Humor in Music

 Last night, I had the privilege to attend Carole Blankenship's faculty recital at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee.  I came to know Carole during my graduate work and have always respected her musicality and thorough attention to detail.  This performance certainly met my expectations and provided an exhilerating evening of music.

I was intrigued by the program from the outset due to the inclusion of a work by Libby Larson that I was not familiar with.  The cycle Me was conceived for soprano and piano based on the writings of Brenda Ueland.  The cycle traces one woman's development from childhood, through her awkward teen years and the devastation of a failed marriage and the death of her parent.  With lots of humor provided for both the soprano and pianist, the song cycle takes the audience on an emotional roller coaster ride until its final "goodbye".  

Perhaps it is due to my personal mindset at the moment, but while I find the cycle as a whole to be quite successful, I think it is the humorous settings that hold the entire work together.  As concert goers, we anticipate hearing music that is serious in nature at classical performances.  However, when we attend, we are not always hoping to find deep answers to life's questions; we are hoping to be entertained.  For me, humor is a key element to personal entertainment.

One of my most pleasing experiences as a soloist involved my discovery of music's humor.  At Pepperdine University, I was assigned Haydn's Sonata in C Major, Hob. XVI/50.  I vividly remember my struggles with the opening single-note staccato theme in my desperate attempt to "say" something with my music.  I was especially perplexed when I began to work through the open pedal passages that occur later in the work.  

After confirming that notes and rhythms were solidly under control, my professor wisely told me to simply have fun with the piece and to allow "Haydn to help me laugh."  As I began to see the sonata's humor, I experienced success with the piece and learned a valuable lesson:  in order to have merit, music does not have to be "serious" and "mature."  Now I find myself returning over and over again to explore works filled with bubbling laughter and those that poke fun at the musical establishment.

What pieces do you go to when you need a good laugh? I'm ready to have my funny bone tickled again by the strains of beautiful music.

Compositions for Children

I have been highly interested in putting together a program of music intended specifically for children.  As I began the search, I found the common works we would expect - Debussy's Children's Corner and the Schubert and Schumann Albums for the Young.  As I began to look deeper, I discovered a couple of additional works that I wasn't familiar with that are proving to be quite rewarding.

First on my list is Musiques d'Enfants (Op. 65) by Prokofieff.  This set of 12 pieces are rather short and are trickier than they first appear.  Not only am I finding them to be wonderfully rewarding to perform, several of the pieces are appropriate for intermediate students who are wanting to explore Russian music.

The other set that is on my plate at the moment is Children's Songs by Chick Corea.  The first 15 songs were originally composed for the Fender Rhodes with the remaining songs intended for the acoustic piano.  Corea states that any of the songs can be played on either instrument.  These are proving to be a little more difficult to become intimate with at this point.  While the Prokofieff grabbed my ear from the outset, Corea's works are less pleasant immediately.  I anticipate that as I spend more time with them in the coming weeks these pieces will become just as appreciated and treasured as the others.

Do you have suggestions of pieces that I might consider adding to my program?  I am thrilled that I have the opportunity to work with children in my church position as well as my teaching and thought it would be fun to present a program that reflects that aspect of my life.

Rhythm, Rhythm, Rhythm

On Sunday, my elementary bell team played "I Am a Friend of God" in the morning service.  Things were not perfect, but the students enjoyed themselves and we received several compliments from members of the congregation.  After the kids had this successful performance experience, I knew they were ready to work hard to continue to improve.  I decided to begin introducing them to notation.

As a starting point, we began by learning about quarter notes, half notes, and whole notes.  Students clapped, snapped, and tapped out rhythmic patterns written on the board.  We actually had a lot of success and fun.  I especially enjoyed watching adults learning alongside the kids!

To apply the rhythms to playing the bells, I had arranged a simple song using only these three note values.  To overcome the students' issues with note recognition, I attached a card to each bell with its corresponding note.  A problem arose that I didn't expect.

On the card, I notated the pitch with a quarter note.  Students were unable to make the connection that the location of the note on the staff indicated pitch while the shape of the note (i.e. quarter or half) only referred to its duration.

This Sunday, I begin rehearsals for our Christmas musical which will become another arm of the church's music education program.  Here's a synopsis of what I plan to do in the coming classes.  After re-enforcing rhythmic values on Sunday, we will clap several rhythmic drills.  To add to the fun and test students' understanding, different activities will correspond with each rhythmic value.  Students will snap on quarter notes, clap half notes, and pat their knees for whole notes.

On Wednesday, we will introduce melodic notation, beginning with the spaces of the treble clef.  The piece we are learning is in F major; the space notes comprise the majority of notes we will use.  I am brainstorming activities now to drill the skills in class.  The more fun I can make the learning, the more engaged the students will be.  The more engaged they are, the greater their retention and THAT is the ultimate goal.

