On 15/12/13 5:41 AM, David van Ooijen wrote:
To learn any instrument, you'll need to study an extended period of
time with a teacher who's good at teaching you a solid technique. To
become a good musician, you'll need to work with teachers who can help
you to develop your own musicality into playing that will speak to an
audience. It goes without saying that first and foremost you'll need to
bring your own dedication and motivation, as no teacher can do that for
you.
Most of what I've learned about playing the lute has come from weekly
lessons over a period of years with two fine teachers, Terry McKenna and
Richard Kolb. I was lucky to have regular contact with two excellent
musicians who were also excellent teachers, and with quite different styles.
I think a regular lesson with your reacher should be quite different
from an incidental lesson at a workshop or masterclass. Prepare these
lessons differently.
Having been a student and teacher in several different subject areas, I
was quite horrified to discover the musical torture chamber known as
"the master class." I simply can't understand why any sane person would
put themselves through this sort of public humiliation. I can't even
stand to attend master classes, let alone perform in one.
I attend workshops regularly, and find my greatest pleasure in ensemble
playing. My greatest learning has been in individual classes with the
likes of Pat O'Brien and Lyle Nordstrom, especially where they took a
piece I had been working on and gave me new insight into it. I
particularly treasure an hour with Pat studying "Go from my Window" on
lute, and a similar hour with Lyle on the bandora part for the Lachrimae
consort lesson.
Geoff
--
Geoff Gaherty
Foxmead Observatory
Coldwater, Ontario, Canada
http://www.gaherty.ca
http://starrynightskyevents.blogspot.com/
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