Do you really mean that? Towards precise, considered and constructive language in performance teaching

Headnote

Abstract

Precise, considered and constructive language is particularly important to instrumental and voice teaching. And yet we-as musicians and teachers-are not typically trained in cultivating such language, or even taught to observe the way we speak when teaching. Frequently we speak in clichés that we do not question, or we imbibe ideas that are less than ideal for getting the best out of ourselves or our students in performance. Even the word "conservatorium" suggests that we should conserve and preserve, rather than question and challenge. We strive for authentic performance, aim to be faithful to the composer and seek to further centuries-old traditions. To a great extent, these goals are what make classical music what it is. But what makes it come alive is a creative and individual performer who can get inside the music and find something of his/her own unique self to express and communicate. How can we teach performers (and ourselves) to find and express the personal and original in classical music while still staying true to the traditions of classical music? One way, I suggest, is by paying attention to the language we use in teaching and self-talk in performing, and by questioning, deconstructing and reconstructing this language. Three main areas of unreconstructed language will be addressed: common lay anatomical terms such as hip, neck, shoulders; composers' adjectives and adverbs such as affettuoso, innig, lustig, piano, forte; and clichés such as "I'm nervous," "Relax" or "Let go." To conclude I will outline how we can both meet students in their own language world and challenge their ideas.

This paper draws on my PhD research, which focuses on the teaching of Marjorie Barstow, a first-generation Alexander Technique (AT) teacher who was renowned for her teaching of performers. In the thesis I compare Barstow's teaching with the philosophy of John Dewey, one of America's foremost philosophers in the philosophical pragmatic tradition. In this article I use examples from data collected on the teaching of one of Barstow's students, Cathy Madden.

Key words: performance teaching, authentic performance.

Australian Journal of Music Education 2015:3, 4-15

One of the most important things to do is to pay close attention not to what you think you said, but to what your student thinks you said.

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