Chamber music for the precollege student: "you say tomato, I say tomaahto—let's call the whole thing off!" - Forum focus: collaborative arts

American Music Teacher, Oct-Nov, 2003 by Jody Graves

It has been my belief for a long time that the struggles in our world could be solved if everyone in positions of power and authority were required to sing in a choir or play chamber music together once a week! Wouldn't that be interesting? When we engage in conversation with each other, we are involved in a verbal dance that moves through agreement, disagreement, opinion, fact, expression and emotion. In today's world successful communication between people is the tool that will create peace, mutual understanding and collaboration on a variety of important issues. Think of the times you have been with someone who doesn't speak your language; you find a way to communicate, through gesture or facial expression, because human beings have an intense desire to connect with other people. The same magic happens when our students enter into the world of chamber music. The art of dialogue and verbal articulation can be beautifully learned through the collaborative musical experience. There is a mixture of delight, discovery and sometimes frustration, but sharing those differences and reaching an agreement on the musical goals and projection is the whole point. It's about the journey as much as the destination.

The precollege pianist spends so much time practicing alone--often for years. I have found it rare when the talented high school pianist has even had the opportunity to accompany the school or church choir. The common practice after eight to ten years of lessons is for the student to perform a final high school senior recital, usually consisting entirely of solo repertoire. When this is completed, no matter the talent, it is often the last time they play with any serious application. When students are involved with chamber music from an earlier age, they develop a sense of responsibility to other musicians and to the music. They, in turn, bring another dimension to their solo work by gaining more listening skills and making the inner lines speak. I also believe chamber music can be the answer to retaining students longer and getting our piano students in particular excited about "new" and challenging repertoire. By including chamber music in the precollege training, there is more likelihood students will continue to play into their adult life because the experience of chamber music, among other things, is a social one.

There is a wealth of repertoire available and accessible for the precollege pianist and for the precollege string, wind and brass players, too. If piano students are playing Mozart and Haydn sonatas, Chopin nocturnes and Debussy preludes, they certainly are capable of playing some chamber music repertoire. I always am amazed at the number of calls I receive each spring from the local instrumental teachers, asking one week ahead of the spring festival if I have a pianist who can "accompany" their violin student on a movement of the Beethoven D Major Sonata!

Why is chamber music important for the piano student? The chamber repertoire ranges from the delicate weaving in the Poulenc Flute Sonata, to the transparent lines and harmonies of a Mozart Violin Sonata, to the complex and thick textures of the Rachmaninoff Cello Sonata. In my opinion, this rich and vast repertoire is inspiring for any pianist and serves to deepen their technique and musicianship. I certainly have had moments as a collaborative pianist when I wanted to rename the piece to read: "Sonata for Piano and Violin"! I remember several years ago, after a performance of the Debussy Cello/Piano Sonata, someone shaking my hand backstage and thanking me for "helping out the cellist that evening." Ah me!

How Do I Integrate Chamber Music Into My Private Studio?

Many private teachers are concerned about how they would bring students together for chamber music. With students' full schedules, it can be a challenge, but it only takes a little patience and creative thinking to make this a rich part of your curriculum. Here are a few suggestions:

* Get to know the local instrumental teachers in your area. Host a coffee and cake reception so you can meet and share ideas. Find out what levels and repertoire they are teaching and discuss the possibilities of grouping students in chamber music. Some of the best collaborations occur spontaneously over chocolate and espresso! Start introducing chamber music to your piano students by having them play the various parts on the second piano or keyboard while you play the piano part. Talk about what they hear and how the lines in the cello or flute part are related to the piano score.

* Invite local string or wind teachers to your studio to share the experience of coaching and rehearsing with the students.

* Have a session once a month on a Saturday where you bring the instrumentalists together with your piano students. Everyone receives the music ahead of time, and when you come together, it can be a wonderful way of introducing the repertoire and artistic skills needed to play chamber music. This is an entire career on its own, and too often the young pianist, who has a natural ability for this, doesn't get exposed until they go to college. Think about the times for district festivals--shouldn't piano students be the ones who are collaborating with their peers?