| Musical word of the interval: Spiccato - a technique on bowed string instruments in which the tip of the bow is bounced on the string to produce a series of slightly separated notes. Other terms for this technique include sautille, saltando and saltato.
As promised last time, we will put some of the knowledge gained on all of those road trips to use in
Installment #6, Considerations when comparing different schools
Here are some things that we considered when looking at music schools. The relative importance or non-importance of each of these is likely to vary quite a bit from one student to another, so I urge anyone reading this list to personalize it to reflect your own preferences before using it. I have not included a lot of non-musical concerns because extensive lists of these can be found elsewhere, but some of these may also be very important in your decision.
1) Faculty – Our most important issue was the fit between teacher and student. Sample lessons were more helpful in taking some choices off the table than they were in selecting what might be the best among several good choices. Daughter wanted someone whose sound she admired, who would challenge her, whose method of playing relied more on agility and finesse than size and strength, and whose style of teaching was compatible with her style of learning which happens to be very hands-on and analytical. We were also looking mostly at programs that had more than one teacher on daughter's instrument so that there would be a second choice short of a transfer if the first teacher did not work out.
As a musician, I consider the highest compliment not, "Wow! how can you possibly do something that difficult?" but rather, "You make that seem so easy that anyone could do it." When listening to a potential teacher play, we did not want to notice a lot of mechanical things happening. Rather we wanted to hear a liquidity of tone and sense an instinctive understanding of phrasing. We wanted to be so taken by the beauty of their playing that it was impossible to concentrate on the technical aspects because you simply had to listen. One of my favorite directors likens this to watching a swan - below the water there is a lot of paddling and churning going on but all you see above the water is the swan gliding smoothly and serenely across the lake. Once the playing stopped however, we wanted someone who could articulate precisely what they had been doing to create such a moment.
By researching orchestral web sites, programs from performances and other places that artists' bios can be found, we noticed that a lot of musicians list their teachers. We also noticed that a lot of the same teachers' names started popping up on certain instruments. Taking this information and working backwards, we drew a family tree sort of diagram showing who had studied with whom. We noticed that a large number of the current crop of successful performers on any one instrument often trace back to a small number of highly important teachers within two or three "generations". It seems that every now and then someone comes along who so revolutionizes the technique and/or pedagogy on their instrument that the best of their students, grand-students and perhaps even great-grand-students have uncommon success. We labeled such highly important and influential individuals "nexus teachers." With each potential teacher, we asked what is their relationship to past nexus teachers and what potential do they have of becoming a nexus teacher themselves.
Other concerns were whether the teacher was a well-known current or ex-performer, a member of a noted performing arts organization, and active in professional societies. These can be indicative of the amount of "pull" or influence a teacher can wield in the professional world on behalf of a deserving student.
2) Visiting Artists – Does the school attract visits from other top names in their field? When visiting artists come for a concert, do they also give a masterclass? Do they spend time informally interacting with the students?
3) Performing organizations – Are there enough ensembles to provide opportunities for all of the students? How frequently do they rehearse and perform? Are they open only to music majors, do they allow other community members by audition (and how selective are the auditions) or do they simply take all comers? Do they perform only at the school or at other major venues? If so, where? Is the travel paid for by the school or the students? How common are spontaneously-formed student groups and do any of them last beyond college days?
4) Support for competitions – What is the school's attitude toward competitions? Do they provide sufficient flexibility in allowing a student to spend some time away from school if necessary? Does the school have any sources of funding for students who wish to enter competitions? What competitions does the school run itself?
5) Summer programs – Does the school run any summer programs itself? Does it serve as a feeder for major summer festivals?
6) Performance opportunities and job placement– Is there a placement office for students? What services do they provide? Do they support alumni and for how long after graduation? Does the school maintain a gig board for linking current students to jobs in the surrounding community? Does it place any restrictions on outside performances by current students? What positions do recent graduates hold as artists, teachers, administrators and students in graduate programs?
7) Teaching opportunities – Does the school allow students to teach children or non-majors? Is this activity mentored by the faculty? May school facilities be used during off-peak hours for this purpose?
8) Facilities – Are they up to date? How crowded are they? How easy is it to find a practice room for personal or small ensemble use? Do the practice rooms have adequate lighting and decent pianos? Is there a secure, climate-controlled storage area for instruments? What are the on-campus performance venues like? Are they available for student use or tightly controlled by the school? What facilities are available for recording recitals, and making audition and demo CD's? To what extent is modern technology integrated into the curriculum and facilities?
9) Other students – What is the level of playing of the other students? Do they tend to be competitive or cooperative within the school? We were specifically looking for a program where daughter would not be the top player on her instrument for at least three years there, and we wanted to see players at and above her level in all sections.
10) Curriculum - How much flexibility is available in the curriculum? Does it allow for the pursuit of new interests that may develop during the college years? What other other programs (early music, jazz, music technology,music business…) are there that might spark a student’s interest in a new area? Is there a double major program? A double degree program? What percentage of students are permitted to pursue a double degree? How many of them complete that program? How long does it usually take?
11) Miscellaneous – Do students get together to play just for the fun of it? What kind of student-run activities are listed on the bulletin boards? What are the dorms and food like? Are there reasonable options for vegetarians and vegans? Are the dorms mandatory, and for how long? Is dorm space guaranteed all four years? How necessary is a car and how practical is it to keep one on or near campus?
What have I forgotten or missed that might be important in your situation? |