Course Corrections or Information Marination

Greetings, solfa navigators!

Well, there's no denying it....the equinox has come and gone, and now it's autumn in earnest.  The sky has that impossibly blue Colorado summer look here still, but the leaves are starting to turn, slowly but surely.

In my own everyday academic life, I'm up to my eyeballs in studying -- my big doctoral written exams are exactly a month from tomorrow, and while I always swore I'd remain calm when the time came for me to take part in this particular academic ritual, like so many before me, I am eating those words a bit.  Gratefulness for the people who remind me of all the reasons why it'll all be ok continues to run high, but sleeping and maintaining focus has already becoming a challenge.  However, as difficult as this process is, there's a part of me that enjoys playing Jane Goodall while the rest of me is a bit more like a troop of riled-up chimpanzees, and she's made the following observations:

1.  Looking at information that is new or unfamiliar tends to cause the subject (me) to become anxious.  However....

2. Repeated viewings improve both the subject's emotional response and her intellectual understanding and retention.

3. Going over information that was formerly familiar to the subject is typically quite successful immediately.

None of this should be a surprise, most likely, but I have to admit -- I'm a little startled at how true it is.  Part of me naively insists that I should be able to force-feed myself as much information as I want (familiar or not), and everything should go into a nice little box inside my head and be readily accessible to me thenceforth just because I say so.  And it ain't so.  As it turns out, being in a hurry just makes it harder.  Patience with others is a virtue I've spent a good amount of time cultivating (to varying degrees of success at any given moment), and as I get older, it bothers me less and less to have to repeat myself to my students or my choristers.  However, I find myself unaccustomed to being patient with myself -- so it's time for a personal course correction.  It's time to make a change.  And I'm willing to bet I'm not the only Type A out there in need of this particular lesson.  So:

Rising Level 2's


Check out Ottmans 11.33 and 12.39.  By the end of the week, I bet you a dollar you can learn to do both of these as sing-and-plays.  No, seriously.  Breathe.  You can totally do this:

First, sing through one voice part at a time.  Do this until completely fluent -- give yourself a couple days.  Once you're fluent, aim for memory.

When you're nearly memorized on one voice part in each exercise, try tapping the melody of the opposite part from the one you're singing.  Go slow if that helps...it may help less than you think.  If you find yourself getting metrically lost, you may find it helpful to "conduct" with a foot or sway back and forth...it's a favorite trick of mine, and pretty easy to do in 2/4.

Slowly, add piano.  Figure out a hand position and fingering for the part you play that is consistently successful...take the time to be strategic rather than winging it.

Be sure to let me know if I owe you a dollar!

Rising Level 3's


Track down your Classical Canons book and look at #139-166 (all by Cherubini).  Before you freak out, I'm not suggesting you read through all of them (unless you want to, of course!).  Instead, choose 3: 1 that's easy for you, 1 that requires a little bit of concentration to get through, and 1 that kicks your behind a little bit.  If you like, phone a friend and coordinate one or more of your selections.  Work together.  Collaborate.  Teach one another.  Encourage one another.  Take the time you need for each example, respectively.  Observe your own process, and have patience as you let the music sink in.

Rising Level 4's


The day has come....it's time to look at #15 in the 15 2-part Exercises!

You have enough analytical savvy at this point to figure out your own key areas, however, I'll give you these hints:

I spend a lot of time in E minor and G Major -- the end (as you probably figured) is a Picardy.

I go to B minor a bit and C Major a bit, and maybe to A minor for a teensy minute.  You'll see the usual signs pointing to these changes...

Figure out the "head" right away and go hunting for it throughout the piece....it's quite tell-tale, I think.

Don't bite off more than you can chew.  If you start to feel like the piece is endless, break it up into smaller sections.

Enjoy, and don't frustrate yourself.  Marinate yourself.

I get by...

Greetings, solfa friends!

So, astrologically speaking, we are about to cross from the creative, fun-loving sign of Leo into analytical, hard-working Virgo (disclaimer: I am not saying that Virgos are no fun, nor am I inferring that Leos are lazy good-for-nothings...hopefully you're all aware that when I start talking astrology, my tongue is usually firmly in my cheek). School is also starting up for many of us....coincidence? Perhaps not... And, I'm in denial. Big time. And when I say denial, I mean the sad kind that isn't quite convincing enough to prolong the glorious dream that is summertime. Tomorrow morning, I know I am going to need to haul myself out of bed, make myself presentable, and go be somebody...when I would so much rather have just one more teensy week of watching The View while wearing waffle-weave pajamas and sipping tea on my couch.

The only thing preventing my descent into full-on whinery is also the carrot I dangle in front of my eyes to keep me moving: my wonderful circle of friends up on campus. Now, I know that the work I'm doing is also wonderful, and I'm lucky to be doing it, but the idea of work seems pretty lame when juxtaposed with the waffle-weave-clad-couch-ensconced wonderfulness described above, no matter how great the work is. And ain't it just how that is sometimes? Sometimes you need inspiration and motivation with skin....in the form of people who will hug you and prod you and tell you over cocktails that you need to get your behind in gear, that it's dumb to think you can't do it, and who promise to help you persevere because they can see that you need their help.

