Posted by Mike Davis on April 24, 2003 at 22:12:44:
Some of you may have read my recent posts, but I'm coming back to the tuba after 24 years. The reason I stopped is irrelevant. Tonight I was reminded of why I had started.
I had the opportunity to attend a Masterclass with Roger Rocco this evening at VCU (Virginia Commonwealth University). It was an amazing experience. It sums up the final chapter (online) of Song and Wind, better than the book itself.
Rocco began the class by urging everyone in the concert hall, to come on stage. He then adjusted a stand and put a book on it. I bet that almost everyone here can guess the book. He told us (mostly trumpet players, horns, and trombones) that the book was there to represent someone who should watch over every brass masterclass, Arnold Jacobs.
Rocco came at the class from what can only be described as a "Jacobian" viewpoint, understated and simultaneously authoritative, conveying as much by what was not discussed as what was. Like Jacobs at the ITEA, Rocco's class was really a discussion of "song" with enough "wind" thrown in to help us play.
He covered the feel versus hear philosophies with particular clarity. He had a trombone student tell us a story of his reaction to some recent instruction from Rocco. The student had attended another masterclass while very sick. He listened to the class and realized the advice (of Jacobs through Rocco) that it doesn't matter how you feel, only how you sound. The student then went to a private lesson with his VCU professor and played better than he ever had before. He was sick, but that was irrelevant. He was thinking about the music, not how he felt. His mind was wholly on the song and his playing showed it.
Rocco used a couple of high school trumpet players to help with his instruction as well. Through the repetition of sing, buzz, and play, they showed the improvement that comes from focusing their minds on the sound of the music rather than elsewhere.
The best part of the class, was also the most unusual. The class was running late and two brass ensembles were scheduled to perform their end-of-year concerts. Dr. Ross Walter had his students perform while Rocco coached and offered suggestions. His ability to make subtle changes that provided dramatic improvement in a very laid back way astounded me. He had one quartet change their seating slightly. While he worked with a very good quintet to improve their piece dramatically. He offered the tuba player the advice that she might want to take part of a piece down an octave (it was pianissimo but rather high) from how it was arranged. He continued that advice by saying that he will often make such changes to improve a piece. The affect was dramatic. It really improved the piece and allowed the solo trumpet to excel, while showcasing (at least to a tuba player) the subtle ability of a B&S to be heard and felt but still fit in with the rest of the quintet.
There was more, but the more time that I spend writing, the less that I have to get in some practice. My advice to anyone that has an opportunity to hear Rocco lecture, or better yet take a class with him would be "do it!"
The class was recorded. I will be talking to Rocco's student who made the recording to see if they would like to have it on the web. If it works out, I will post the information to hear it in realplayer from VCU's streaming server.
Mike