Sound On

What is music? Is music really about music notation, or is it all about the sound? And if it is about the sound, why do so many music education professionals place so much emphasis on notation?

The State Of The Union

Many music educators as young students learned notation before they learned music, and hold the skill of reading notation as the gold standard of music achievement. This is understandable, as many great composers have poured their hearts into notation. But the reality is that music is about sound, and notation and music theory cannot fully explain the sound. The subtleties of style and performance transcend any information notation can offer.

Many music educators also look down upon learning music by rote, because it circumvents notation. But the reality is that students learn to read music when they see notation for a tune that they already know by rote. Are you trying to teach reading notation before your students know a repertoire of tunes by rote? Are you doing them a favor?

Audiation

Audiation is the process by which people hear, organize, compare, and ultimately predict sounds in music. It is how people internalize tonal and rhythm patterns (content), as well as keyality and meter (context). Keyality because the key might be one flat, but the keyality might be F major, G dorian, etc. Auditation is how people understand musical syntax. It is the source of all meaning in music.

How People Learn Music

People learn music by hearing it, and gradually developing a vocabulary of tonal and rhythm patterns. Then they can learn to create it by expressing these and other patterns in a context with their voice, an instrument, and/or notation.

The first thing a music student needs to do is learn a lot of tunes by rote. Then they can work on executive skills on their instrument, and lastly, learn to recognize and express the patterns with their voice, on their instrument, and lastly, with notation.

What Does It Mean To Know A Piece Of Music?

I think most people would agree that if you really know a tune, you could perform it vocally or on your instrument, in different keyalities (major, dorian,) and meters (duple, triple,), and with embellishments. You could also perform the base line, hear the chord changes in your head, and improvise over them in the style of the tune. I don’t just mean jazz; I mean improvising a beautiful little folk melody. Notice I haven’t mentioned notation. Yet notation ought not to be discarded entirely – lastly you could notate an arrangement of the tune, and read the notation for the tune with musical meaning.

Try Something New

Maybe you direct a band, choir, or orchestra. Maybe you are used to having students learn a new tune by plunking down some notation in front of them, and then trying to get everyone to put down the right fingers at the right times. Is this music? Does the result sound musical?

Try this: before you even introduce the notation for a new tune, sing or play the melody or main theme for your ensemble. Perform with beautiful tone and phrasing. Perform it many times so that students can learn to sing it by rote. The idea is not memorization, but rather to learn to audiate the tune, such that it can be performed with an understanding of musical syntax from memory. If you need to, break the melody into small melodic and rhythmic patterns. Also perform the base line, and have students learn to perform that as well. Feel free to accompany them with chords, and have them perform the melody and bass line together. To make the transition to executive skills on instruments, have students put down the correct fingers while performing the tune vocally. After all this, the students should be able to perform the melody or main theme and bass line together on their instruments. Finally, introduce the notation for a particular setting of the tune by a particular composer. There will be a little gap in achievement as students learn inner voices and unfamiliar parts from notation, but this is to be expected. Ultimately, I promise the result will be far more musical and meaningful than the “notation first” strategies that many employ.

The Next Level

To take musical achievement farther, after students learn the melody and base line by rote, they should learn to improvise new rhythms on that bass line. They should learn the chord changes and be able to improvise a new melody over the bass line in the style of the tune. They should learn to perform harmony parts, and improvise a countermelody. They should be able to do all of this in different keyalities and meters. They should be able to notate their own arrangement of the tune and have it performed by their peers – all before ever introducing the notation for the actual piece of music set by a professional composer. If this sounds far-fetched, Dr. Stephen Shewan at Williamsville East High School actually runs his music program this way.

Do It

Trying a completely new way of teaching music that respects the way people learn music can be scary. It takes courage to open the floor to student creativity and true meaningful understanding, because notation is very black and white, yet the world of musical sound is varied and colorful. Most teachers teach in the way they were taught, but you are above that, dear reader, or you wouldn’t be reading this. You owe your students the very best musical instruction you can provide. To help you in this challenging yet rewarding task, Dr. Edwin Gordon, Dr. Christopher Azzara, and Dr. Richard Grunow have produced first class research based music education materials. Most helpful to me is their method that illustrates the application of music learning theory. It’s called Jump Right In and it’s available for winds, strings, recorder, and general music. Take advantage of their research, knowledge, and experience, and watch your students’ musical achievement soar!

Have your students ever performed publicly? Perhaps you even included visual arts on display during intermission. It’s very rewarding for students to share their work. Imagine how rewarding it would be to share with an international audience! Now you can, thanks to the magic of the internet…

Nothing Fancy

Travel Channel Journalist Josh Gibson recently noted that his brother Zach’s internet magazine is accepting submissions. Nothing Fancy is an internet magazine showcasing drawing, painting, photography, video, music, writing, and anything else you can think of. The magazine is published online monthly according to a broad theme (“heroic,” in the case of volume 7). Nothing Fancy is the sophisticated maturation of the underground magazine, formerly found in many education settings, all grown up for the adult world. Instead of finding the eyes of only Sally, James, and their friends, Nothing Fancy is distributed for free to an international audience. Why aren’t your students creating something like this?