Music in Children's Ministry

While sitting in the sanctuary of the church this afternoon, I realize that I've not written about training the children in our churches to participate in the musical arts.  We have so little time with the kids each week and we have so many urgent things to teach them that are of eternal significance.  Often, I feel guilty trying to fit in some musical education.

Recently, I came to understand that by training children to read simple rhythms and musical notation, I am actually equipping them to participate in the worship service for years to come.  Traditionally this has been done in the form of a children's choir.  Sadly, that tradition is quickly fading from congregations around the nation.  How are we to teach children the basic elements of music in relation to the church service?

One method that I am currently using is hand bells.  I'm not talking about a huge system that costs a ton of money....even though I do hope to get to that point eventually.  I am using bells produced by Kidsplay at a fairly economical cost.  (As I recall, each 8 note set cost less than $40. Extensions and chromatic add-on kits are available as well to get you out of the key of C major.)  Here's how I'm using the bells.

I have taken a fairly simple song with which the children are familiar and written it out in notation.  Students are given a picture of the note they are looking for and matching the picture on their bell with the notes on the music.  Although I have not yet introduced rhythmic notation, the kids are learning to read from top to bottom, left to right.

Because I need to get this song ready for performance very quickly, I am modifying my approach tonight.  The children have lyric sheets that have dots over the words where they are to play.  It will not teach them more about music, but I am giving them the fun of making music together and allowing them to experience their first performance as an ensemble.  I'll let you know how it goes!

What are you doing in your local congregation to teach your children about music?  I'm always looking for fresh ideas, so please share in the comment section below.

Selecting the Christmas Musical

It's July, so that means it's time to begin the search for this year's Christmas musical for the church job. It is insanely early to begin thinking about Frosty and the gang, but I have learned from experience that a selection needs to be made by the end of August in order to keep stress levels to a minimum. With the selections that I have seen in the catalogs this year, I am not expecting great things and anticipate that the selection process will be more difficult than in years past.

What makes a good Christmas musical? The answer to that question can be as varied as the noses on all the music directors in the world! Since this is MY blog, I'll give you my ideas of what I'm looking for. Some of these will hopefully be common to most of us; the other ideas will at least get you thinking. So, in no particular order, here are my considerations for finding the perfect Christmas musical for kids.

1. Theologically sound. I do believe this is the most important issue in selecting any type of music for your children's program. While most of the musicals we will review appear to be rather basic in their presentation of Biblical truths, a thoughtful examination of the script and lyrics will normally reveal some theological stances in the background. It is important to make sure that these positions are in agreement with the statement of beliefs of your local congregation. For instance, if a musical builds on the assumption of eternal security and your congregation does not take this stance on salvation, this is probably not the selection for you. I make it a practice to have a team of teachers review the finalists in the selection process to make sure everything is sound before I make a final choice.

2. Casting requirements. This seems like an obvious consideration, but I cannot tell you the number of times that I have heard from music directors that they started rehearsals for a program only to find out that they didn't have enough participants to bring it to stage. If you have worked with the kids for any length of time, you have a good idea of whether a kid will "definitely" participate or whether you should classify him as a "maybe" or a "no way." I generally don't pre-cast my shows (selecting people for roles before all the commitments are made), but I do come up with a possible -- and realistic -- cast list based upon who participated in my last show. This doesn't mean that you won't run into trouble with casting (a fact that was obvious with the last musical I did), but it can help to rule out some shows simply on the basis that you can't cast it. I don't want to waste my time looking at a musical for 30 kids when I can only be assured of a cast of 15.

3. Musically interesting. The music needs to be interesting to me as well as to the children. If I'm bored with the show -- even on the first hearing -- I'll have problems during the creative process and the final production will be flat and unexciting. Similarly, if the kids don't find the music energizing, you are going to have a difficult time getting them to stick with you for the long haul of preparing the production.

4. Unit Set. A musical that changes scenes is a logistical nightmare unless you have a committed crew of stage hands. Even if you have the bodies who are willing to do this job, but have no experience with it, I still recommend moving to the next show! You will have enough on your hands preparing the children during production week; you don't want the added stress of trying to train stage hands on the intricate choreography of making scene transitions work smoothly. Look for musicals that use a single setting for the entire story. The best scenarios are those that are in "generic" spaces -- a choir room, gym, classroom -- since your stage can easily be decorated to suggest these places without having to bring in a lot of props.

