Handing over the baton

After some months of agonizing over it, I’ve decided…but it wasn’t an easy decision to make.

Four years ago, I took on the role of the Director of String Ensembles for a local youth symphony. My youngest was involved in that youth symphony, and I was glad to be a part of it as well.

My youngest is no longer so young, and while my intention was to “retire” when she graduated, it wasn’t that easy. The kids who were returning sensed that I might not be, and they began campaigning in earnest last season. I am grateful for their commitment to me and to the group; I’ve tried to make it educational, inspiring, and a lot of fun. 

Each year, I do my best to “work myself out of a job” by the end of the season. While I begin the year by holding auditions, selecting the music, and conducting, by the end of the school year my role is largely that of a coach, booking agent, and roadie. The kids learn to work and play together, and I’ve always considered it a great privilege to be a part of the personal growth they experience.

As my own kids get older, though, I feel myself stretching in more directions…and stretching further. Our oldest will be pursuing a violin performance degree at a major music school within a leading university this fall, and our other two are still very involved in major youth symphonies in the local area. My commitments are increasing, and they are changing. Realizing a person can’t do everything and do it well, I have had to make some tough decisions. That’s life, I suppose.

I always try to “work myself out of a job” by the end of each season. This year, I guess I just did a better job of it.

Please feel free to share your thoughts by leaving a comment. I’d love to hear from you.

Keep playing,

Mark

Related Articles:

• Music is for sharing

PTMs as critics, or saving classical music

Yesterday’s article referred to part 1 of Ann Midgette’s piece originally printed in the Washington Post, and it provided some interesting insights into the role PTMs, or amateur musicians, play in the field of classical music. Today’s follow-on article offers Ms. Midgette’s thoughts on the role of PTMs, and the populace in general, as critics.

I have to admit to you that on my first reading, I didn’t get much out of this. But the second reading prompted several lightbulbs to go off over my head, and I’ll confess to thinking about it a great deal ever since.

I play many different types of music, but classical music has such depth and richness overall that I consider it my favorite. Overall. But to be quite honest about it (in homage to Ms. Midgette), I just don’t like modern compositions as a general rule. I’m painting with a broom here, so please grant me a bit of leeway. 

There is a reason some classical compositions are considered classics, i.e. they endure and endear. Although many were considered to be a challenge to accepted standards when they were written, all of the works considered classics today have what an old friend of mine referred to as “toe tap-ability”. Simply put, the listener can tap their foot with the music as it is being performed…or walk out humming it, thinking of the great concert they just heard.

Many modern works seem to have been exercises in sound combinatorics rather than musical compositions. Many seem so focused upon showcasing the various sections of an orchestra that they forget music is performed for someone. And lest anyone think I’m advocating going “100% pop”, let me assure you that I am not…but music that is neither pleasant to play nor hear doesn’t press boundaries as much as it condemns the art form to irrelevance.

My tastes are not universal, and I’m very glad of that! What do you think? Does classical music need criticism to really thrive? Regardless of our individual tastes, should we just politely clap for it all? Continue with obligatory standing ovations? Or does that contribute to a growing detachment and/or dissatisfaction with classical music in general? Please leave us a comment with your thoughts; we’d love to hear them.

Keep playing,

Mark

Related Articles:

• PTMs keep the music alive!
• Presidential Part-Time Musicians: Violinists
• United States Marine…and Part-Time Musician!
• Part-Time Musicians Are All Around You
• PTMs in the news: “passion players” in the UK

PTMs keep the music alive!

I knew when I read this that you’d want to read it too. PTMs – amateur musicians – have contributed so much to the vibrancy of music throughout the ages. At times when it was dangerous or impractical to be a full-time musician, PTMs also kept the dream alive.

This article from the Philadephia Inquirer is probably harder on FTMs than I would be – I’ve known far too many who sincerely love their “job” and experience their music to the fullest; but the author does make some excellent points. PTMs often play with more license because there is less cutthroat competition to be there in the first place. The fact that the music is a release for them, rather than a full-time occupation, certainly doesn’t hurt, either.

