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Understanding the Suzuki Method: Classical Training

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The years have been defined to music, to the comprehension of sounds and their tangling. The world is filled to the study (and application) of notes; and countries have shaped their beliefs to what their cultures demanded – history, religion and social truths have formed techniques. And these techniques, however ancient, are still followed today: such as the Suzuki Method.

Established in the mid-20th century by self-taught violinist Shinichi Suzuki, this practice offered a sharp contrast to its contemporary rivals. The purpose was not to craft masters of music (and force endless competitions and jealousies). It was instead to ensure that all children, no matter what their circumstances or class, could learn the basics of sound. Its teachings promoted diligence and repetition, with an environment tailored for comfort. Young students were offered instruments that were scaled to their small hands; all lessons were given in their native language, rather than forcing the usual translations; and they were exposed to the classical genre’s most innovative composers. This enabled them to comprehend the potential of what they were being taught, as well as defining it in terms they could recognize.

And through this Shinichi Suzuki offered an educational experience like no other. Rote learning was used to ensure understanding, with the objective of providing the simple benefits of playing. This was not a battle of compositions. This was instead made into an easy experiment.

There are, of course, those would claim that the Suzuki Method is invalid. Criticisms arise from its emphasis on repetition and lack of individualism. Students are meant to learn through constant practice rather than true acknowledgment of the material. This has led several institutions to refuse its usage, believing that it is more of a detriment than an aid.

Even with these detractors, however, it still remains a popular methodology and a worthy alternative to the more strenuous techniques. Its allowance for young bodies and inquisitive minds marks it a favorite of primary schools and those seeking a classical music education.

Filed Under: Music Tagged With: Arts, Classical Music, Education, Learning, Methods and Techniques, Music, Shinichi Suzuki, Suzuki Method

Classical Music Discovered: National Awareness

: Image by Christopher S. Penn via Flickr

It was once the easy assumption: school corridors echoed with the sound of classical music, the perfection found from patience. Students were encouraged to understand the past through melody, sampling cultures through their notes. Languages were translated. Theatricality was created. And education was encompassed by far more than books. It was instead inventive.

Now, however, such invention is gone. The once common standards have fallen and music has been tossed away; an accepted loss for the American public. Money is offered to more popular programs (such as athletics) and classical rhythms have faded.

This is not acceptable.

And the The National Association for Music Education seeks to challenge it, wishing all students to experience the values of songs and symphonies.

Often called the MENC (referring to its original name of the Music Educators National Conference), the National Association has defied the notion that a classical experience is without value. It has instead campaigned for schools to reinforce their former standards and allow every child to take part in classical music. And, with representatives found in all 50 states, MENC has proven to be successful; if only for raising awareness and creating the necessary requirements.

Supporting lessons that emphasize training and genuine effort, MENC has offered nine traits that must be passed between students and teachers; each meant to turn the concept of classical music into a reality:

1. Singing.

2. Instrumental awareness.

3. Improvisation and creativity.

4. Arrangement and composition.

5. Understanding music and its meanings.

6. Comprehension of sound.

7. Criticism of performances.

8. Understanding the value of music in other mediums.

9. Historic relevance.

Through these traits individuals will be able to learn more than simple notes. They will instead be able to grasp the true value of music and how it applies to world. These standards, when properly utilized, ensure that students are given the opportunity to both create and evaluate. It offers sense with the satisfaction.

MENC has not yet fulfilled its goals of an all-encompassing education. It has, however, seen some of its demands slowly (but diligently) met. Classical music will survive and eventually flourish.

Filed Under: Music Tagged With: Arts, Classical, Classical Music, Education, Improvisation, Music, Sound Files, United States

Shaded Sounds: Classical Music

: Image by Getty Images via @daylife

It seems too common a thing – a child sits sullenly in his room, staring at the dull pages, the notations he must learn. They do not impress, no matter what sounds they may lead him to. They do not appeal. They instead only tire, forcing yawns and complaints. He wants nothing of their meanings. He craves nothing of their time. He wants instead to simply leave, to ignore the tedium of practicing. Classical music is a companion he does not wish to have.

Children are fickle creatures. They are not shaped to patience but instead to ever-changing fascinations; and trying to force instrumental comprehension upon them is a campaign too many parents lose. Education is considered dull; diligence is thought to be wicked. And every day becomes a battle of weary wills.

Despite its bleak appearance, however, that battle can still be won. All lessons can be learned and all sounds can be mastered. They simply need to take more appropriate (and appealing) forms: through color.

Colored music notation, as its name implies, is a strategy used to bring interest to the typically monochromatic symbols children are faced with. Classical sounds are shaded to attract the attention of students, stimulating their minds and calming their restlessness. It has long since been theorized that different hues can generate different emotional responses – vibrancies like red or orange tend to exaggerate impulses, causing wilder behavior; softer tones like blue and gray, however, allow for a steadier presence.

This philosophy is applied then to music, with specific colors chosen to soothe young personalities and create visual interest for books. Colored music notation allows for new techniques to be highlighted and requirements to be recognized quickly. It’s effective for those just beginning and allows for a more comprehensive teaching method.

Some doubt the validity of this, believing it creates too much of a reliance on color instead of understanding. Youths, however, have responded well to the concept and have been able to learn through variety, rather than repetition. It is a new approach to classical music.