So, while last week's post was a plug for discipline, this week is all about having the wherewithal to reach out for help when you need it, and encouraging you to involve others in your endeavor to grow as a musician. We all need it. We all need to reach out and let others help us sometimes, because without this, we will not only lose steam, we'll lose perspective. It's part of having ZK's big four: a well-trained ear, a well-trained heart, a well-trained hand, and a well-trained intelligence. It's part of having a balanced musical and human life -- and I don't know about you, but it's become really clear to me lately that I don't want to get to the end of all this and have to say that I majored in music and minored in life. We are humans first, and humans need other humans to be healthy....and we can't exactly be the kinds of artists and craftspeople we want to be if we aren't healthy to start with. So:

All Levels:

Find a buddy for this week's assignments. If you can track down someone with whom you can get some actual in-person time, that's ideal. But phone, Skype, FaceTime....all of these will work in a pinch! Your buddy doesn't have to be in the same level as you -- heck, s/he doesn't even have to be in the program!

Rising Level 2's

Confer with your buddy and choose parts for these duets:

http://www3.cpdl.org/wiki/images/0/0f/Schubert_Duette.pdf

Go nuts with the dynamics and the overall shaping of these little pieces. Have a scholarly discussion about the harmonic language. If you get ambitious, take a stab at the German.

Rising Level 3's

Bust out your Classical Canons book at take a look at:

2b (Note that this is a diminution canon at the fifth -- for practice purposes, you can both practice 2a on your own, and the person who eventually takes the high part can transpose it up a fifth),

14 (Confer with your buddy to choose D = re or D = la)

30 (Conduct in 4! Don't let those half notes push you around!)

44 (Conduct in 4! Don't let that weird opening measure trick you into choosing a tempo that is too quick -- in fact, read through the rhythm of the whole piece one time without the first three notes and confer with your buddy before you make a firm decision about tempo)

104 (Another one to conduct...and to confer over)

Rising Level 4's

Ok, so this is a big bite, but I think you all can handle it...

Dig up your 15 2-part Exercises and take a look at nos. 12 (which we analyzed and learned together), 13, and 14.

Using your analysis of #12 as a guide and in conference with your buddy, take a stab an analyzing and singing both #13 and #14. Here are some hints:

In both:

Solfa changes don't necessarily need to be simultaneous, but consult with your buddy because you may find that both parts being in the same key sometimes provides moral support...and by moral support, I mean a friendly tonal/harmonic underpinning that will help your buddy find his/her notes help both of you have good intonation.

In #13

The theme is the first four bars plus one quarter note. It eventually occurs in: i, v, III, and VI. There is a suspicious-looking C-minory thing in the second-to-last system, lower voice, but I think you should just stay in B-flat until the second measure of the last system when the E-naturals return.

B-natural is not ALWAYS an indicator that you should change solfa.

Some of the solfa changes in this one are quite brief.

In #14

The first four bars are the theme, and the repeated note is exactly what the key signature leads you to believe it is. When the upper voice enters, you will want to call the repeated note something else because of the B-natural looming on the horizon....also because it's not a "real answer".

You will make it as far from the home key as E-flat Major/C minor in the flat direction (but only in the lower voice) and as far as A minor in the sharp direction.

Good luck!

People, Get Ready!

Though it is unseasonably cool and cloudy in my beloved Denver today, I am nonetheless keenly aware that the sultry heat of July in Baltimore draws nigh. And, while I am likewise extremely grateful for the slower pace of life that I’ve been graced with since the end of the spring semester, I feel the pace quickening as “the other 49 weeks” draw to a close and the 3-week stint we all spend in the classroom together approaches.

So, as I pore over past lesson plans and materials, think through what worked and what didn’t, and begin the process of figuring out what to bring (I might get really clever this year and make a shiny, organized binder that is The Big Book of Musical Examples for Solfa....and perhaps discover a life without piles of random books and 3 bajillion pieces of loose paper EVERYWHERE), I’ve also begun to think about what I might do to get myself ready if I were a student in my own classroom:

1. I’d physically track down all my books and make sure that I have them all.

2. I’d find all my notes and handouts from last year (and the year before, if applicable)

3. I’d make myself a list of what supplies I knew I’d need (because trying to find a music store to buy a new tuning fork after class has already started is an annoying process).

4. I’d take a little time to think about what happened last year in my solfa/AKI experience and make a mental (or physical) note about what I’d like to change for this year.

Note that any of your reflections from item 4 would likely be very useful to me as well, and I’d be very grateful if you’d be willing to share them. Upon looking through last year’s lesson plans, I know there are a lot of things I’d like to change. Maybe the biggest thing is that I want to be certain that my students have a strong sense of the relevance of what we do in solfa class to the rest of their musical lives. I want my students to leave solfa class on the 29th of July feeling more empowered and more musical than ever before, and I want that to be something that they own independent of me. I have several ideas for how to help make that happen, but as usual, I will crave your kind assistance:

Rising Level 2’s

Go through my numbered list above.

