Dear Jeffrey: I have learned my piano piece and I play all of it correctly, the way the composer asked for it to be played. What more is there for me to do? I feel like something is missing. Dear Learner: There is an aspect of playing music that I call “the intangibles”. These are… [continue reading]
Total Freedom In Music
December 21st, 2011What Is “Character” In Music?
July 6th, 2011Dear Mr. Chappell: I have heard music teachers say, “Try to play this phrase with a different character.” How can a musician control the character of the phrase? What would be the variables one can use to control/paint/portray the character? Can the character change in each phrase, or change in the phrase itself? How does the… [continue reading]
Rachmaninoff Third, Part Nine
May 31st, 2011People who were there: “Were you happy with your performance?” People who missed it: “How was your concert?” Well, if this had been any other concert, I could briefly answer, “It went great,” and then we could move on to the next part of our conversation. Not this time. How was it? It was like… [continue reading]
Rachmaninoff Third, Part Eight
May 30th, 2011“Were you nervous?” I don’t get nervous for a performance in the sense of being frantic or having the shakes or anything like that. But I do notice that I sometimes start behaving a little differently right before a concert. I’ll find something to do until the concert begins, like fiddling with my cuff links… [continue reading]
Rachmaninoff Third, Part Seven
May 29th, 2011“It looked like you were really enjoying yourself up there. Were you?” There is an unusual line down which interpreting musicians walk. On one side is feeling, on the other side is control. A performer has to hold a teetering balance between these two. The composer’s score is like a playwright’s script, and the interpreting… [continue reading]