15 minute read
LOVE MUSIC
Dr. Stephen L. Gage
Dear Friends,
I was honored to be asked by TRIAD Editor, Shawn Reynolds, one of my former students and an outstanding musician, teacher, and conductor, to write an article based on one of my favorite life and career mantras: Love Music!
As I write this, I am cognizant of the work and preparation each of you is putting into the beginning of the 2021-2022 academic year. Without question, we hope and pray that the COVID-19 pandemic will be controlled to the point where much more normal teaching situations can exist in music classrooms and ensembles in Ohio this coming year and beyond. The past 18+ months have been very stressful for all of you, for your students, and for your students’ families. While health and safety should always be a high priority in education settings, there is no question that an in-class experience in music education is much preferred over online learning and that it is more effective in most situations.
This letter is constructed in three sections: 1. Where are we? 2. What do we need to do to make sure that we are growing as musicians and teachers? 3. What is next?
As I just finished my 28th year at Youngstown State Dana School of Music, where I taught graduate conducting and conducted the YSU Wind Ensemble and YSU Dana Symphony Orchestra, my comments will be directed, primarily, to conductors. That said, I am convinced that we can all glean much from one another. Sometimes, reaching “outside the box” in our pursuit of new pedagogical ideas and knowledge can be very fruitful!!
Where are we?
Most music educators pursued their career path because someone or a group of someones’ inspired us in a variety of ways. Falling in love with music is, I believe, the prerequisite to a successful and rewarding career in this artform. What is challenging for us, of course, is to be careful not to let that passion and love for teaching and recreating music be extinguished by non-musical or non-teaching factors that are out of our control. Without question, the administrative tasks required of today’s music educator, say nothing of the extramusical requirements (fundraising, planning trips, hosting events, et al) can be so overwhelming that in a relatively short period of time one can effectively
forget what drew them to this profession in the first place, their love for music and their willingness to Care Enough to Share that love with others, especially with our students.
What we do to guard against such a phenomenon taking over could be one of the most important tasks for the contemporary music educator. Two prominent figures in history provide some things for us to contemplate as we move forward: • “If music be the food of love, play on.” – William Shakespeare • “Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything.” – Plato
In my opinion, everyone really loves, or at least likes, music. If you find yourself losing this affinity, then I hope that you will work to rekindle your passion. To do so, I suggest attending live music concerts, playing or singing in a community or church band, orchestra, choir, or in a chamber music ensemble, as well as making time, every day, to listen to a lot of great music. Doing these things for yourself could potentially re-ignite the fire that may be dwindling because of non-musical and nonteaching pressures and situations. It is certainly worth a try!!
Some Ideas:
We are all a product of our experiences and I have spent 4+ decades watching master teachers and conductors share their talents with musicians. There is no question that my teaching, and frankly all of our teaching, approaches, and techniques, are based on our experiences. If something works for someone else, it may very well work for you. Thus, I will share some techniques and rehearsal strategies that could be helpful in your rehearsal room!
1. Be Prepared
I have shared with each of my conducting students that they must be the most prepared person in the rehearsal room. While he/she may not possess some of the musical prowess of those with whom they work, they must do sufficient score study and preparation that allows for all participants to be fully engaged. I suggest listening to and preparing scores well in advance of the first few rehearsals so that you can quickly assess where your group is and how you will get them to their maximum level of musicianship. I firmly believe that we are either growing or regressing in life and in our musical journey. I strongly encourage you to continue to learn and to seek out new levels of musicianship and pedagogy.
2. Consider Using the “T” Approach on a
Daily Basis in Your Rehearsal
A few years ago, Eugene Corporon shared a
“how to” rehearsal strategy list that encouraged us to be constantly mindful of ‘the basics’ as we proceed through our rehearsals. Many fundamental music performance concepts start with (or include) the letter “T”. I often drew a facsimile of this chart on the rehearsal room board:
TONE – TECHNIQUE – TIME (RHYTHM & PULSE) – TUNING - ARTISTRY
It is prudent to consistently reinforce these fundamental performance concepts on a daily basis. I also believe that your students will make adjustments, more frequently, when these things are stressed at each and every musicmaking session.
3. Use the Concept of Silence
• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, certainly one of music history’s most significant composers, stated: “The music is not in the notes, but in the silence in between.”
• My dear friend and mentor, Edward Lisk, in his Creative Director books and articles stresses the importance of playing from and into silence. • Aldous Huxley said: “After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.” • And, Leopold Stokowski provided this memorable and meaningful quote: “A painter paints pictures on canvas. But musicians paint their pictures on silence.” The beauty of a well-conceived or spontaneous “lift” or silence in a musical phrase, an al niente release, or a molto crescendo release can provide compelling and memorable “goose bumps” for the re-creators and for the listeners.