Getting Started

If you don’t have the expertise to create a custom website like Nothing Fancy, there are other options available. But it’s never too late to learn web design, or to encourage web design as part of your student’s technology education. Some of them may already have excellent web design skills.

The Door Is Open

While I hate to criticize, many educators are simply not taking advantage of the internet as a distribution medium for student work. Most websites of education institutions I come across are using some clumsily designed interface obviously conceived of by a “coder” as opposed to a designer. If any student work is available, it is often buried inside layer upon layer of menus, based on what school in the district and what program the information is from. Sometimes, a music director has posted a sound clip of a piece the band is working on for students to practice along with at home. But where are the recordings of student performances, student compositions, other student creations, even student-designed lessons? Let’s get student museums and student magazines presently prominently on the websites of educational institutions!

MySpace, DeviantArt, YouTube

MySpace, DeviantArt, and YouTube are great sites for networking audio, visual, and video content, respectively. Unfortunately, there can be a bit of parental stigma associated with using these tools. However in reality they are no more dangerous than a telephone or a hammer. No tool is inherently good or bad. Students are going to embrace these tools whether adults are involved or not, so let’s help young people learn to improve the quality of their lives and community by using digital electronic communication responsibly and respectfully. Parental and administrative education is the key to resolving fears and opening eyes and ears. However, if these sites, which make it easy to share and discover audio, visual, and video content are unavailable to you, you can always create your own site or page to host your own content. Your district will probably host it for you. Become friends with your Information Technology educators and managers – they may even have extra money in their budgets for your students’ projects!

State & National Standards

Offering students the opportunity to collaborate on a web magazine, especially one that integrates audio, visual, and video content is a great way to meet music National Standard 8: “Understanding relationships between music, the other arts, and disciplines outside the arts.” Also don’t forget that the internet is a great place to find works of art and art publications – both student and professional creations. Students need to know how to create and find arts resources in accordance with NY State Arts standard 2: “Students will be knowledgeable about and make use of the materials and resources available for participation in the arts in various roles.”

Help All Students

Remember that not all students come from families who go to concerts, visit art museums, or otherwise seek out art. Math educators don’t expect parents to help their students with calculus. History educators don’t expect parents to help their students remember the French and Indian War. Yet it seems many arts educators expect parents to bring their students to concerts, seek out good quality music and other art experiences with their students. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. Also, digital communications are changing the way “the people formerly known as the audience” (Horizon Report 2007– Rosen, 2006) experience art. So please help your students and their families share the joy of the arts by becoming involved in creating, critiquing, distributing, and finding art internationally - online!

Digital Electronic Communication Education

For inspiration and ideas connecting education and the internet, keep a close eye on the blog of Vicki A. Davis, a pioneer in digital electronic technology education. Also check out the 2007 Horizon Report detailing the 6 most influential forces for the future of higher learning.

This Sunday afternoon I had the pleasure of listening to tenor saxophone performer Paul Shapiro and his band Midnight Minyan perform as part of the Art of Jazz series at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in Buffalo, NY.

Start Like A Lamb

Most bands like to open with a bang; something loud, fast, and in-your-face to give the audience an exciting kick start. Midnight Minyan, however, opened with the cool and even-keeled Ma Lecha Hayam; a traditional Jewish melody performed with an easy swing feel. The classy opener set the tone for Paul Shapiro’s tasteful arrangements carried out with finesse.

Unnatural Solos

Trumpet player Steven Bernstein’s solo on Ma Lecha Hayam was completely out of character with the rest of the tune. It’s as if he thought, “forget this Jewish stuff – I’m going back to my jazz roots,” as he belted out a rousing solo that would be at home on any 60s jazz album. I wonder how he came to be inspired to do that. I’m reminded of vibraphonist Steve Nelson’s performance of his own tune Candlelight Vigil with the Dave Holland Quintet during April of 2000 in the same hall. Nelson’s vibrant, lively solos contrasted with the meditative mood of the piece. Since I had never heard the tune before, I thought it was normal. After hearing the recording, however, where his solo was more transparent stylistically, I feel got to experience a special moment in that live performance.

The highlight of the performance was tenor saxophonist Peter Apfelbaum’s solo on Children of Abraham. His touching, simple melody was lovingly crafted out of sequential major sixths.

Some pieces were really brought to life by pianist Brian Mitchell’s tasteful block chord comping, loaded with extensions.

Paul Shapiro

Paul Shapiro’s arrangements are golden. The traditional Jewish melodies are ear catching, fun, and easy to follow. Mr. Shapiro sets them modestly to swing and latin beats without over- or understating anything; they are set with supreme taste and say just enough. Having truly adopted the tenor saxophone as his voice, Paul Shapiro performs with ease, a unique tone, and tasteful showmanship.

Finale

As always, I wish the ensembles would abstain from using amplification in such a small venue. Aside from that, the performance was an absolute joy to attend! Recordings including Midnight Minyan and It’s in the Twilight are available on the label Tzadik.

