For the Love of the Arts (December 2008)

For the Love of the Arts - Musical Musings by Angela Chan

As most people are immersed in the holiday spirit,my life as a piano teacher remains relentlessly hectic. My days are filled with activities ranging from preparing students for recitals and examinations, contending with administrative duties for the studio, planning parties for my little ones, completing last minute shopping chores, wrapping gifts, keeping up with Internet communications... The list appears to be endless.

Amidst this festive frenzy, on an exceedingly cold evening with a wind chill factor approaching negative 20 degrees Celsius, I was caught in traffic on my way to visit a friend. Seizing the luxurious moment of being alone in the car, I enticed my ears with the recording of a dear pianist friend. As harmonies resolve, I became mesmerized by a fleeting musical breath. As the contrapuntal lines unfold, I was transported to an oasis beyond this world. No longer was I in the company of hundreds of automobiles on the slushy road, but I was caressed by velvety petals of angelic sounds. Within the warmth of this invisible touch emerged a sense of helplessness and blissful yearning. As the piece consummated to its finale, senses intensified and merged as the essence of one’s being succumbed to waves of emotion, sweeping body and soul into the abyss of eternal oblivion.

This experience prompts me to ponder – how can a mere six-minute audio track cajole a listener from the mundane steering wheel to a land of paradise? Why does this particular performance exert an indelible impact on the listener? Why is it that certain artists are capable of touching the core of the listener’s soul through their music? What makes the inherent connection between motion and emotion? Is it a gift, or an acquired ability? Is artistic sensitivity? In contrast, why is it that despite certain performers are highly skilled, they remain pyrotechnicians? What causes this seemingly unbridgeable chasm between poet and charlatan? On a more practical level, these philosophical musings prompted me to closely examine my pedagogical practices and assumptions. For instance, I find that many of my students are inherently musically sensitive, yet they require guidance in the development of technical control. Conversely, there are others who have demonstrable technical dexterity, however require a higher level of artistic consciousness before any level of musical sophistication can be attained. I believe an important role of the teacher is to cultivate artistry in parallel with technical proficiency. A delicate balance needs to be carefully maintained.

The teaching of technique may seem less ephemeral, as it is often perceived as transference of factual knowledge of fundamentals of movement, physical co- ordination and control,followed by hours of disciplined drilling. I prefer, however, to view technique as a tool for the reification of musical ideas. In other words, achieving an artistic interpretation requires an aesthetic approach to physical actions.

Cultivation of artistry, on the other hand, touches on a much broader pedagogical perspective. I believe that a teacher’s role is to encourage students to widen their horizons. To accomplish this, a student may benefit from an interdisciplinary form of enriched education. Beyond musical studies, exposure to other disciplines of fine arts can bring about a greater level of artistic-felt significance. For instance, understanding dance and choreography not only liberates movement, but also brings a renewed level of physical awareness to qualities of movement in relation to musical performance. Appreciating theatre and understanding basic principles of acting can help the characterization of drama in music performance.

Appreciating graphic arts as a spectator as well as having some hands-on experience in the art form can help a student experience sounds as a palette of colors. Whether it is through the mixing and matching of paints or colors on a tonal palette, the learner acquires a level of flexibility and freedom in communicating through the arts. Learning about the science and technology behind the arts also fosters a critical and analytical mindset that helps transcend artistic and scientific boundaries.

As ballet dancer Dame Margot Fonteyn puts it: “I do think it would be good to have artists studying side by side in the different disciplines instead of each group isolated in its own world....the objective would be to produce professional artists integrated from their school days with exponents of the sister arts. Many benefits would ensue, especially for ballet itself which is a composite of the four arts. The ideal would be Music, Dancing,(principally ballet and ballet-related dancing), Painting and Drama. Those four are the basic elements of theatre” [1] (from correspondence with Ludden).

Throughout the years, my pedagogical mission has gradually evolved towards helping students learn about life through music and the arts. I attempt to redefine my role as a facilitator in helping students adapt to the ever changing contexts of life through offering a diversity of experiences. I truly hope that in the process, students are empowered so that they can wholeheartedly share the joys, sorrows and perils of life through their music.

[1]Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margot_Fonteyn Retrieved on December 14th , 2007.

By Angela Chan

Copyrighted 14th December 2007