4. Consider Using Movement, Toe-Tapping,
Chanting, et al in the Rehearsal Room
I will never forget my fifth-grade band director, James Stabile, getting down on the floor and tapping my foot up-and-down (to give me the inner concept of subdivision) during a group snare drum lesson. Obviously, this experience had a tremendous effect on me as I have used this technique MANY times in my teaching career. From my perspective, an ensemble’s time/pulse, and rhythmic accuracy are intertwined; and, often these are the musical concepts that consume large portions of rehearsal time. Maya Angelou provides great insight into the importance of these concepts with this quote: “Everything in the universe has a rhythm, everything dances.” It is not an accident that in many musical performances throughout the world, musicians move when they perform. I must admit to being confused that too often, what are referred to as classically-trained musicians, do not use movement as they perform. It is difficult to conceive that a majority of the young musicians we teach will automatically have good time/pulse without some kinesthetic process being utilized and internalized. I have had dozens of students who had ‘perfect pitch’, but I have never had a student with “perfect time or pulse”. As such, I encourage you to find rehearsal strategies that will provide for individual and group growth in these vital performance aspects.
5. “Monk” Rehearsal Concept of Silence
When an ensemble has achieved a reasonably high level of performance prowess on a given selection in its repertoire, it might be a great time to have a “Monk Rehearsal.”
This strategy is one where the teacher/ conductor never says a word during the rehearsal. The students enter the rehearsal room and there are directions on the board, including the rehearsal agenda. Subsequently, the conductor proceeds to run the rehearsal by acting out (miming) desired musical ideas or by drawing on the board. Of course, these rehearsals cannot be used too often, but I found them to be a wonderful way to have a very focused session in the midst of a final block of rehearsals prior to a performance. The amount of music-making that is the outcome during such a session amplifies the fact that most if not all of us talk too much during rehearsals. In a follow-up to a semester review provided to me by a dear friend and trusted mentor, Joseph
Shirk, he reminded me that when he came to rehearsals as a performer, he came to play his oboe. This was a real “AHA!” moment for me that I treasure and now share with you!
6. Balance/Blend/Pitch
The longer I have taught and conducted, the more I have come to believe that these three performance concepts are often related.
Without going into much into the concept of “just intonation” (I urge you to do some research and reading on this subject), the natural harmonic series and its impact on intonation of various scalar and chord tones is something that must
be considered in the rehearsal. For instance, most of the time the hierarchical balance of ROOT – FIFTH – THIRD – SEVENTH in a V7 chord in root position is preferred. Obviously, developing the theoretical knowledge along with the aural skills of our students should be at the top of our priority list!
We often talk in larger ensembles about a Pyramid Balance where the bass voices are at the bottom (and need to be the strongest) of the pyramid and then the tenor, alto, and soprano voices are placed in that order on top of the pyramid balance spectrum.
SOPRANO ALTO TENOR BASS
While this approach can often be a successful strategy, I will never forget observing another great mentor teacher, David Effron, who demonstrated with his hands a reverse pyramid to the members of Youngstown Symphony Orchestra. He reminded them that the melody must always be prominent in most musical passages. Subsequently, I have used both approaches and even, from time-to-time, have skewed the pyramid to have certain voices ‘stick out’ of the ensemble bubble in certain passages based on a desired timbre or balance. This reality is one of the differences we hear when we listen to different conductors’ interpretation of a composition. Frankly, it is quite rewarding to reshape pieces in this manner.
One of the most noticeable of all musical performance flaws is bad pitch. Intonation accuracy is the bane of a musician’s life! Using tuners and recording what is played/sung by the individuals and by the ensemble are the best ways to identify problems. As mentioned earlier, I also believe that acquiring a comfort in ‘just intonation’ and its effect on the pitch tendency of the harmonic system is a key. Frankly, perfect pitch can become an albatross if those individuals do not accept or realize that certain pitches need to be shaded up or down in music-making. I also have found that singing in the instrumental rehearsal, especially when rehearsing a chorale of lyrical song/passage, can assist in building aural confidence for the instrumentalists.
What Now?
• “Music is the divine way to tell beautiful, poetic things to the heart.” – Pablo Casals • “Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.” –
Confucius • “Music can name the unnamable and communicate the unknowable.” –Leonard
Bernstein
I stated earlier that the thoughtful music educator Cares Enough to Share. This is a clear and important task for us and it is one that is easier to consider than it is to implement.
The three quotes provided above and countless others remind us of the importance of the musical art for mankind. Perhaps now, more than ever, we have a charge to recreate music that changes and improves the world. The re-creator and the consumer/listener must be emotionally affected by the music they sing, play, and listen to. This charge is perhaps the most difficult to facilitate but it must be considered when we teach.
In a world where digital and over-produced recordings have set the bar so high for those who give live performances and where reaching such a level of perfection is impossible, it is imperative that those of us who make live music fill that music with love and passion that no computer will ever be able to replicate. Creating beauty and even anger when desired are essential in our teaching and music-making.