Whether classical music is your bag or something else, there is a lot to consider here. What do you think? Do you allow yourself to really enjoy your music? Do you think you’d enjoy it more – or less – if your paycheck depended upon it? Post a comment and let us know!

Keep playing,

Mark

Related Articles:

• PTMs as critics, or saving classical music
• Presidential Part-Time Musicians: Violinists
• Three Secrets to Enjoy Practicing!
• United States Marine…and Part-Time Musician!
• Part-Time Musicians Are All Around You

Seven low-pressure venues to improve your playing

As I mentioned in a previous article, one of the best ways to improve your playing quickly is to have to play. But regardless of where you are in your path as a Part-Time Musician (PTM), that can be a frightening thing. Here is some good news for you: it doesn’t have to be!

There are a number of venues that offer low-pressure opportunities for you to perform. Sure, you’ll likely get a few butterflies, but they can be more like those you get when being introduced to someone new rather than being interviewed on CNN.

Here are some low-key performance opportunities you may have overlooked.

Family

Your family is a built-in audience that is ideal for any level of PTM. If they live with you, they listen to you every day anyway; why not put on a small concert for them? Your extended family might like to hear what you’ve been telling them about for the past several weeks/months/years as well. Family will love you, even if you miss that one accidental that’s been giving you fits…and they often won’t even notice.

Church, religious gatherings

Your church or other religious institution is like an extended family, and they are similarly encouraging. Most worshipers appreciate the sincere effort as much as the music you’ll provide. Share your gift, and you’ll be surprised how much you “get back” as you give it.

Nursing homes, retirement facilities

You’d be hard-pressed to find a more appreciative audience than at a nursing or retirement home. Many residents can’t get out and about to see performances any more, and just as you and I would, they miss it. Some of my most treasured performance memories are our ensemble’s visits to a local nursing home and a Convent for retired/infirm Sisters.

Fairs, themed gatherings

If you enjoy playing music of a particular type (e.g. Celtic) or from a particular time period (medieval, early colonial, Civil War/WBS, etc.), you have some additional options available. These can be the lowest-pressure of all, especially if people can walk by as you play, stop for a bit to listen, then move on. In that type of environment, just being able to play a few tunes adds so much to the feel of an event…and even if you start the day struggling with a piece, you’ll probably have the kinks worked out after you’ve played it several times.

Pubs, restaurants

A friend of mine plays with a PTM Celtic group that performs at a local pub. Between playing as a group (vs. solo) and the ambient noise in the room, the pressure to perform “just so” is dramatically reduced…and once again, music that befits the location adds a great deal to the patrons’ enjoyment.

Libraries, community events

Our local library is always looking for people to give performances/demonstations of any kind and ability, from origami to poetry readings to music. If you know something about the music you’re playing, or if you are willing to show eager kids your instrument and the basics of how to play it, your library will hook you up! And there are few things as gratifying as lighting a spark of interest in music in the heart of a child. You’ll be smiling for days.

Schools

Like libraries, there are many low-pressure ways to “perform” at a school. If you can talk even a little about early American music, Scottish fiddle pieces, the role of the clarinet in jazz, or whatever your interest is – and play even basic musical examples – your local schools would love to hear from you.

Give it a try!

Audiences want you to do well. Think about it for a moment: do you ever go to a performance hoping the musician will make a mistake? Of course not. You want them to play well for all to enjoy. Your audience really is filled with people who want the best for you.

Performing, at any level, will make you better. It will also encourage you beyond your imagination. Give it a try, then share your experience with the rest of us by leaving a comment! We look forward to sharing in your victory.

Keep playing,

Mark

Related articles:

Advice for the adult violin student

Related Articles:

• Get some rhythm and hold the blues – three great reasons to use a metronome

Five Secrets to Rapid Improvement in Your Playing

At some point, every part-time musician (PTM) reaches a point of frustration with their progress. Whether this occurs early or later on your path, it’s almost certain to happen. The way to break through this barrier is to build your momentum…but how?

