Intuition

Hello, my artistic colleagues!

So, today I've got a little theory I'd like to test-drive on all of you...your feedback, as always, is invited and appreciated.

Probably most of you have had the experience of performing with a conducted ensemble in a hall that is either large enough or reverberant enough (or both) to have elicited this instruction from the conductor to the ensemble:

"Trust your eyes, not your ears."

Now, the reasons why vision is more trustworthy than hearing in this kind of situation are rather cold and scientific, as it turns out (sound waves travel more slowly and are "bendier" than light waves, meaning that light gives you time-related information more reliably in an objective sense). However, the reasons why we tend to have a hard time making our eyes the boss of our ears when we're behaving artistically are probably more complex. At the surface level, music IS sound, so it makes sense to use sound to govern the production of sound. I would argue, however, that we westernly-enculturated people are accustomed to using our eyes for most of the information-gathering we do any given day. And, while we use our ears for some pretty bland stuff as well, we still function relationally largely through our ears, and most likely, the feeling-ful aspects of music are what drew us to it first. So, when we make music, we are in the habit of listening and reacting, because our ears are a more direct connection both to our hearts and our intuition, if one accepts intuition as a kind of highly-ingrained and partially unconscious memory for how things have been before and are likely to be again.

That's my theory, anyway: there is a hierarchy of heart/intuition connectedness within our senses, which is probably a little different for everyone, but for many of us, our ears are probably more intuitive than our eyes. And, in turn, this intuition comes from habit and experience, but it's so close to us that we experience it as almost a "sixth sense". The good news is that if intuition is derived from conscious experience, we have the chance to educate it, and it'll become more finely tuned over time, if we invest our energies in awareness.

Rising Level 2's

Look at Ottman, 8.49 and 8.50

Read through the treble voice first in each example. What aspects of the melody behave as you expected (for example, the V-I feel between the first anacrusis and downbeat in each)? Did any turns surprise you? Are you able to suss out what you expected that didn't happen?

Now, for each example, read through the lower voice for each. Choose a voice to memorize in each example, and take a stab at singing the memorized part as you play the other on the piano. Go by feel. Trust your instincts, now that you've taken a little time to intentionally inform them.

Rising Level 3's

Look at Ottman, examples 8.51 and 8.52. Follow the same instructions as the rising 2's.

Rising Level 4's

Look at Ottman, examples 8.53 and 8.54 (mind the clef in 8.54). Follow the same instructions as the rising 2's.

And, in honor of intuition:

http://www.npr.org/programs/atc/features/2002/may/humphries/

Greed

Salutations!

Last night, I had the privilege of seeing Sweet Honey in the Rock perform live for the second time. If you don't know this group, you must, must, MUST check them out: click here, here, or here.

To my shame, I don't go to lots of non-classical concerts, but whenever I get wind of Sweet Honey coming to town, I'm there. Why? Because I always leave the hall feeling empowered and inspired, and I leave convinced that I'm not the only one who thinks what I think, that maybe there is such a thing as the larger human family. And, I happen to really love Sweet Honey's political agenda, which I'm sure not everyone does, but regardless of one's political views, they talk and sing about certain issues that transcend politics and reach into the realm of morals. At last evening's concert, there was a lot of talk about the dilemma of greed.

What is greed? Well, the woman who spoke about it said that Greed never shows up alone. Greed brings a bodyguard -- named Fear. And from there, human beings get scared of not having enough, of not being able to survive, and in response to this fear, they start hoarding. It happens to everyone, and it isn't just about money....for some of us, money never enters our consciousness as something to hoard. It might be about attention. It might be about our own expressions of love for others. It could be any substance or behavior even remotely under our control, and it is absolutely human nature to try to grasp, clutch, and hide away in order to keep ourselves from running out of whatever it is. What's the fix? Well, I doubt anyone can uproot it from themselves once and for all, but I believe that the practice of being present is a moment-by-moment antidote to freaking out and clamping down. Why? Because if you're invested in being where you are, doing whatever you're doing with all of your might, it's hard to be stockpiling off to the side.

I think musicians have a bit of an advantage here -- maybe that's why all those Greek guys talked about the ennobling attributes of music. High-level music-making, such as performing in a solo or chamber music context, enforces presentness -- hopefully ensemble performance of any kind enforces it, but if there's someone else singing/playing your part with you, there's always the possibility of zoning out and getting away with it, at least for the moment. Also, music-making that requires intense concentration, such as sing-and-play exercises or sight-reading, takes the mind away from the places it tends to get itself into mischief.

That being said....

Rising Level 2's

Sight-reading: Any Ottman example from 6.1-6.20 -- just scan, set your key and tempo, and go!

Sing-and-plays: Ottman, 5.38 and 5.39 -- read through each line on solfa, and then pick line to play on the piano as you sing the other. If you're very comfortable at the piano, play the harder line and sing the easier one. If you're more comfortable as a singer, sing the harder line, and play the easier one. I would also recommend practicing singing one part while just tapping the rhythm of the other as an intermediary step if you have trouble putting it together.

Rising Level 3's

Sight-reading: Any Ottman example from 12.18-12.25, 12.30-32 -- just scan, set your key and tempo, and go!

Sing-and-plays: Ottman, 11.33 and 12.39 -- follow the same instructions as the rising 2's.

Rising Level 4's

Sight-reading: Any unknown Ottman example from chapter 20 (we've done lots of them in the summer, so see if you can find a few we haven't used). Once you've found an unfamiliar one, just scan, set your key and tempo, and go!

Sing-and-plays: Ottman, 15.106 and 15.107 -- follow the same instructions as the rising 2's.

Strive for undivided attention in the few minutes you take to do these tasks. Try not to worry about how it's going to go or if you'll be able to do it. Be generous with yourself in the face of challenges and mistakes. Don't throw in the towel or try to give yourself too many crutches too soon. Take a risk on yourself. You'll be pleasantly surprised at what you get in return.