Just a short post this week as I’m on Spring Break and not teaching this week.
I’ve been really working with my students on polishing this week. It’s all about phrasing folks. You have to combine your technical work with phrasing. If you can phrase well your music will make sense to any listener even if the musical language is thick or cerebral.
It’s also about communication:
I was at an all Elliot Carter concert today at the Open Space in Victoria. A very enjoyable concert. Believe me, modern music is so much better live because the gestures in the music make more sense in a live setting. The conversational aspect of Carter chamber works in particular.
My main tip to students this week is: go to concerts!. You need to go see how professionals communicate the message of music to the audience. Every time period, every composer, communicates slightly differently and seeing professionals and even students perform will help you to better understand musical communication.
Great quote from Carter: “The modern world is having a hard time being modern.”
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