Nanny Music #33 – what’s in your mind

Tags

Arts, Education, Muscle memory, Music, Shopping, Suzuki, Suzuki method, Teacher

Recently I read an article talking about practicing on instruments, some professor said if you practice with absent mind, the longer you practice the more imprint of the mistakes in your brain, and that makes improvement impossible. No doubt. I know this right from the start and I never asked my children practice a certain amount of time. I just told them to practice the part they can’t manage yet then a few more times to ensure the right way and bring into their muscle memory. if they could practice 5 to 10 times a day, I am happy. I also told them to think of the music and play in their mind when they are in the car and can’t physically play on the instruments. Seems i am with the experts all along.

My children both play fiddle good but they have different styles even learn from same teachers. They heard different things from the same song. When my daughter thinking about long stroke bowing my son is thinking legato in the same phrase of melody. The main thing is they all HEARD the music and they are not just play notes. They play fiddle with passion and expression because they play like that in their mind before they apply it on the instrument.

Practice is to make it better, if you just remember the notes and don’t have the music ringing in your mind, you are just a robot do what you told. Anyone can play notes. soon or later. But the musicians can hear how their music touch the audience before they play. i felt annoyed when a teacher or parent told the kids to wave around when they perform, it is awkward and make them look like clowns. my daughter’s teacher said, just relax and let the music drive your body moving so the audience can feel your enthusiasm. Yes, close your eyes and your music is dancing with you. There is another pianist said when you reach the highest level your body will move less because you are playing through your heart not through your body. I think he is talking about the impulse. Why not teach the kids play from their heart from the very beginning. I heard people applause kids play with squeaky sounds because they thought they are too small to make it sound good. No, they are wrong. Suzuki method teaches kids distinguish the tiny difference between sand and beans sound like in a jar while shaking it. Even a 4 years old can recognize beautiful sounding. All they need is to use the right technique and experiment it when they play instruments.

Feel the music is the best way to practice, when you play beautifully in your mind. Your brain will teach your fingers to play like that. I don’t think my kids ever play squeaky notes even when they were 4 and play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. They are not prodigies, they just really hear and feel the music. a 10 minutes practice in your mind is better than 5 hours sawing on the instruments.

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Nanny Music #28 – the shiny eyes

Tags

Benjamin Zander, Classical music, Compact Disc, Fiddle, Lia, Suzuki method, Teacher, Zander

English: Benjamin Zander (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

After Kai and Lia did the speech for Tedxkids, I realize how a person’s perspective view can inspire others. And then Lia’s violin teacher talked me about a video from Tedx Talk video by Ben Zander, a conductor. He talked about how classical music can light up people’s heart and when you see the shiny eyes you know you make someone love classical music. The shiny eyes, yes, I have seen it in my children’s eyes when they heard a beautiful piece and eager to learn to play it. Should all music learning students have the same sparkle in their eyes? Why some of them quit learning before they can enjoy it? Mr Zander said when the kids start to learn they impulse on every note, and by the time they impulse between phrases, they can play pretty good. This is what exactly I tried to show my children when they start to learn instruments. I never asked them practice for certain a mount of time. I asked them to listen and feel the music when they play, once they got the part they try to manage, they are done practicing that day. When they feel the music the notes become fluent like running water. Even just 5 minutes, it will be better than mechanically practice for hours. And why some teacher think the kids only can play the songs or pieces they learned? Let them try, mimic other musicians, music plays from their hearts not their fingers. When Kai and Lia started, their school teacher brought more than 40 kids to the local fiddle cub. Kai and Lia were the only kids can stay and play with the adults in the fiddle club, They join the club gigs and recording after a few month of learning. What happened with the other kids who start to learn fiddle earlier and better than them in that time? Well, they were not been told to try. When they heard a song they don’t know yet, they just sit there and soon get bored and restless. Eventually their eyes are muted to the music. Like sitting in the coffee shop and not hear the background music. I can guarantee you won’t see any shiny eyes. Music learning could be like an experiment, keep trying and get sparkles on the process. I don’t think more than half of the songs Kai and Lia performs are taught by their teachers. They heard them from concerts, CDs even from their friends, their repertoire from the teachers are just the sprinkles on the ice cream. Mr Zander said everyone can love classical music. I am thinking of what Dr Suzuki who create the Suzuki method said, everyone can learn to play music, if you make their eyes shine.