I hit this obstacle early in my “second childhood” on the trumpet. Things that used to be easy for me two decades prior (yes, two decades!) were unreachable. The “good ear” I had as a high school and college trumpeter was gone. My range was gone. My endurance was gone. I was beginning to wonder if I simply wasn’t cut out to play any more.

After reading a great deal, practicing as much as I could, trying every different approach and piece of advice I could find, buying various methods and study manuals, I finally distilled what worked for me. After running it past several other PTMs, I’ve concluded that this is a decent framework for just about anyone playing just about any instrument. There may be more things you’d add to the list, and if there are, I’d love to hear them! But these are what worked – and work – for me.

1. Practice every night – even if it’s only five minutes

There are evenings (days or nights if you work shifts) where you just don’t have time for a good solid practice session. But there are almost no days when I can’t spare five minutes. I find that keeping lips-on-mouthpiece, fingers-on-strings, or whatever applies is the greatest key to rapid improvement. Why? Muscle memory for one reason, but I think there’s more to it than that. If you set it as a priority to play every day, you take it more seriously. Granted, you can’t play only five minutes every day and get very far, but it does keep you in the habit. And you’d be surprised what you can accomplish in only a few minutes of concentrated effort.

2. Start with scales

I’m convinced that running scales every day will do more to improve more aspects of your playing than almost any other effort. You can work on your dynamics, expressiveness, tonguing/breathing/range (for winds), fingering, picking/plucking/bowing patterns (strings), endurance, and several other areas important to mastering any style of music. It also helps you master your scales (duh!) and learn your keys (one flat = key of F, two flats = key of Bb, etc.). You can run through all of the major scales in a matter of a few short minutes at the beginning of your practice session once you’ve gotten into the routine and believe me, you’ll notice the difference it makes.

3. Use etudes/studies

These musical “exercises” are more entertaining than scales, but they help you polish certain areas of your playing by focusing upon them in a more isolated manner. Some etudes help you gain expressiveness, some work on developing clean attacks, some help refine bowing techniques (strings)…well, you get the idea. When I wanted to learn to double- and triple-tongue on trumpet, I cracked open the method books and the Arbans manual to the sections on multiple tonguing. Someone else had already done the legwork of selecting those exercises; I could go straight to practicing them!

4. Join a group as soon as you can

While trying to join a band, community orchestra, or ensemble is probably not the best idea after only a few lessons, at some point, you’ll have mastered the basics and will be getting reasonably comfortable with your instrument. As soon as you feel that you are “getting the hang of it”, start looking for a group to join. You may not be ready for the big time, but there are numerous groups out there that don’t expect you to be a pro…just that you’re not too bad and improving as you go. Frankly speaking, there is nothing that will make you work to improve quickly than knowing you are on the hook to play somewhere, even if it is in a large group. (Caveat: Don’t reach TOO far beyond your current capabilities or playing will suddenly become “un-fun”. The key is to stretch without breaking!)

5. Finish each practice session by having some FUN

Is there a particular style of music (or two, or three) that you really like? Finish each practice session with a fun piece, even if it’s a simplified version. Envision yourself playing that with a group someday, and play it like you already are. I love many styles of trumpet music, but my favorites are probably Dixieland Jazz and Mariachi music. Early in my re-learning period of trumpet playing, I found a simplified book of Dixieland Jazz music with an accompaniment CD that was on sale, and I bought it. What a great find! Each night – and especially ones when progress seemed elusive – I would finish with one of the songs in that book. What a lift! I’d put away the horn happy and ready to do it again the next evening.

What do you think? Do you have any additional secrets you’d like to share? Please do so by leaving a comment or sending us an email. And above all, keep playing!

Mark

Related Articles:

• Music should be FUN!
• Three Secrets to Enjoy Practicing!
• Practice – how much is enough? Too much?
• What to do when work takes you away
• Quote of the Day: Pablo Casals