[TPIN] Re: TPIN Digest, Vol 21, Issue 4

[trombe1 at mac.com]

On Nov 2, 2006, at 12:00 PM, Derek Reaban, derek.reaban at honeywell.com wrote:

"...Just out of curiosity, how many people have transcribed classical trumpet solos or big orchestral excerpts, instead of just finding the music and playing from the part?  I'm guessing that if more students who are focused on symphonic or solo playing did this, they would find their own mature sounds MUCH more quickly.   I'll be the first to admit that I have never transcribed a classical trumpet solo or orchestral excerpt.  I guess I have a project that I need to tackle one of these days!"   -- Derek Reaban

Interesting. I frequently have my students memorize a classical solo from a recording. (I provide the accompaniment to an accompanist, but do not provide the solo part to the trumpeter.) I started doing this a while back with students who seem so reliant on the printed music that they can't seem to really hear what they are doing?or to even recognize issues in their playing while reading music. To free them from the level of concentration required to read music, I eliminated the music. Now, music goes in their ears (instead of into their eyes) and to their brains and out the horn. We do NOT ever write it down.

It often makes a huge difference in their musicality, and certainly seems to make them more aware of how they sound (and cognizant of how they should sound, due to the modeling that takes place by learning from the recording.) I have a student who will be performing a piece on their upcoming senior recital who learned a four movement solo this way. She's never seen the piece notated.

Many of the students who come through public school music programs are never asked to really listen... only to translate the symbols on a page into notes or rhythms. Often it doesn't so any farther than that (no music is made... only notes.) We have to remember that traditional notation is a poor way to represent music. As a matter of fact, some would say it doesn't represent the music at all... just some of the ingredients.

	Frank Hanson
	University of Wisconsin-Whitewater