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I have something to say about theory. First, I don't see the importance in learning anything past tonal music. Second, as I have confirmed today, moveable do solfege is stupid. My theory teacher said that moveable do helps you "feel" where the notes are. I do feel where particular notes are, but if the solfege always changes, the same syllable will not always feel the same. Moveable do is ok when there is no chromaticism, but when "fi," "si," "ra," and especially "di (I lose the key completely when I encounter this)" are involved, I am concentrating on which note is which solfege instead of what the pitch of an F really is. Not that perfect pitch is great, but I could hear music better in my head before I sight-sing it if there was just some consistency.

I'm in college and I just started music theory this semester.

I have to state that for the first time in Music Theory, I'm so lost. Right now we are working on V7 chords. It's not the actual dominant 7th chords that confuse me themselves. It's my lack of ability to identify their inversions aurally, I know that I should try to pay attention to the bass line, but I get so anxious that I mess it up! Oy,

Sorry about that! Just needed to rant! XD

I really disagree with your opinion of post-tonal theory. New music is one of the most important things to understand in this century - it completely changed the world. No piece started the same riot that Stravinksy's "Rite of Spring" did, and few pieces are more moving than Messiaen's "Quartet for the End of Time". The discarding of tonality has created so many sounds and colors that would otherwise be unknown to us. If we didn't develop post-tonal technique, we would be cycling through the same pieces over and over. It's just what happened when the Baroque moved to the Classical, then to the Romantic. We are lucky enough to notice and react to the shift in genre. Without movement, there can be no advancement.

Also keep in mind how *relatively speaking* young of an art form post-tonal music is. Only now are we performing, respecting and understanding pieces that were written 50 years ago. In Classical times, you only knew Bach's music if you studied with someone who knew him. We are lucky, in our day and age, to be able to be in quick contact with composers, and understand our performance practices based on current performances instead of what is summarized from our time period hundreds of years from now.

I don't have much of an opinion on Solfege, though. I'm not a singer wink and we used scale degrees/neutral syllables in all of my Ear Training courses.

Well, Rite of Spring is neo-classical, the harmony is still very tonal, there is a tonal center. Presence of disonance does not equate to lack of consonance, just so we're clear. smile Also, it was the ballet and the combo of the new music that pissed everyone off, mostly the Russian Pagan Sacrificing going on with the dancers. I would know this having read his memoirs....and playing the bassoon at conservatory. Yes, I am a huge nerd. It's part of my territory. razz

Theory is a bummer sometimes, but it's pretty helpful. I like to think of conservatory as boot camp sometimes. They are training us to be the most fit musical soldiers we can be. Close combat training (lessons), defensive chemical warfare (making reeds), firearm training (keyboard class), target practice (sight-singing), etc. Ha! Funny. Classical majors have it easy in terms of theory. Boyfriend is on top of the jazz scene fresh out of NEC grad, his knowledge of theory BLOWS MY MIND. I understand almost everything he talks about but his fluency is amazing. It wouldn't matter who it was, just because I adore him it doesn't demean the ridiculousness of the musical knowledge. The thing is, every really talented jazzer has a background like that. We're never really pushed to know that stuff, we don't have to improvise and the music we play doesn't always call for that stuff.

About recitals and nerves? Just play for people. I also record myself when I practice sometimes. I also....practice.....an effing lot. David McGill of the CSO (chicago) said in response to audition nerves that the best thing to do is be so well rehearsed that not even nerves will hinder your ease in playing. Makes sense, right? I still get nervous for my teacher, but that's because I play something new every week. I don't get as nervous for recitals, I mean I DO--I am human. But performance practice is just as good as any practice, just as necessary.

I LOVE MUSIC HGRLHSUGILRSEIL.

That is all. <3