The most intriguing part of this video is Casals’ performance of the Bach Cello Suite #1 in G. He is at this time 77 years old and his performance is amazing. While the video and the audio are not in sync, the quality of both is very good. Casals is a study in posture and position, fluidity and musicality.

This is from Google video and there is a button so that you can download this on your computer in the format for your Ipod. Here is a link so that you can go directly to the page and download it, if you want. Enjoy!

Why do we have such a hard time convincing school administrators, legislators, et. al. of the powerful impact music can have on a child’s life? What do you think?

(Related BBC Article: Venezuela youths transformed by music (2005)

This is not a skill that develops overnight, it takes years of work. Therefore, I believe that learning to listen critically to oneself and one’s ensemble should be taught from the beginning.

A method I like to use is to regularly record the ensemble with my Zoom H2. A day or two later, the students listen to the recording and respond in writing to what they are hearing. Of course, I also expose to recordings of fine groups (orchestras, bands, choirs) so that they are developing a proper sound concept.

To help the students with their written evaluation, I have adapted our state’s music assessment forms (Orchestra Self-Evaluation Form; Chorus Self-Evaluation Form [MSWord document format]). We review the meanings of the various terms each time we do this exercise. After they have “graded” themselves, we discuss what they have heard and what they have written. The students are tough on themselves, but also are not shy about giving credit where it is due.

I would be interested to hear about how you help your students become listening and thinking musicians. Please leave a comment with your ideas.

After a couple of month hiatus, I resumed the practice this past week, but with a twist. Instead of just using a CD recording, I used a clip from YouTube. Using the YouTube download tool at Tech Crunch, I saved the clip to my portable drive and projected it on screen using my LCD projector.

This idea hit me when I was visiting Evan Tobias’s blog, “Catalysts and Connnections.” The funny thing is that his post really didn’t have anything with using YouTube in the classroom. His post (inspired by another music blogger, James Frankel) was focusing on music notation software. But at the end of his post, he had a clip of Anne-Sophie Mutter playing a portion of Vivaldi’s Spring, with Herbert Von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic.

As I watched that clip, the idea hit me to give my students the opportunity to see the music being made as well as hearing the music. One of my goals is to give students the opportunity to develop a sound concept for their instrument and the orchestra as a whole. I also want to expose them to string instruments playing a variety of genres. CD’s can certainly do this. But video allows the students to go one step further and observe the musician’s concentration, his/her instrumental technique and their very personal involvement with the music.

It was a huge hit! My students really enjoyed what they saw and heard. As we discussed the clip and Ms. Mutter’s playing, they talked about technique, intonation (one of my frequent rehearsal rants), balance in the ensemble, how the music portrayed or did not portray for them the idea of spring.

Where do we go from here? I plan to play YouTube clips for each of the orchestral instruments in a variety of genres. If you have some YouTube favorites that you think would benefit my students, I would appreciate it if you would leave a link in your comments.

The H.S. students were seated between two middle school students so that each one could both hear and see the H.S. student as they played. The director rehearsed the pieces we are working on for MPA (Florida’s term for Festival or Contest). Some of his suggestions echoed things that I had told my students. He also had a number of excellent bowing and other suggestions that are “keepers.”

Events like this, in my view, are a “win, win.” My students have an opportunity to learn first-hand from more experienced players, get great suggestions from another teacher, and have fun! The H.S. director now becomes someone my students know which helps a lot when they make the decision as to what classes they will take in H.S. Since they now have rehearsed under the H.S. director, H.S. orchestra is not a “great unknown” and that makes it easier to choose to continue orchestra. I gained some valuable suggestions from a fellow teacher and students that are even more excited about being in orchestra.

This past Tuesday (Feb. 19) was our pre-MPA concert. It was a great experience for my students as they heard the high school symphony and chamber orchestras perform. They also were able to hear another middle school orchestra. I relish the opportunity for my students to hear high school groups because it gives them a better sense of what they could become as they progress. Hearing other middle school orchestras allows them to get a sense of where they fit in the scheme of relative progress on their instruments.

My students did well especially considering that we have four more weeks before MPA. The judges comments were excellent (the students listened to them in class the day after the concert). As a result of the judges comments, we have identified poor intonation as “public enemy #1.” Our rehearsals the rest of the week were very profitable and if we keep up the good work, the students should have a very positive experience at MPA.

There will more pages, links, etc. added in the coming days. I hope you return to check out the new things that will be added. Please leave suggestions for links and topics you have found helpful.