Classically Savvy

Think for a moment about the phrase “out of tune”. Take a moment to get a clear mental picture of what that term means to you. Hear it in your ear. It’s unpleasant, right?

The classic example is the elementary school band or orchestra concert. Even if all the students play the right notes, it’s rarely a pretty sound. Partly, that’s due to lack of refinement of technique. They’re trying so hard just to play the notes, that they’re not able to listen to the people around them and adjust.

When musicians are in tune, their tones blend, and it sounds clear. An example: at the Basilica of St Mary, there’s always a Gregorian chant to start the liturgy; the cantor stands behind the high altar and is virtually invisible. Last Sunday, two soprani did the chant together. People in the congregation were surprised to find out after Mass that there were two singers — the musicians were so well in tune that it sounded like one strong voice.

Why?

(more…)

My roommate in college was not a music major, but an engineer. Taylor had a strong voice, a good ear, and a sharp mind, and was an excellent choral musician. When he was having a rough day, he would sneak into the practice rooms in the music building to play piano. Music was his treasure, and he guarded it closely.

Taylor never liked talking too much about music. He reasoned that if he thought about it too much, he’d stop enjoying it. It was his right-brained activity in his otherwise left-brained life, and he wanted to keep it that way. Though it drove me crazy, I could see where he was coming from. Ignorance is bliss.

Maybe he was right. Over the years, I have become more critical. Sometimes the critic takes over in my mind as I listen to music, and my awareness of the musical faults obliterates any chance of getting into the spirit of the music. But I’ve also learned some tricks for quieting the criticism and for appreciating music even when I know there are problems. Even so, when something truly unusual or spectacular or transcendent is happening, I can appreciate it on so many more levels than I ever used to, heightening the experience.

If you continue to read this blog, you’re doing so at the risk of refining your musical tastes. You risk moving from mystery to understanding, You risk changing the way you think about music. You risk growing in your musical understanding. You risk becoming more critical of the music you listen to.

I hope it’s clear that my goal is not to take the joy out of music, or turn you into a jaded music critic. Quite the contrary — it is my firm belief that an increased understanding will help you enjoy music more.

But I make no guarantees. Caveat emptor.

Something to ponder: Do you relate to music more intellectually or more emotionally?

Something else to ponder: Which list of words appeals to you?

1. logic, sequence, analysis, objective, details
2. intuition, random, synthesis, subjective, whole

If you picked list 1, your left brain is probably dominant. List 2, right brain. Couldn’t decide? It’s likely that you’re “both-brained.” Still not sure? Try this quiz at blogthings

The more I work with musicians, the more it becomes clear to me that the idea of right vs. left brain is one of the most important concepts when it comes to understanding music. Take a look at what musicians do:

We have to count and keep a steady beat, we have to decode written music, we have to understand our instrument and the technique necessary to use the instrument, we have to understand musical form, we have to structure practice and teaching. Musicians must be left-brained.

We have to interpret a musical score, we have to understand and convey the message and emotion of the music, we have to decide (often on the fly) what sounds good, we have to take risks, we have to trust our instincts. Musicians must be right-brained.

This duality has led to an uneasy coexistence of creative and rational thinkers in the music world. As with many polar opposites, there has been a pendulum effect. It helps, both as a performer and as a listener, to know which pole was dominant at the time a piece of music was composed.

But, that’s a post for another time…

(Sidenote: Society has been in a left-brained mode recently, but it seems that the tide is turning in favor of the right-brained. There’s a great article in Wired.)

The next time you’re listening to a piece of music, ask yourself which part of your brain is more engaged — the right (emotion, creativity, intuition) or the left (logic, structure, analysis). The result will be a combination of your dominant mode and the mode of the particular piece of music.

Challenge yourself to do things in your weaker mode. Left-brainers, trust your intuition more, get comfortable with “shades of gray”, step back from the details and see the big picture, work without judging yourself for fifteen minutes. Right-brainers, try to see structure not as a jail-cell but as a framework within which creativity is possible, pick some details to focus on, explore extremes, do some research to support your opinions and gut reactions.

If you’ve ever gone to a symphony, a recital, an opera, or a concert, then you’ve encountered “classical music”.

If you ask someone to describe “classical music”, you’ll get a variety of answers. Does it refer to the “Three B’s” — Beethoven, Bach, and Brahms? Is it epitomized by Mozart? Maybe it’s all about performers in tuxedos, or people playing violins, or big sopranos with Viking horns. Maybe it’s about being cultured, and sitting in a room full of stuffed shirts and evening gowns, and being seen.

To quote Wikipedia:
“Classical music in its widest sense is held to refer to music deriving from learned traditions, taught through institutions either specifically devoted to music (e.g. modern Western) or through institutions or traditions (typically religious) dedicated to transmission of specific schools of music.”

It goes on to say “Classical music is thus contrasted with popular or folk music.” Keep in mind, though, that much “Classical Music” was the popular music of its day, and composers and performers had the same sort of status that rock stars do today. And many composers used folk music as the basis of their work.

So, I ask you — what is “Classical Music”?