Find the “Our Tuning Forks, Our Selves” handout (if you can’t find a physical copy, check out the right side of your screen) and give yourself a refresher course. Check your accuracy with finding keys at a recently-tuned piano (if you find that you’re having lots of trouble, check to make sure your tuning fork itself matches the piano).

Practice your tuning fork skills with these Ottman examples:
11.28, 11.30, 11.31, 12.7, 12.16, 12.34

Also, if you haven’t already done so, download a copy of “Modes Made Easy” (see the right side of your screen) and give it a read-through.

Rising Level 3’s

Go through my numbered list above, and also track down your tuning fork and spot-test your key-finding abilities. If modes are a struggling point for you, you might want to check out “Modes Made Easy” as well.

Look through your notes and find your notation of the chromatic exercise we used last year (d...d t,d r.....r di r m.....m ri m f.....f m f so...., etc.). Sing through both the ascending and descending versions.

Use your refreshed chromatic savvy to peruse Ottman chapter 14 and find a few challenging musical knots to unravel.

Finally, draw yourself a musical timeline:
Take a piece of paper and draw a horizontal line.
Along the line, write: Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and 20th/21st Century.
Under each designation, write all the musical innovations, composers, forms, and instruments/voice types you associate with each time period. Don't worry if you have a lot more to say about some things than others -- just go off the top of your head.

Once that’s done, mark the items you’re personally curious or confused about, and share those items with me.

Rising Level 4’s

As you prepare for the less-musical portion of your graduate studies, I’d be thrilled to help you in any way I can. Give me a shout if you need anything...

And, just for old time’s sake:

Check out Music for Analysis, pp. 302-04
Sing through the violin II line on p. 302 -- you may wish to skate over to a new key at the beginning of the second system, but you’ll probably want to come back.
Sing through the oboe II line on p. 303...relish the chromatics!
Switch to the violin I line at pickups to the last measure (28) on p. 303, and continue until m. 36. What do you make of that A-flat?
At pickups to m. 37, switch to the flute line until the end of the minuet (if you’re overwhelmed with curiosity, take a look at the trio that follows...mind the key signature!)

Have fun with these preparations! If you have your tuning fork (and a mobile device with some nifty keyboard app to check yourself, if needed), you can even do this by the pool (umbrella drinks optional)! Bonus!

Repetition and magic

My dear friends,

It's the end of the school year for most teachers here in CO....I'm guessing you all are winding down as well. All my best wishes to you as you endure to the end!

Over the past few weeks, it has been my pleasure to take on a few new students who are interested in studying music fundamentals. We've been having a really great time, as it turns out, and I've been learning a lot.

First, I tend to get all freaked out about people getting bored, so I like to move quickly from one thing to the next. However, it seems that this is yet another opportunity for me to witness that new knowledge has a sort of germination period that is a bit different for everyone, especially when dealing with a system (like music theory) where the nomenclature is so specific and fussy (i.e., "a note" is essentially synonymous with "a tone", but "whole note" and "half note" refer to rhythm and not pitch, and "tone" and "semitone" refer to pitch, but so does "whole step" and "half step". Don't even get me started on the fact that seconds are one note apart, thirds are two notes apart, etc....that one really throws beginners). It isn't just a matter of memorizing the facts quickly and being able to recite them. It's a matter of taking on a whole new system, constructing a new paradigm in which one can interact differently with information, and building the system into one's head in order to master that interaction....all this on top of the actual vocabulary, mind you. So, patience is extremely important. This kind of rewiring is delicate and difficult work, and it takes both time and repetition.

Conversely, the moment when it clicks....is magic! And, the privilege of watching someone's face when s/he first independently aligns information with an understanding of the system at work is astonishing. Whether the person having this experience is young or old, male or female...it seems not to matter. In that moment, s/he makes a discovery that is newly and miraculously his/her property forever. No one can take it away. It is the best kind of empowerment. However, the stage must be set. Understanding of the system has to be there as a foundation, and the encounter with new information needs to be timed just right.

All Levels:

This week, your challenge is to take on something that puzzles you, something you've looked at before and couldn't quite get your head around. Maybe it's secondary dominants (use section 2 of chapter 13 from the Ottman, or chapter 17 from Benjamin/Horvit/Nelson), maybe it's modes (check out "Modes Made Easy" and use chapter 20 in the Ottman), maybe it's spotting modulations (check out the rising 4's assignment from last week...listening with the score really, really helps your ear grasp the concept, and your eye will get quicker with repetition...the later Kodály 15 2-parts have good imitative examples, too). It could be anything, and you likely know best what your own weak spot is. Make this week an exercise in exploring it. Take time to look at the problem from a variety of perspectives. Use music you like, or music that you've performed earlier in your life on your primary instrument...take steps to make it fun!