This weekend I was overloaded with art experiences. It all started Friday night, March 2, 2007…

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

This film work of what is technically science fiction has been recommended to me time and time again by film making friends whose tastes I trust. Though it stars Jim Carrey, it is devoid of the usual antics and rather features Carrey’s “real” acting skills. It only took a few moments for me to be completely engrossed by the film – I was instantly sold.

This work is shot on real film and you can tell. It hasn’t been color corrected by insane amounts as most films are. Combined with the shallow depth-of-field focus, the vignetting and true film colors give the entire piece a dream-like look and feel.

After watching, I couldn’t help but feel so thankful that I am the way I am. You must experience this incredible Michel Gondry film!

David Keuhn: Trumpet Recital

Mr. Keuhn was principal trumpet of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra for many years. He played fantastically well with accompanist and composer Persis Vehar. As an owner of the album Musical Landscapes for Trumpet on which they play, it was my pleasure to hear the pair perform live as part of the Buffalo Brass Festival at the University at Buffalo on Saturday.

Persis Vehar’s impeccable piano technique perfectly complemented David Keuhn’s lyrical phrasing, crisp articulation, and relentless stamina. It was a thrill to hear Vehar’s Sound-Piece for Trumpet, Flugelhorn and Piccolo Trumpet, which plays one movement per horn, has a modern sound with phrases coming to conclusions on blue notes, memorable motifs, and brain twisting developments - one of my favorites. The performance was nothing short of inspiring.

Hila Plitmann Sings Corigliano

Saturday night, the BPO played John Corigliano’s tune Mr. Tambourine Man. If Corigliano’s name is on the program, I’m at the concert.

As Mr. Corigliano explained, the piece uses the lyrics of Bob Dylan as poetry (Corigliano has never heard Bob Dylan sing), and sets them not only to new music, but Dylan’s artful opposite. In an interesting musical twist, the secondary theme of each movement becomes the main theme of the next. The spacious, emotional piece carries the audience on a journey through Dylan’s thoughts, and (while it may sound hokey) the “pulse of the nation” through the 1960s. Unfortunately, I fear the Masters of War are still at work, and the Chimes of Freedom have yet to toll. For better or worse, Dylan’s journey is as relevant now as ever.

I think I figured out the hype behind John Corigliano. He writes modern music with modern sounds, but his work is far from utilitarian; he writes meaningfully and with emotion. He is, in a sense, Bob Dylan’s art-music counterpart, which explains how he felt so at home with Dylan’s text.

Hila Plitmann’s performance brought honest beauty and an imposing stage presence to the piece. She was introduced as the greatest living soprano and I have to agree. Her voice can be as pure and clear as a serene lake or as shimmering as crystal ice. She plays with a level of artistry and attention to detail that is rare, even amongst professionals. Her physical manifestations personify the music with a bit of tasteful theatrics. I can’t imagine you’d want to hear anyone but Hila Plitmann perform this piece.

Back stage after the performance, Ms. Plitmann so graciously accepted every compliment, and confessed to having had Buffalo wings for dinner, which was my only wish for her while she visited the Queen City. Her husband, composer Eric Whitacre, was also in town but was busy caring for their offspring. Also back stage, some students had lined up to speak with John Corigliano. One of them said, “it was… Okay.” The unfortunate reality is that the audience did not like Mr. Corigliano’s tune and I know why. When people saw Bob Dylan’s name, even if they read in the paper how the lyrics were set to new music, they really believed that somehow, Bob Dylan’s music would come through in the piece. Of course, they were actually treated to the musical opposite of Bob Dylan. But it’s a great piece, and two weeks ago the audience responded so enthusiastically to Corigliano’s Altered States. If they liked Altered States, they must like Mr. Tambourine Man, as each bears the unmistakable stamp of John Corigliano’s musical voice. However, audience members let expectations cloud their judgement. If the audience came with the same open ears and open brains that they did for Altered States, they would have loved Mr. Tambourine Man. Perhaps it will grow on them with time.

Saturday night was a great performance of a great piece, and I can’t wait to pick up a copy of the recording. Anyone who attended was touched by the journey of Bob Dylan, the voice of the nation, and the voice of an angel.

Jon Nelson: Trumpet Recital

Again as part of the Buffalo Brass Festival, Jon Nelson gave a recital on the Slee Hall stage. Accompanied by Persis Vehar, he performed that beast that is Paul Hindemith’s Sonata for Trumpet and Piano with finesse. Morton Feldman’s A Very Short Trumpet Piece, composed for children, showcased Mr. Nelson’s beautiful tone and musical phrasing. Finally, Gustavo Matamoros’ RE: JON provided a brilliantly fun conclusion to an emotional weekend of the arts. The balance of the live performer and tape was absolutely perfect, with Jon Nelson’s sound weaving in and out of the accompaniment. The piece concluded with a fanciful bit of improvisation.

Buffalo Is Alive With Artistic Expression

The art scene in Buffalo, NY is thriving. Like a muscle that sore from thorough exercise, I carry a dull emotional ache from the weekend’s artistic experiences. If you live in or around Buffalo, get out and experience all the art that is happening!