Expectations

[cc-chiu]

Mr Zlatkovski, I think that the teaching you refer to, is only available
at college/university level. It seems as though you’ve got to reach a
certain level before more emphasis is placed on musicality instead of
just learning the notes.
Of course, one should be able to know how to
play the harp before such remarks/tips/pointers will be useful, but why
don’t teachers start with emphasis on such points from the very start? I’d love to learn more about music theory, composters, styles of music etc. and while there are many resources on the internet, it’s impossible to look for answers on your own.

As a mere harp student with a private teacher, there’s only so much I can do. I certainly take responsibility for my learning process – as others encouraged me to do – but in the end, you need a teacher who is willing to teach you how to analyse and interpret pieces at the beginner level (compared to their level).
By the way, so far I’m very satisfied with my teachers, as they’re always willing to put up with all of my questions (I prepare a list of questions for every lesson…).

Eventually, I think teachers need to teach students ‘how to learn’ – how to interpret pieces ‘on your own’. After all, most of the work isn’t done during lessons but during practice at home. Such teaching shouldn’t be limited to the lucky few who get into a college… Giving useful pointers and tips during a lesson isn’t very hard, but to teach students how to critically listen to their playing and improve themselves… To me, that seems a major goal in teaching, just as important as telling a student how a piece should be correctly played.

So… Both harp teachers and students need to work together on this, but I definitely agree that the student’s motivation to learn is essential.

[carl-swanson]

CC- Its wonderful that you recognize the need for more than merely learning notes and technique. But there is only so much time in a lesson and the teacher has to “choose her battles.” I would suggest you consider taking other music related courses to fill out your knowledge. Take a theory course, or private theory lessons in order to improve your ability to read and understand what’s printed on the page. Take a music history course, or read books on music history. Most importantly, listen to all kinds of music. Listen to good singers to learn how to phrase and interpret music. Listen to orchestras, chamber music, instrumental soloists(other than just the harp). Over time, you will absorb ideas and ways of interpreting what you play. There’s a lot that you can do on your own so that when you spend time with your teacher, he/she can maximize the lesson time by helping you bring out the things that you have already internalized on your own.

[shannon-schumann]

That’s an interesting philosophy. I’m happy my physician’s teacher didn’t have that same philosophy!

Well… If you think it’s a good use of my

[patricia-jaeger]

Some people posting here can expand their weekly lesson information considerably, free of charge, by visiting http://www.harpspectrum.org, a non-profit educational site started by Joyce Rice and myself more than ten years ago. We realized that teachers in the one-hour lesson cannot give enough information on harp composers, performers, makers, styles of playing, etc. to give a student a broader view of the world of the harp. Try it; you’ll like it! Louise Trotter (Country music on harp), Stella Castelluci (Hollywood and movie harp), Ray Pool (master of the flying levers and blazing pedals

[kreig-kitts]

Those are very interesting articles. I probably most enjoyed Teed Rockwell’s article on composing contemporary music for folk harp, and the accounts of the harpists who played for the Chieftains’ tour after Derek Bell’s passing.

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

This kind of teachings is available from the beginning if you choose that kind of teacher. It is up to the student to show initiative to do more than just what is assigned. I don’t think it is ever about just learning the notes. You have to learn how your body works, but musicality, if you have it, should happen right along with the notes. You cannot separate technique and music. Students must attend every harp concert and event.

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

You have a very organized approach to practice which is good. If I hadn’t prepared well for my lesson or mastered something I needed to, we certainly did spend the whole lesson repeating it with the metronome until I got it. I dreaded those lessons, but they were the most important ones. I learned how to practice productively and concentrate that way.

[cc-chiu]

Yes, that’s also a very essential part of teaching – teaching students how to practise/study. My anatomy professors would never have us study flashcards in anatomy lab, but they did suggest we make them! (in addition with other useful study strategies)

I was already aware of the existence of HarpSpectrum – it’s a great website and I hope more articles get added to it!

[shannon-schumann]

Thank you. Coming from you, Saul, this means a lot!

I learned in graduate school (math, not music) that it’s best to come

[Julietta Anne Rabens]

This is an especially informative and interesting thread! I was wondering also what people’s thoughts are on how many pieces one should work on concurrently? I realize this varies between students, but if it takes two years to learn a serious piece of repertoire, then it would makes sense that during those two years an hour of music at least would be studied concurrently as preparation for a recital program? More of course for those entering competitions.

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

Miss Lawrence was kind of dumbfounded by my desire to know so many pieces. In her day, you did not need a huge repertoire, although Florence Wightman certainly did for her radio recital series. What mattered was the quality.

[Saul Davis Zlatkovski]

Another aspect of expectations: Thinking that your life will resemble that of someone else. I suspect most young people play a sort of “follow-the-leader” when it comes to choosing schools, teachers, competitions, auditions, etc. It is a way of measuring one’s self and one’s possibilities. I think it is misleading though. Each of us is different, with different needs and abilities. The same exact path will not fit and work for the next person in the same way. So, just because you admire someone’s achievements, don’t assume following in their footsteps will produce the same results for you. More likely, you would achieve those results via another route.

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