I'm just about finishing another week's teaching, and it's hard to believe it was a week ago when I left cumbria! I did get home in the middle of the night so had a few rest days after returning ( and lots of rugby of course!), in the same way as I needed the rest after arriving at Boarbank! The plane times from Inverness to Manchester are very unsociable, in both directions!
It has been a good and positive week with lots of lovely feedback from the concert, and a slew of wonderful photos which were Dropboxed to me! The photographer must have been turbo charged as there were 279 pictures !
Many of my ladies and two chaps are now on serious winding up for Song School now. There are only four more lessons until they are on their own whilst I go to South Cumbria Festival in the first week of April. In my work book each has her/his own page, and each week we try to tick off another song or aria memorised. They learn a large amount of repertoire, a main piece for each day and a back up piece incase it's needed. That means around 8 solos and a number of ensembles, ie duets, trios and part songs etc. we are now almost at the point where most of the material is in the brain, so only one or two elements are still on copy.
I am always so disappointed if folk who want to be masterclassed are still glued to the music, and even after all these years of trying to persuade singers that memory is best, still some think that they can get the best from me, and the best from themselves and have to hang on to the copy for grim death!
Having music committed to memory is only the beginning of the real learning, it simply means that it can then have flesh put on the bones of the piece. It seems such a simple truth, but so many people assume that knowing the notes, rhythms and text is the end product.
My pupils certainly will have their songs from memory ! They wouldn't dare not ! That makes me sound like a tyrant.........no comments please ! I know they all now believe that being comfortable with the musical 'nuts and bolts' means they take away so much more from the whole Masterclassing experience.
In other words, the knowledge allows the magic to happen !
Magic in the making from a few years ago....now she is at Conservetoire !
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