Each Monday evening at 8PM EST, music teachers get together and share ideas about important topics within music education. It’s a great chance to interact directly with educators from all over the world and to get new tips and tricks to help you succeed in the classroom. The entire #musedchat discussion is organized and moderated by Joe Guarr.
It's time for #musedchat! Our topic tonight: Teaching abstract musical concepts (like musicality and expression). Remember to introduce yourself!
And with a GIF, how excited are you about The Last Jedi coming out this week?
Hi All! Amy from MI. I teach middle school band with one Dec concert down and one to go. Also, I answer your nerdy question with a nerdy reference: #musedchat
Beginners re: Phrases- I relate as sentences. Don't breathe after every word in "Mary Had a Little Lamb". I speak the words and show two different phrasing.
#musedchat
A1: I talk a lot about audience emotional reaction. “How should the audience feel here”. Also, Where is this music going? Is it going somewhere or coming from somewhere. How can we bring these ideas out #musedchat
A1: It’s all about context for me. One of my favorite questions to ask is “What is the composer trying to say, and how can we express that in our playing?” #musedchat
A1: Lots of analogies/stories/visuals to get an idea across. ie: Told Ss not to hit audience w/ a snow plow on last note of piece called Snow for concert last week. No splats. #musedchat
A1.1: One of the best things I’ve ever heard came from a saxophone masterclass on the Albright Sonata, “We all know the composer’s feelings about death in this piece, do you have similar feelings about death that are related to this music?” #musedchat
Thanks! Saying, "Mary [breathe]Had[breathe]a[breathe]Little[breathe]lamb[breathe]" really nails it with them I think. Plus I talk about hyperventilating lol #musedchat
A1.1: program notes also can provide context and sharing them with Ss helps. For example ‘Psalm 42’ by Hazo ... doesn’t take long to understand the intent and interpretation with that piece.#MusEdChat
Inspired by a BDG FB post we started using the visual analysis on Tonal Energy to figure out differences in articulation styles this year. Seems to be helping so far, especially on legato vs slur. #musedchat
Sometimes finding a bad recording can be just as valuable as finding a good recording, we need to hear things we like and don’t like and explain why that is! #musedchat
#musedchat A1 I also use the concept of hierarchy of rhythm. Hey low brass I love the beefyness of your sound, it will do us well in MB but right now we need warmth like a mother soothing her child to sleep
A1: when we get there, we talk about natural tendencies of music: low to high, high to low, fast to slow. We talk about how the composer uses these to create moments and emotions #MusEdChat
I use visuals for accents. A regular accent is like “pushing someone” and a marcato accent is like a “punch” with a quick pull back. Seems to work. #musedchat
Sometimes, especially with abstract, some of the "simple" questions can be effective like "who has the melody?" Also, "who takes over the melody?" "Who/what do we need to be listening for?" "What instruments have the countermelody?" Etc #musedchat
A2: Moving beyond notes and teaching them to see all the things between the lines. Articulations, dynamics, expression markings, etc. Good start to build on for interpretation. #musedchat
A2: We try to make Ss very aware of volume as it relates to air flow. Play that phrase in one breath might not be possible at the dynamic written. How long can you sustain at a level and stagger accordingly #MusEdChat
A2: The concept of tension/release for sure, and getting them to think about what happens after the music stops. Asking them “Where does the music go, and more importantly what does this music witness to us?” #musedchat
This is so important. Too often Ss miss the fact that 95% of the time good tone, intonation, etc. comes from the performer, not the instrument #musedchat
A2:1 great fundamentals for sure! Once we sound good on a fundamental exercise I will throw in dynamics and articulations to mess it all up. We keep working to master layers of responsibility #MusEdChat
#musedchat A2 self reflection, where do you stand in musical phrase, are you the main feature should you be, in the conversations, speaking or listening.
A2: I feel an often overlooked concept is the fact that the musician has to be completely detached from the emotion in order to truly control the musical expressions and convey the message. Strong fundamentals are crucial. #MusEdChat
A2.To musical interpret a piece students first need to learn how they have to manipulate their instruments to create that mood. Attention to articulation, phrasing, dynamics, balance, blend. A lot of left brain thinking is involved when creating emotion on instruments #musedchat
A3: Follow the direction of the line with your dynamics. Play louder lower quieter higher to play an even line. When playing slowly pretend each note is the most delicious you have ever played and you don’t want to let go before you start the next one #MusEdChat
#musedchat A3 we are trying to create colour images in the mind of the audience from a black and white image through sound. When they get it and I get the goosebumps I show them. I ask them immediately how/what did they do?
A3. Legato tonguing and connection in the musical line always creates the right mood in lyrical pieces. Easy tongue and air support are the key #musedchat
A3: Implied dynamics and never breathing at the top of a crescendo and killing a moment come up frequently (unless otherwise noted by the composer). #musedchat
A3: Arnold Jacobs: "Remember, your horn is just a mirror in your hand -- a mirror of what's in your head. You must play wonderful sounds, not just technically perfect notes. You must hear the music! Check your brain, and imitate it. You must keep singing in your head." #musedchat
A3. I always tell my students if they do EVERYTHING written on the page (not just correct notes and rhythms) they will create the mood the composer wants. The key is ALWAYS attention to detail #musedchat
YES!!! I always remind my students that nothing happens in a piece by accident. If a composer gives you a rest if serves a musical purpose just the same as playing a note. #musedchat
AWESOME!! I tell my students if they get it right once that is a coincidence. If they can get it right twice that is proof of progress, and if they get it a third time that is a trend. #musedchat
"The important thing is not what you sound like. It's what you want to sound like." -Arnold Jacobs
Important to have a good mental concept of sound. #musedchat
