Klarinet Archive - Posting 000969.txt from 2000/12

From: Neil Leupold <leupold_1@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [kl] Performance
Date: Mon, 18 Dec 2000 15:01:13 -0500

--- William Wright <Bilwright@-----.net> wrote:

> The reason I felt good about that drawing [drawn without looking at
> the paper] was, I knew it was impossible to draw that way, and there-
> fore it didn't have to be good, -- and that's really what the loosen-
> ing up was all about.

I wonder if this would be analogous to a notion I've always held for
developing players (present company included). Regardless of all the
faking and compensating that might go on in ensemble rehearsals and
concerts (to cover up for technique that isn't yet fully developed),
one must be prepared and willing to sound like holy hell in the prac-
tice room before they can expect to sound good (sans the contortions
that are sometimes necessary on stage). In other words, mastering a
new or especially difficult skill requires that we not insist on being
good at it from the start. And yes, to my mind, "mastering" a skill
means not only that the desired effect is 100% replicable, but that
producing it is effortless (or nearly so). Go ahead & get pompous
about the supremacy of musical considerations over anything technical,
if you must, but if you have to constantly struggle against yourself or
your equipment in order to meet the demands and artistry of the music,
something's not right. I think one point of loosening up is to exper-
ience what it feels like to not have to consciously try or concentrate
on one's technique in the creative process. It gives the player an idea
of the ease and joy with which they can create music, as long as they
strive for it at each phase of their development. In the end, I'd rather
the balance between working hard vs. working smart be tipped toward the
latter. What is more fulfilling for the player, the audience's pleasure
notwithstanding: Making good music while struggling and straining, for
lack of attention to the intricacies of technical development? Or making
good music effortlessly, such that the music is the only thing of which
we are aware while we play? It's possible to get there *and* serve all
of the musical considerations involved. Why settle for less?

-- Neil

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