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 Posted: Fri Jan 07, 2011 3:29 pm
...you record yourself practicing or playing through a piece and think, "Wow, I might make it into a Phil somewhere" and then almost immediately have a day where everything sounds mediocre?
Obviously, I'm not asking this question hypothetically since I seem to experience it frequently. My skills as a violinist has improved greatly from just two years ago (take that colleges that rejected me mad ), but there are times I record myself playing through a piece and I sound like I did almost two years ago.
At this point my goal is to play consistently at a high quality level, but I find it almost impossible. I've been taking a lot of prunes (v.commers), or for those not in the know--etudes and exercises that push my facility and technique to its limit--and I've had great results in as little as 3 days, but I still find myself hitting walls and my ego gets whacked the hardest.
How do you other college musicians deal with the walls? How has your experience been so far, as we try to shed the thought of student from our minds in place of professional?
I want to take on more paying gigs this year even though my schedule is nearly void of any free time, but I want to sound like a serious musician (and not fall asleep at the idea of analyzing music before sightreadin...Zzz).
Oh! And if there are any among you who feel they've made it to the point (or darn close) to where they feel they could be recorded and sound like a Phil sub, please--advice, tips, tricks, encouragement?
I know I've rambled on--sorry--I'm having one of those days where I realize the violin is pretty hard, even as I try to develop more facility (irony much!).
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Posted: Wed Jan 12, 2011 8:45 pm
So, I know EXACTLY what you are talking about.
I have been playing the piano since I was in 1st grade but I had horrible training for a long time and gave up for two years. My junior year of high school when I realized my dream was to be a musician I had to take piano up again. I had never played a scale, heard Bach's music, had no technical training and had never heard the names Debussy, Mahler and Wagner before in my life so I've definitely been there and there is hope!!
I have a couple suggestions for you and I hope they help you as much as they helped me.
Firstly, when you are working on a piece, I want you to listen to as many different interpretations as you possibly can and pick out the things you like. Taking notes is not a bad idea. Listening is such a powerful tool for musicians and so many I feel take it for granted. Really open your ears and try to pick up everything you can.
Then after you've done that, spend while just playing with the piece, coming up with your own interpretation. Maybe it's a mashup of what you've heard, maybe its something completely different. Don't be afraid to completely stray from anything you've heard in your practice, do anything you can to get yourself excited about the piece. Even if what you are doing is laughable, good! Laugh, do things to make you enjoy your piece! Maybe find one passage that is tripping you up and play it a hundred radically different ways. See what just comes out. Be creative!
Next. Sometimes a musician just needs to step away from the instrument. And I know, it is so hard. You start thinking, I need to practice, I'm such a slacker, I can't believe I'm not practicing. Stop right there. Breaks are not bad things. It allows the information you've been practicing over and over again to stew in the back of your mind and to really develop.
Next takes up a little outside time. Read. Find all kinds of books on music that you can. Books like "The Mastery of Music" by Barry Green; "The Music Lesson" by Victor Wooten. Books about the inner workings of music, technique, analytical books, anything that takes you inside the music. Deeper than just listening, really into the core of music.
My final bit of advice for you is this. I am a composer. That is what I do before anything else in music. I know some people think they can't compose or they can't do this or that. It's a load of nonsense. Music is not something that controls it's musicians. Musicians are a channel that music comes through. We can manipulate it, play with it, mold it in our hands. I know you might get a little scared at first, but I want you to try and compose a melody. Improvisation is a fantastic way to start any composition. Just clear your mind, forget about the "this and that" of your life or of the things that are bothering you. Let your instrument become a part of you and you will be able to just improv. If you like what you play, write it down, play with it, add to it, create a whole symphony if that is what the melody needs. Just find a melody that is yours and go from there. I will tell you, there is nothing more amazing than knowing that in that practice room, you composed something that is your own. That you didn't let a bad practice shut you out of music. When a bad practice happens, ok, take a break from the pieces your are practicing and create something new, entirely your own that you can make however you want.
I know this is a lot and I'm sorry for rambling on so long, but I hope some of this helps you.
Good luck.
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Posted: Fri Jan 14, 2011 8:14 pm
Thanks for the reply!
I've never been one to in the past listen to a lot of classical music, but since starting college it's slowly become a part of my practice away from practice. But I know what you mean, I've listened to about 6 or so variations of the Bruch concerto (I like Kyung Wha Chung's interpretation the best tho I play it remarkably differently...I just admire her individuality and confidence in it).
But it's nice to know I'm not alone. sweatdrop Composition has always been like a punishment in my mind. Analysing music already written is one thing, but to stare at blank lines...I get intimidated and caught up in the rules of counterpoint. But I will take you up on that and play around more.
I think I haven't been giving myself much creative freedom like I should. I've become so caught up in honing my technique, but yeah I do need to get inspired instead of simply motivated. I'll look up those books in my library and amazon if they aren't there.
Thanks again for the insight.
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Posted: Sat Jan 15, 2011 11:52 am
I actually have not studied counterpoint yet and have still composed about 5 or so pieces and am working on about 5 more at the moment.
It's always helpful to use the rules you've already learned for composition, but sometimes it is just nice to play around, find a melody that you're really pleased with and then if you add more instruments to it, find what sounds good to your ear.
There are a ton of books out there on 20th Century Composition that I'm reading right now that I find useful in my compositional endeavors.
Honestly, when I first started stuff like this I was intimidated too, but now my long term goal is to become a recognized composer in the musical world and possibly become good enough to make a living off my compositions.
Just make sure you remember one thing:
Don't let the music scare you. Let it be part of you.
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