Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Why Concerts Matter – Take 2
Yesterday, I began teaching a new semester of Music Appreciation at Mid-South Community College in West Memphis. The first day in each section of the class was filled with the thrilling excitement of reviewing the course syllabus so everyone would know what will be required of them this semester. As usual, I heard groans, grumblings, and sundry other sounds of disapproval when I explained to the students that they would be required to attend two classical concerts to fulfill the course's requirements. "But why?" was the repeated cry. Since the defense of concerts as part of the Music Appreciation curriculum has become a major point of discussion each semester, I thought it would be a good blog topic for this evening.
In order to understand more about music, a student must be exposed to it. Why this concept is so foreign to some students is beyond me! While students do not like the idea of spending time in labs for biology, math, or foreign language courses, they accept this additional time of observation as a necessary component of the course. In essence, attending concerts is a working music lab. In order to fully understand concepts presented in lectures, students must get away from the classroom and hear the theories presented in their natural habitat on stage.
Many students argue that they should be able to go to any concert they like since they are paying for the ticket. My response is simple; many of the concerts that you are invited to attend in fulfillment of the requirement have no admission charge. So the assertion that you are spending your hard-earned money on entertainment you don't enjoy is void. Furthermore, any student who claims to enjoy all their homework assignments in other classes is either a liar or delusional. I won't make that judgment, but I'll let you decide for yourself into which category I think most of them fall. This raises an additional issue in the mind of the student. Why am I required to take a course in music since I am not majoring in music? The arts were not created in a vacuum and were significantly impacted by the politics, literature, philosophy, scientific development, and religious views of the day. By examining the arts that were influenced by these fields, the student develops a deeper understanding of the historical progression of the Western World; such understanding and knowledge is an early essential step on the journey from student to scholar.
Lastly, students often ask why they are not merely permitted to listen to recordings or watch videotaped performances. While both of these Medias are valuable tools in the study of music, a few drawbacks must be considered. Firstly, recordings are often heavily edited in order to arrive at a "perfect" performance. While the pursuit of excellence is admirable, these edited performances can result in an unrealistic recording that lacks a certain amount of integrity of performance. Secondly – and in my opinion, most importantly – recorded performances can not accurately convey the vivacity and energy that an audience experiences in a live performance. While we are studying the music itself in this course, the listener's emotional response to the performance must be included in the discussion of the composition's greatness. Beethoven's Ninth Symphony would not be considered a masterpiece of the repertoire if its performance did not elicit a significant emotional response from those who have heard it over the centuries.
That's why I firmly believe in the value of concert attendance as part of the Music Appreciation curriculum. The goal is neither for a student to be able to eloquently discuss a piece's harmonic structure nor is it to convince them to become supporters of the local classical music radio station. Rather, my goal is to give the student enough tools to intelligently attend a previously unfamiliar artistic performance that allows them to experience the heightened emotional response that the greatest music of Western history can elicit.
Now it's time for me to find my next concert to attend. Hope to see you there!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Kennith,
ReplyDeleteAs always, your writing is a dream (so educated and eloquent). If I didn't already know that you have a doctorate degree, I'm sure I would think to myself, "Gee, I bet this guy has written a doctoral thesis!"
I applaud (haha) you for adding this requirement to your curriculum. A frequent concert-goer myself, I agree with you, (and I significantly paraphrase here) that the true genius of music is much more enjoyed/appreciated in person. I do enjoy recordings for their perfected nature, but I find it quite easy to become distracted by my environment (unfolded laundry, dirty dishes, overgrown cuticles, etc.) and lose focus on actually listening to the work. If it is a composition I am familiar with, I am still able to follow along “in my head,” but if it is unfamiliar, then I simply do not gain any understanding of, or appreciation for, the piece.
Now, speaking as a classical musician (I currently perform with two local symphonies in Los Angeles, for others reading my comments who do not already know this), I will say, that in my opinion, concerts are not given solely for the enjoyment of the audience.
I recently rounded out my repertoire of the Brahms Symphonies, having finally gotten to play his First, last May. I was very excited about this and could not wait to perform it. Becoming familiar with the piece was indeed enjoyable, but the actual performance was, for me, the most worthwhile part. We had had a dress rehearsal the morning of the performance, and while this was basically a run-through of the program (with a few spot checks here and there), since there was no audience, and because I feel that I usually only give about 85%, I didn’t leave the dress rehearsal with the same sense of accomplishment, as I then later did after the actual performance. So I wonder, without an audience, is a performance really just another rehearsal? And would musicians perform as well?
Hearing the applause from the audience gives me a sense of validation, that my hard work and talent really do bring enjoyment and pleasure to others. (However, I promise it is not the sole reason why I play the violin.) I hope I do not sound boastful, but my musical abilities make me special, and define who I am, but without anyone there to take notice, would I still be doing it? Of course, yes I would, but it helps!
Anywho, just wanted to share with you a few of my own thoughts. Sorry that my writing isn’t as clear and concise as yours!
I hope we get to see each other again soon, stop getting ill and pinching nerves!
-paulie
Paul -
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comments. I am honored to know that you are reading my blog. I hope that I can continue to provide you with some thought provoking topics in the future.
I completely agree with your suggestion that most performers do not assert all of their musical prowess without the presence of an audience; we are merely having another rehearsal. That may explain the "deadness" that I often find in recordings. I find that the audience adds a certain magical aspect to the proceedings that cannot be replicated.
I too would continue to perform, however, without the benefit of ever having another audience hear me. (I'm hoping that won't be the case as I still want to make plans for a program of works for violin and piano in the Spring. It's time for my return to a Los Angeles stage and time that we finally perform together after all these years!) I love the excitement of sharing beautiful music with others, but when it's all said and done, I choose to perform for an audience of one -- myself. If I don't love the music, I just don't play as well as I can. It's as simple as that.