Re: Re: Skill Of A HighSchool Student.


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Posted by Rick Denney on August 23, 2003 at 14:17:01:

In Reply to: Re: Skill Of A HighSchool Student. posted by jlb on August 23, 2003 at 09:03:16:

My first response to this post, which I didn't type, was that a high-school kid who can play Air and Bourree really musically probably has what it takes to get into most if not all college music programs.

Of course, that "really musically" qualification is a big one. Being able to play the range of that work (low G to high Bb) with complete dynamic and musical command means have a working register wider than that, plus complete dynamic range and both ends of that tessitura. But I prefer the notion that the objective is musical rather than technical. The technique supports the music--it is not an end unto itself. Air and Bourree is considered too easy by lots of high-school players. These same players don't begin to plumb the depths of the music that can be made with it, and don't realize just how much command of technique they have to have to make that music.

I played that work in high school and got my first division at contest, but considering how badly I play it now in musical terms, I have to think that my musicianship then must have been nonexistent. If my focus back then had been to play it really beautifully, I would have had to focus on lots of issues I didn't then, such as tone production and air movement, not to mention developing a musical objective. But I got all the notes.

Rick "awestruck by musicianship more than by technique these days" Denney


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