Learning music is more than just pitches and words. We need to remember why it is important to study at home.
When you learn and memorize your words and notes, you are learning the following:
- Correct sequence of pitch, rhythm, and words sounds.
- Correct level of energy needed to perform with the ensemble.
- Emotional content of the music involved.
- Correct technique needed to produce and sustain a musical idea or line.
- How to project your voice in a clear, vibrant, buoyant tone.
- How to sing better so that your voice fits inside an ensemble.
- How to exercise your brain and body at the same time.
- Preparing for upleveling your skills in rehearsal.
- The necessary tools to help others uplevel their skills as well.
- The necessary information for a common bonding experience through music.
- (Add your own reasons here. I’m sure the list is quite long.)
This can be quite a daunting task to accomplish during rehearsal alone. In fact, it just can’t be done in rehearsals by themselves.
Rehearsals are merely your opportunity to share with others what you’ve already learned. So please, turn off your Comcast, turn off your games, turn off Facebook, and go practice. We cannot sustain our organization and skill level if this is not done by individual members at home. In fact, it’s vital and critical to the success of any ensemble organization.
But I believe that there is a bigger reason. As I said in the list earlier, learning music gives you the necessary Information to form a common bonding experience through music. Our world needs music. And to be more specific, the world needs vocal music. No other form of music express nuance and emotion the way that the human voice can. And quite frankly, there are audiences who need to hear what we do. That’s why they come to concerts. By learning music in a common setting, we make the world better. Our listeners are enriched by our messages as performed, and in return, we receive the gratification of making lives better through live performance.
So get busy. Go practice. Because practicing is not about just you. It’s about other people too. And yes, the world is waiting for you to make it better.
- Ken Potter