In most aspects of our lives, we rarely achieve the level of perfection that we desire. It is that human reality that keeps us moving forward. I believe in setting high bars for myself and for
those I work with, but I am aware that this process takes time and that sometimes we go three steps forward, then two steps back. Life will be much more tolerable, in my opinion, if we accept that the human condition includes flaws. When we stumble but get up and keep going, we are providing an example that could be very influential on those who observe us. I do subscribe to the “Be the best version of yourself” approach to life and see this as part of my daily quest.
I will never forget Sam Adler, a composition professor at the Eastman School who did much better things with his pencil eraser in my lessons than I could do in a whole week of writing my music, reminding me to LOVE YOUR MELODY, STEPHEN! His comments were directed, specifically, at creating melodies that could be consumed, appreciated, enjoyed, and remembered by the listener. I firmly believe that such an approach is also applicable in our #LOVEMUSIC approach to our beloved profession.
For most of the last two decades, I have shared with as many musicians as will listen, my three main life mantras. They are: 1. Be Kind 2. Do Your Best 3. #LOVEMUSIC
It seems that while there are many other things that help the world be a better place, these three life approaches help create a healthy and vibrant environment. I have said for years that my least favorite people are mean people – being kind seems like a good antidote to this. I also often say “Don’t Let the Bad Guys/Girls Win” which falls in line with being compassionate but simultaneously protecting yourself from those who are not.
Doing your best is a great way to begin to create personal success. While nothing is ever guaranteed in one’s life, doing your best will provide you with a pathway to reaching your dreams. And finally, #LOVEMUSIC represents all that is possible in music – self-expression, creativity, passion, a drive for perfection, an emotional response, and many other wonderful potential outcomes. These three mantras seem to give me and hopefully others an anchor for approaching life, one day and one event at a time.
Thanks for reading this, my sincerest best to each of you, and know that my family and I will always appreciate our special time in Ohio. There are so many exceptional music educators and people in the Buckeye State and I look forward to future endeavors and experiences in Ohio. In the meantime, I hope to see you soon, enjoy your families, and always #LOVE MUSIC!
Steve Gage
Dr. Stephen L. Gage served as Professor of Music and Director of Bands & Orchestra at Youngstown State University’s (YSU) Dana School of Music from 1993-2021. Stephen holds degrees from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, the Eastman School of Music, and the State University of New York at Fredonia where he also earned the Performers Certificate and was a concerto winner. Professor Gage studied conducting with Harry John Brown, Donald Hunsberger, David Effron, Roy Ernst, James Keene, H. Robert Reynolds, and Paul Vermel. In September 2010, Dr. Gage was appointed as the Principal Conductor of the W. D. Packard Concert Band, a professional concert band, in Warren, Ohio and remains in this position. Stephen recently retired after 28 seasons as the Edward Zacharias Memorial Chair/Conductor of
the Youngstown Symphony Youth Orchestra. Previous teaching positions include serving as Director of Bands & Orchestra at Emporia State University (KS) and as Director of Bands at Auburn High School (NY). Dr. Gage was inducted into the prestigious American Bandmasters Association in 1999, and he has served as an officer for the National Bandmasters Association. In 2016, Dr. Gage was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Ohio Chapter of Phi Beta Mu and was inducted into the inaugural class of the Auburn High School (NY) Music Hall of Fame. Stephen was presented with the YSU Distinguished Professor Award in Teaching, Scholarship, and Service, and he was the recipient of the Marty Manning Faculty Mentor and Faculty Mentor Awards at YSU.
Professor Gage has written numerous published articles on conducting, rehearsal techniques, and wind band literature. Gage and the YSU Wind Ensemble released nine compact disc recordings including two through NAXOS, Inc. Stephen has served as guest conductor, clinician, and adjudicator of high school honor bands and orchestras as well as a number of university wind bands throughout the United States, Canada, and Ireland. His list of guest conducting appearances includes the Youngstown Symphony Orchestra, the U.S. Air Force Band, the U.S. Army Band: “Pershing’s Own”, and the U.S. Army Field Band & Chorus, among others. Dr. Gage has received critical acclaim from numerous distinguished composers, including several Pulitzer-prize winners: Joseph Schwanter, Carter Pann, John Mackey, Samuel Adler, Karel Husa, Frank Ticheli, Michael Colgrass, Donald Grantham, D.J. Sparr, Jerry Ascione, and David Gillingham for his interpretation and recordings of their music. Stephen and the YSU Wind Ensemble made their Carnegie Hall debut in 2005 and made a second appearance in November 2015. The YSU WE was also invited to give feature performances in Severance Hall, and for CBDNA, OMEA and MENC National Conventions under Dr. Gage’s baton.
Stephen currently lives in Chrisman, Illinois with his wife, Stephanie, and son Brendan. Daughter, Claudia, lives in Bloomington, Indiana and son, Matthew and granddaughter, Zoey, live in Austin, Texas.
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