Blogging for Performers, Part 1
I get the impression that we're supposed to find ways to tie blogging to music education in this setting. Although I am a music student in an educational institution, my mind does not instantly associate those things together. Maybe it's because we're trying to tie it to the academic side of music rather than the performance aspect. The majority of my day consists of either playing the flute, thinking about my practice/rehearsal sessions and ways to improve them, or studying music (either visually or aurally). Right now I see blogging only as a course requirement and I want to find a way that it can directly help me as a performer so that it might become more meaningful to me.
I suppose that one way blogging can help performers is by acting as a practice journal. Personally, I've always hated practice journals. The idea that I am supposed make up a schedule for what I want to do and follow it directly is a pain because often times it means that I don't spend enough time on things I really need to work on and I spend too much time to the point of boredom on other skills/pieces. I think practice should be based more on internal motivation, and I would rather work on music in order of significance or preference.
As much as I dislike the thought of keeping a practice journal blog, I do think that it could be beneficial for other musicians/flutists to read about my daily practice schedule. People might be curious about how other people spend their practice time. I know that I always find it interesting when famous flutists talk about their daily warm up patterns. I wouldn't say that it influences me too much with regard to my own - it's just interesting information to let my brain feast on for a bit.
With that same thought it mind, I would not be interested in hearing other people's comments about my own practice schedule. Maybe that's closed minded, but I think that practice is kind of personal and (assuming the person knows productive ways to practice) what is effective for one person can be completely counterproductive for another. I'm not really interested in someone else directly critiquing me about that. Maybe that's just me though. There's several highly educated musicians in this class (and 4 flute players nonetheless!), maybe you have something more to offer.
The concept of blogging as a practice journal is my only idea for now, but I plan to continue with this thread for at least one more post after I gather more ideas. I am definitely open to comments.
I suppose that one way blogging can help performers is by acting as a practice journal. Personally, I've always hated practice journals. The idea that I am supposed make up a schedule for what I want to do and follow it directly is a pain because often times it means that I don't spend enough time on things I really need to work on and I spend too much time to the point of boredom on other skills/pieces. I think practice should be based more on internal motivation, and I would rather work on music in order of significance or preference.
As much as I dislike the thought of keeping a practice journal blog, I do think that it could be beneficial for other musicians/flutists to read about my daily practice schedule. People might be curious about how other people spend their practice time. I know that I always find it interesting when famous flutists talk about their daily warm up patterns. I wouldn't say that it influences me too much with regard to my own - it's just interesting information to let my brain feast on for a bit.
With that same thought it mind, I would not be interested in hearing other people's comments about my own practice schedule. Maybe that's closed minded, but I think that practice is kind of personal and (assuming the person knows productive ways to practice) what is effective for one person can be completely counterproductive for another. I'm not really interested in someone else directly critiquing me about that. Maybe that's just me though. There's several highly educated musicians in this class (and 4 flute players nonetheless!), maybe you have something more to offer.
The concept of blogging as a practice journal is my only idea for now, but I plan to continue with this thread for at least one more post after I gather more ideas. I am definitely open to comments.
posted by Elaine @ 12:29 PM
2 Comments:
At 12:03 PM,
Web Musicer said…
very interesting concept...and i thnk that blogging could relate to performance in many profound ways...especially when you think about the corollary in the 19th century when the personal writings of composers, performers, and philosophers have shown that the writing was a way of uncovering meaning in musical performance... the educational angle for performers is interesting also since almost all musicians teach at some point in their lives... Beethoven wanted to study with Haydn, but it just didn't work out, although Hadyn was known as a good teacher..so was J.S.B. for that matter...the nature of our art is that we pass on what we know and have learned to those who are at some different stage in their journeys...
At 8:30 PM,
ke said…
I was intrigued by this idea of "practice journal blogging" and as a person who hates writing down schedules and sticking to them, I agree with much of what you are saying. I probably wouldn't want to know what people thought of my practicing either! On another note, I agree with web musicer on the benefits of understanding performance as having a direct corrolation with teaching on many levels. I think the "practice journal blog" will most likely benefit developing students (perhaps on the high school level). It could be a way to check in with teachers. The students could read blogs about how their teacher practices or gains insight, or becomes inspired, and relate to that. The teacher could check on student progress in an informal way by reading what the student is struggling with or accomplishing prior to the lesson in order to have a highly focused approach to teaching each individual student. If you are teaching material that is very simple for you, as an adult and an accomplished musician, you will have lots more insight than your typical student in regards to bringing the music to life. For example, when I teach from Suzuki Volume 2 for violin, one of my favorite pieces to teach is "Hunter's Chorus" by von Weber because the students love the story I tell about burly men coming in from a hunting party to eat roasted meats and drink beer. They think it is so funny and it really changes the way they approach the piece with more "brio" and spice than may normally flourish by just looking at the page with no background information.
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