|
Musical word of the interval: Sonata - an extended piece of music in several movements for one or more instrumental soloists, usually accompanied by a keyboard instrument and perhaps a cello or viola da gamba. College websites sometimes recommend a Sonata as an audition piece, e.g. Henry Eccles' Sonata #11 in G minor. The word sonata can also refer to a three-part structure used within a single movement of a larger work, in which one or more musical ideas are introduced (exposition), then extended (development), then restated (recapitulation). While properly called "sonata-allegro form" when used in this way, the term is usually shortened to "sonata form." The first movement of Beethoven's Symphony No. 9 is an example of sonata form.
It seems like the discussion has died down a bit, so it is time to stir the pot again with
Installment #2, "You want to go WHERE? Are you out of your mind?"
Flash forward a couple of years to Christmas break in daughter's sophomore year of high school. She had been studying with the same teacher the entire time, practicing religiously and improving rapidly. By then she was principal bass in her high school orchestra, second chair in the local Youth Symphony, and easily making regional honors ensembles in our part of the state, although she missed the cut for all-state orchestra in freshman year. She had long since exchanged the much-battered school instrument for a very nice double bass selected with help from her teacher and one of the top bass luthiers in New York City.
After spending a lot of time with the instrument the previous summer, she was starting to talk about the possibility of a performance major. Her mother knew the implications of that much better than I did, and we decided it was not too early to get started on the research. Among daughter's Christmas presents were no fewer than three college guidebooks aimed at performing arts majors. In characteristic form, she retired to her room with all of them and devoured the contents over the next few days. She finally emerged with one of the books in hand saying, "What can you tell me about this place called Curtis Institute of Music?"
Well, I must admit that we were thinking the title of this installment almost loud enough to hear, but I think we managed not to vocalize it. Hours-old dreams are made of fragile stuff, so we tried to introduce reality a bit more gently. "Well, kiddo, they only take a few hand-picked prodigies each year from around the world. You are going to have to work very hard indeed to have a prayer of being accepted there. Let's take smaller steps first. If you get into all-state this year and make first chair next year, then we can think about a run at Curtis."
We were pretty sure that the first challenge would be met because she had just made fourth chair in the regional orchestra for the northern third of our state and the first-chair and third-chair players were seniors. Auditions are held in March for a concert to be played in October, so current-year seniors are ineligible. We thought the second goal would be much tougher and would give her some added motivation over the next fifteen months.
Audition weekend finally rolled around with results promised on the Music Educator's Association website by Sunday evening. That is rehearsal night for daughter's community chorus and we left home as late as possible, practically having to tear her away from the computer. Daughter's mantra was "I don't care if I am last chair, just let me get into the group." At break time we called home to have my wife check the website and relay the news. We were flabbergasted to find her name listed first among the double bassists, meaning that she had turned in the highest score on her instrument. Seating auditions were still to come in September, but she was clearly ahead of schedule and had gotten both parents to take this dream of hers much more seriously.
When did your son or daughter first mention a desire to major in music? What was your reaction?
|