Filed Under: Music Tagged With: Arts, Classical, Classical Music, Education, Music, Musical notation, Shopping, Sound Files

Discovering the Difference: Classical Music

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It is a common mistake, an easily made assumption: words are exchanged, confused for each other – with their meanings blurred and their differences ignored, the movements all tangled together. The concerto is named a symphony; the symphony is deemed a concerto; and the truth is forgotten in the wake of simple misunderstanding. Those with only passing interests (and knowledge) of classical music believe these to be the same and offer no time to learn the distinctions.

But such distinctions do exist and should be noted – if only to offer these forms the respect they have earned throughout the centuries. They are not philosophic copies, twin notions divided by a simple title. They are instead separate ideals and should be mastered. The concerto and the symphony are among classical music’s oldest techniques and, while they are harmonious, they are not identical.

The Concerto: established on the cusp of the 17th century, this Baroque style is unique amongst the medium. Its reliance on solos instead of the typical orchestra sounds branded it an instant sensation–as well as an originality. With an emphasis on string selections, it offered three movements and a minimal backing of other instruments. Its power is in its singularity.

The Symphony: argued as the first of all classical music movements, the symphony can be found described within parchment from the Middle Ages. This genre featured a reliance on orchestras, with large collections of instruments brought together to create a specific sound. And, while a symphony could include selections from a concerto (as well as other forms), it ultimately was meant to prove the value of many individuals over the work of one.

And it is this that best defines the differences between the symphony and the concerto. While they can exist within each other, they are not intrinsically linked. Their origins and their purposes are unique; and this must be remembered – if only to spare you the too common blunder of thinking them the same.

Filed Under: Music Tagged With: Arts, Classical, Classical Music, Concerto, Middle Ages, Music, Orchestra, Sound Files

The World’s Most Celebrated Busker

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When you solo with the Philadelphia Orchestra at age 14, win the prestigious Avery Prize, and write cadenzas that make angels weep, you don’t expect the crown jewel of your career to occur at an elevator landing in a city subway station. Yet thanks to an experiment staged by Washington Post writer Gene Weingarten, this is exactly what happened to violin virtuoso Joshua Bell.

The premise of Weingarten’s experiment was simple: if a world-class musician were to busk at a Metro stop, would commuters take notice? Weingarten convinced one-time prodigy Joshua Bell to tote his Stradivarius to L’Enfant Plaza to find out. Though Bell’s playing was at its lyrical finest, a mere seven people out of one thousand commuters stopped to watch any part of the performance.

Bell was the right catalyst for this experiment. Joshua Bell’s career began, in a sense, when he discovered that he could vary the pitch of rubber bands by stretching them to different lengths. At the tender and curious age of three he imitated his mother’s piano tunes by stringing rubber bands on a drawer and stretching them sequentially to tune.

Bell became known as a prodigy who also loved games, especially video games. An early interview caught young Josh Bell slyly admitting that he tried to garner more video game time by convincing his mom that Atari was his way of cross training for the violin.

In Bell, Weingarten had identified an undeniable master of the violin as well as a showman who loved games and experiments. However, this particular experiment had an unexpected repercussion for Bell. Weingarten’s piece won a Pulitzer, and the stunt became so famous that it nearly eclipsed Bell’s own fame as a violin legend.

In a recent interview he sighed over the aftermath. Strangers who know nothing about classical music recognize Bell now, but not in his capacity as a master of his instrument. They know him as the famous busker of L’Enfant Plaza, who performs professionally for thousands of dollars per minute and yet was ignored by a sea of indifferent commuters.

Filed Under: Music Tagged With: Classical Music, L'Enfant Plaza

The Future of Classical Music – Who’ll be the new masters?

Who might they be, the new Tchaikovskys, Beethovens, Mozarts and Bachs of our 21st century? Who will be the new celebrated masters?

If you look at the body of classic Rock possibilities alone, its easy to recognize that many insightful composers of the mid-20th century have contributed significant works that will undoubtedly earn them an enduring place in music history. Hopefully these composers will be judged on artistic merit and musical substance, and not merely the pop-marketing achievements of the companies who record and distribute their music.

Record sales weren’t the determining factor in Mozart’s day. Back then, it was more about original ink on the page, and the readiness of good musicians educated enough to translate and play what was written – and do it before a live audience. Only an aristocrat could afford to offer guests such entertainment thrills as a quartet, an orchestra, a singer, an instrumentalist, a virtuoso. A composer had to be prolific enough to consistently create fresh work to feed the clamoring sophisticate’s insatiable appetite for musical entertainment The privilege of listening to music, let alone dancing to it, was a decadent pastime afforded only to the wealthy.

For what the digital age of recording technology may have taken away from live entertainment, it gives back by making great music available to the multitudes at an affordable price, but at what cost? Some insist there’s been a remarkable lull in compositional worthiness since the end of the 19th century. Could modern-day composers be overly fixated on digital enhancement at the mercy of creative substance?

Historically, there have always been stagnant periods when it seemed musical society was holding its breath in anticipation of a fresh new wave. We may be decades away from the next age of cultural re-birth and re-invention, a time when discriminating musicians will re-popularize the scent of wood instruments and the feel of strings. It’s exciting to consider a future when young musicians will celebrate the classical value of Gershwyn, Hendrix, George Martin, Bob Dylan, and Pink Floyd, dubbing “The Wall” to be another in an illustrious trail of great operas.

Filed Under: Concert, Music Tagged With: Classical Music