Re: Teaching Analogy

ktaylor <childbloom@xxxxxxx> wrote in
news:234d5e3c-faa1-4295-b5e3-dd90d6db617e@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx:

John R. wrote:
I have a student working on some of the Carcassi studies. We were
reviewing #3 and I mentioned something like this:

"Think of a play script and the range of actors who will say the
line. On one hand you have the extreme non-actor, who reads the line
monotonously. They pronounce every word correctly, but when you hear
it you know it is bad! On the other hand, you take the same line and
give it to a great actor and Wham! you have something special (e.g,
Charleton Heston, Richard Burton, Jackie Chan...nah, nix Chan..).

So it is with music. Playing the notes correctly and in time is much
harder than reading a line from a script. However, if you just play
the notes -- however correct -- without some depth, emotion,
interpretation, etc. you have a poorly read line. You will hear this
a lot with #3! However, it has a lot of potential for making it much
more than that. I want *you* to be the one playing it like it was
something special. To bring out the best of this study -- or any
piece you work on - you have to your "lines" down, but also have the
technique and relaxed poise to make it do what you want."

As far as analogies go -- what say? Any other good ones come to
mind?

John

Teaching interpretation is what this is all about. It is a large
topic. You will know next lesson how good your analogy is. Seems good
to me - but that doesn't matter. Let us know.

Students have many different ways to process information. Analogies,
similes and natural images work with some students. Singing gives more
insight to others. Many students literally do not have an idea of how
to interpret and learn by hearing the teacher or another student play.
When you think of it, we have very few elements to create an
interpretive palet. However these taste buds of interpretation combine
in ineffable gradients to support much of the meaning in music. Is it
even possible, desireable or effective to precisely "describe" the
exact nature of an interpretive gradient (cres./decres, accel./
deaccel., etc.) to a student?

I don't know how old your student is, but children below the age of 10
or so generally (there are exceptions) do not resonate emotionally
with music or even initiate expression in their playing. There are
reasons for this that have to do with brain development. Thus the
ability to initiate "expression" in music is cognitively based and is
based upon a certain maturity. When young people begin to initiate
interpretation they are notoriously clumsy about it but, over time,
become more nuanced as they mature and understand style more.

There are exercises that one can do to have the student prepare the
skill needed to use interpretive elements. Although interpretive
motor- skill can be grown after the understanding kicks in, by
preparing the student technically, when it does kick in they will have
the tools to immediately engage in it.

Kevin Taylor


Kevin,

He is 16. What I wanted to do was give him a sense of what is possible
with a piece and how important daily attention to it and technique work
is. He is one of those students for which the time for practice comes
*after* sports and other school-type activities. So he is practicing in
the morning - that is a good move. He has learned fundamentals well,
but plays like he practices 1 or 2 times a week. I wish he could have
heard any of your kids play at the Eastfield finals - that would have
knocked his socks off! However, the past two years that event has been
concurrent with his church missionary trip. He played in the
competition and flew out that evening. Actually, Enric will be
stipulating that all competitors must attend the final event to
win...fyi.

John
.

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