of learning that will not only excite children, but will also meet the needs of different types of learners.

Use a variety of visual, verbal, and kinesthetic activities.  Not all children learn the same way.  Some students may work best by hearing a piece of music, while others will do best by reading sheet music.  Make sure that you use each style.

Know the area of strength for each specific student and work with that style to help them succeed, but do not work with only one style.  Make sure to challenge the student to grow in multiple areas, but make sure to note the areas in which the student is most proficient.  Then build on the other areas to form a well-rounded musician.

Reaching students, whether in a classroom or a private studio, can be very difficult.  We are responsible for instilling a love and enjoyment of music into each child that we serve.  It is our job to take the drudgery out of music.  Today’s students are less likely to sit at an instrument for hours upon hours practicing scales and warm-ups.  They need something that is going to excite them, that will make them want to practice and learn.  Strive to make music enjoyable, and continue to pass on the love of music.

Eric’s website:  http://www.piano-lessons-made-simple.com/

Do you incorporate hands-on activities into your teaching? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!

E-books

“Goal-oriented Practice: How to Avoid Traps and Become a Confident Performer” gives every musician a fresh perspective!

Save time!  When you improve your focus on what needs to be practiced, you will find yourself knowing the music better in shorter practice sessions.

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

Goal-oriented Practice

sold in 9 countries!

Review by pianist Robert W. Oliver

Back to top

Untempered criticism: does it have a place in music lessons?

Tags

arts, Education, effective criticism, Music, student, teacher

Thumbs down icon.  Picture credit:  Wikipedia.

During dinner with a good friend on Monday evening, the conversation turned to effective methods of personal interaction between the person in charge and those she is supervising.

My dinner companion works as a facilitator in various group homes for developmentally disabled adults.  Like most people, these residents like to test their limits.

She has found that the residents respond much better to positive feedback and helpful direction than to “No!”  When they hear “You can’t do that,” they actually hear what the no-no is, but not “you can’t.”  And then, you guessed it… they go ahead and do exactly that.

If you are the supervisor, what do you do next?  Say “no” again?  That could spiral downward all day long!

Later that evening

After I arrived home, I found myself returning to our conversation.  Since my experience is in the field of music, not social services, I began running “yes” and “no” scenarios in my head.

Throughout my life as a student, from age 6 through graduate school, I had several different piano teachers, each with her/his own interpersonal skills or lack of same.

Speaking for myself, positive feedback and direction were so much more effective in my own lessons as a student.  That is also the approach I hope my students experience when I am their teacher.

Untempered criticism

I know several excellent musicians who were criticized severely in every lesson as students.  Yet they now have busy careers.

In addition, I have experienced students being yelled at by their teachers when I played for their lessons.

My conclusion, based on at least this much experience, is that sometimes untempered criticism can work.

Possible reasons for its success

• Maybe the student has a thick skin.
• From time to time, the teacher is so extraordinarily talented that the student is all ears regardless, giving the teacher a “pass” for his/her approach.

One teacher whose students I played for a few times would swear in every lesson.  This began with the very first mistake the student made, no matter how minor.  (If the student used a different fingering from the one the teacher thought to be optimal, that was considered a mistake.)  In this case, the teacher was so brilliant (in his late 80’s, knew the entire repertoire for the instrument, memorized, fingerings included) that I can understand why students put up with the bad mood.

In a different studio, the teacher would yell at her students.  She had a system for singing which involved assigning a number to the size of one’s mouth cavity.  The space increases as the singer goes up in range.  During lessons, the teacher would be seated behind the piano bench.  She would scream “HOW can you be at a 2 when you SHOULD be at a 7?”  Her piercing sound had no relation to where the singer was regarding the phrasing.  I jumped every time the teacher started in.  I see no use for that approach at all, ever.  How can a singer progress when the teacher is screaming?  Singers need to be relaxed!

Possible causes of unpleasant moods in a teacher

• Sometimes, teachers are so talented that they never had to figure out how to make things work.  Even when asked to explain something, they can’t.

• Another possibility is that the teacher has been in the business so long that they have forgotten what it was like when they first started.

• Maybe the teacher has an ego problem.  Believe me, this happens a lot.

• Or maybe the teacher has a headache.  Hopefully the next lesson will be more pleasant.

How have you experienced criticism?  How do you offer criticism to your students? 

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!

E-books

“Goal-oriented Practice: How to Avoid Traps and Become a Confident Performer” gives every musician a fresh perspective!

This is the perfect opportunity to jump-start your practice, just in time for Fall!

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

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

Goal-oriented Practice

sold in 9 countries!

Review by pianist Robert W. Oliver

Back to top

Rocky Hill Concerts, an update

Tags

arts, concert series, entertainment

English: Studio publicity still for film Daddy Long Legs. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Things are going very well! Three concerts have been performed, and the fourth and final concert of our summer series will be next Sunday, July 29th.

Full details about our July 29th concert:  http://RockyHillConcerts.wordpress.com

Now that we are well into the series, I can give you an update.

Yesterday’s concert was a hoot from every perspective!

