MUSICAL MUSINGS

 

REAL TIME WITH REAL PEOPLE

There is a unique beauty to musical – and especially vocal – studies because they absolutely require learning in real time and with real people.

In our modern world, slowing down (and the humility it requires) and human interaction - culture - are direct antidotes for much that ails us.  

 

Music learning cannot be rushed because our bodies require time and repetition to develop musical skills, no matter how quickly our minds grasp a given concept.  It can be humbling to accept these human limitations, especially in a world where we expect everything to happen in a New York nanosecond.  I believe this slowing down can be a balm to our overactive egos, our racing minds and our distorted sense of time if we let just let it. 

 

It is also a gift to us that good music learning cannot occur in a vacuum. Human beings are social animals and we cannot (will not) survive without cultural interaction. Music students - most especially vocalists - need a witness present in the moment to demonstrate every skill and every nuance of the music and they need immediate feedback and guidance to learn correctly and efficiently. This gives music students the opportunity to partake in the kind of meaningful exchanges that are sorely lacking in many of our lives and may be one reason so many students have told me their lesson time is their favorite hour of the week.  

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ALL IN GOOD TIME

Students have often told me I am incredibly patient, but the truth is patience rarely comes into the picture in my work. In fact, what they are seeing is eagerness and an awareness that vocal training is a process to be savored, not rushed. The eagerness is my excitement about getting to know a new person and their unique instrument – their voice - as well as the immense joy I take in watching students learn and grow, both as musicians and as human beings. 

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When I was a little girl, I would plant a few seeds in our back yard and run out several times a day to check on the little sprouts. Any progress at all gave me great joy. I still do that as a gardener and I do it as a teacher as well.  There is no need for patience on my part, because students always grow right before my eyes and ears and I know that they are all growing at the perfect pace for themselves. If they aren’t, then I’m doing something wrong, not them, and I work to find a better way to assist their learning. 

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EVERY VOICE IS A GIFT

Another pleasure that comes from my work is basking in the sound of my students’ voices. The human voice is perfectly designed to express emotion and each voice is more unique to the individual than even their finger print.  I enjoy the sheer sensory pleasure of all these unique sounds plus I am honored to be touched by the vibrations of this deeply personal expression.  Voices are diverse for a reason; each one brings a special gift into the world to touch, heal or uplift those around us. The very best singers are the ones who truly nurture and respect their own gifts and are courageously willing to share them with others.