There is an exception to the preference for unit sets. If a scene change can be suggested by bringing in a couple of small set pieces and changes to the lighting, I would be willing to do it. When in doubt, let your motto for set design always be K.I.S.S. (Keep it simple, Stupid!) In the end, you'll be glad that you did!

5. Applicable to modern society. While there are some wonderful musicals from the past that I greatly enjoyed as a child, many of them simply will not translate to today's kids. The music sounds dated, the topics are archaic, and they don't address issues in a kid's life. While we are looking to produce good theater, as a church director our first priority is (or at least SHOULD be) ministry to kids. If the story and the message aren't going to speak to kids, then it's not a show on which we need to invest our ministry time; leave that production for the Community Youth Theater down the road.

6. FUN! Even though this is the last thing on my list, it's importance is very high on the list. If the show is not FUN, kids aren't going to get excited about it and you'll spend the majority of your time trying to pump up the kids rather than working on making the show the best it can be.

There are some ways that you can increase the fun level for any show. Movement is an obvious choice. Start small and simple, but be ready to let it all out. My kids LOVE to dance while singing.....and it keeps the show's energy HIGH the whole way through. Don't forget about bringing in props or costumes that will make the kids laugh as well. The most important key to a FUN show, however, is YOU! Your advance preparation is crucial so you are confident and relaxed in the rehearsal process, allowing you to smile and play with the kids when things are getting tough for them.

This list is not intended to be all-inclusive. The fact of the matter is that my requirements will change depending upon the congregation with which I'm working. As you prayerfully review the options, you'll find the show that is right for you.

*If you are looking for a Christmas show, make sure you don't miss this budget helper! Lifeway Stores have an offer of 5 preview paks for $25. You'll want to take a look at the choral catalog in the store and find the full page ad before making your selections. Sadly, the offer is limited to titles that are on the shelves and doesn't apply to all the paks. My experience yesterday was that the associates were unaware of the offer, so take the choral catalog with you to the register; once you show it to them, they are happy to help.

Let the holidays begin!

Kennith

Reflections on Music Camp 2010

I survived! Music Camp is over and I'm back to the regular routine of writing. As I begin my recovery from the past 14 days, my thoughts are revisiting the experience and I am reminded of a few things about children and their abilities. While these concepts are true about music in the church, I believe the application reaches into our private studios and music classrooms.

• Children are sponges! Kids absorb new material quickly and thoroughly. This fact becomes painfully obvious when it becomes necessary to reteach due to a misconception or poor planning. Once a child "learns" material, it is often extremely difficult to unlearn.
• Instruct in multiple learning styles for maximum retention! As a church musician, my primary goal for Music Camp was to instill Biblical truths into the hearts of children while teaching them some introductory musical concepts. The primary method of instruction was singing. By adding visual cues, the learning was further enhanced. Movement activated the kinesthetic learning style while including drama appealed to the creative side of the child. By gradually adding new dimensions of instruction, the child was repeatedly instructed in the basic truth.
• Repetition is key! Although adults often become frustrated with repeated presentations of material, children seem to thrive on it! While the repeated lesson may be identical, the child's interaction with the material is not. Each return to familiar material allows the child to explore the concept at a higher intellectual level. This, in turn, allows for further discovery and questioning.
• Children can achieve! Let this be a constant reminder to you. Children can perform at high levels of excellence, so set the bar high, give them the necessary tools and support to succeed, and watch them soar!

Now, it's time to crawl back into my cave and recover a bit more; it's almost time to start planning for my next musical adventure with the children of my congregation.

Where Did All The Time Go?

Late last month, Chris Foley asked his readers at The Collaborative Pianist Blog which month was the busiest of the year for them. As I thought through my year, I answered that April was the most intense month for me. That time normally involves Easter activities and lots of recitals to play. Don't forget about preparations for studio recitals and wrapping things up for the end of the spring semester.

Now I am beginning to think that I was terribly mistaken. My life does not feel as though it belongs to me during the month of June. A few private lessons are continuing through the summer and I am teaching class daily at the college. A chamber recital is on the agenda for early July, so there are lots of notes to learn and rehearsals to attend. Somehow, my responsibilities at the church have snuck up on me. Next Monday, I will begin directing a two-week music camp for students ages 5-12 that will culminate in two performances of a children's musical. This annual event is always a lot of fun, but I am always very thankful when it comes to an end so I can finally get some rest. I have to remember that the weekend in the middle of it all (June 19-20) will be filled with Father's Day activities. I'm getting tired just thinking about it all!

Practice time is a prized commodity right now. What am I saying? Sitting still for a few minutes to catch my breath is priceless! For the next few weeks, I doubt you hear much from me here at Collaborations, but be assured I have not forgotten about you and will be back to a regular writing schedule in a couple of weeks.