The performers, Bob Sparkman and Jerry Noble, are wonderful jazz musicians who have been playing together since 1995.  They always talk to the audience, and wouldn’t have it any other way.

People began arriving 45 minutes before the start time!  When they opened the outside door, they heard Bob and Jerry warming up.  One by one as they entered the building, they started dancing!  It was great to see people dancing while holding onto the heavy door, some using their canes to channel Fred Astaire.

Five people in the audience (in groups of 3 and 2) had been expecting to hear a solo piano concert (mine).  The local newspaper had published the wrong information.  I was happy that they came, but knew they felt disappointed.  So I made a point of having a conversation with them.  They all decided to stay.  And I was happy to be able to give them all a DVD of my concert from the previous week.

Audience members talked to each other and to the performers.  Connections were discovered that were previously unknown.

Bob and Jerry played a wonderful rendition of “Just a Closer Walk with Thee,” in which Bob started out with the tune in the low register.  No one in the audience was accustomed to hearing those sounds from a B-flat clarinet, myself included.  An audience member seated near the front had a back-and-forth conversation with Bob at the conclusion of the piece!  Bob picked up on the mood of the audience and spoke to everyone.  (If anyone has told you concerts have to be formal, think again!)

People from the audience approached me with raves about the concert, the venue, the reception, and the series as a whole.

Why does this outcome matter?

That’s what we had hoped would happen!  These have been my goals with this series ever since we started getting it together.  Not just bodies in pews, but a participatory experience for everyone.  Audience members should be engaged and want to come back!

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Summer Concerts

See complete details about Rocky Hill Concerts. one remaining Sunday afternoon performance in July in air-conditioned comfort!

E-books

“Goal-oriented Practice: How to Avoid Traps and Become a Confident Performer” gives every musician a fresh perspective!

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

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

Goal-oriented Practice

sold in 8 countries!

Review by pianist Robert W. Oliver

Back to top

Mozart takes the speedway

Tags

arts, Mozart, recording

Audi_Rosemeyer_Modell.jpg ~ Image via Wikipedia

Recently I heard a recording of a widely respected pianist playing a Mozart concerto.

This provided an enjoyable listening experience… until the last movement.

This being one of the most famous Mozart piano concertos, many listeners know the melody lines.  Had it been possible, we might have been singing along.

Singing along was, however, not to be.  Why?  The soloist got the speed bug.  The result, instead of ascending, melodic scale passages, was an accent on each high note of the scales, followed by a blur.

Yes, his playing was even.  But where was the expressivity?  No one can discern the shape of the music when the playing is unclear.

So I’ve been wondering.  How did speed playing become popular?  Must everything be played as fast as possible as if it were a competition piece?  Why is speed rewarded?

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Summer Concerts

See complete details about Rocky Hill Concerts. 2 remaining  Sunday afternoons in July in air-conditioned comfort!

E-books

“Goal-oriented Practice: How to Avoid Traps and Become a Confident Performer” gives every musician a fresh perspective!

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

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

Goal-oriented Practice

sold in 8 countries!

Review by pianist Robert W. Oliver

Back to top

First impressions

Tags

arts, Handshake, Job interview, Résumé

Audition Cartoon (Photo credit: Mr. Daniel Ted Feliciano)

Auditions are a lot like job interviews.

When job coaches write about interview preparation, they talk about how to make a good first impression:

• Sit toward the front of the couch or chair so you can stand easily.

• Have your resume in your left hand, ready to go.

• Stand immediately when the interviewer enters the room.

• Smile and shake hands.

Why is all of that important?

• You don’t want to be sunk into the couch (bad posture, hard to stand).

• You don’t want to have to dive into your briefcase to look for your resume.

• You want to appear alert, not reluctant.

• Just because you’re nervous doesn’t mean you can’t smile.

In auditions, the same mindset sometimes eludes us. Last weekend I was house accompanist for several auditions, so there was plenty of time to observe a variety of entrances into the room.

Some things to look at:

• Arrive warmed up! The audition panel is not there to give you practice time.

• Have your resume in your hand. If you carry a briefcase, great. But digging around is a waste of everyone’s time.

• Knowing your range would be helpful.

• Look at your music after making copies! Is the entire piano part visible? (If the bass line is missing on the last staff, you may hear something you weren’t expecting.)

• Make sure the song/aria title, show/opera, and composer appear on the first page of the copy.

• Punch holes in the copies, then put them into a binder back-to-back. If the copies are single sided, then tape the pages so the pianist can turn them easily.

• Find the tempo on your metronome. Then write the metronome marking at the top of the music. This gives the pianist something to go on. S/he only has about 3 seconds before your audition starts.

• Don’t offer excuses to the audition panel. Everyone knows you’re nervous. If you weren’t, you’d sound like a robot. Excuses make you sound unprofessional and could cost you a part.

What we can do

• Practice warming up in the car, even on non-audition days.
• Practice our entrance in the mirror.
• Practice our entrance and our music on our friends.
• Practice breathing exercises to control nervousness.
• Do more auditions to become used to the process.

Ready for your audition?  Break a leg!

Please share your thoughts in the comment section below!

Back to top