We live in a most visually conscious age. Young musicians in the 21st century could be forgiven for assuming that image is everything. Instagram, TikTok, ‘my story,’ and YouTube …
All provide instantaneous imagery, giving the immediate communicative impact that, for certain ‘influencers,’ can extend to a global scale. Concerts and competitions are live-streamed, meaning that virtual audiences can come and go as they please.
Over the years, Kathryn and I have attended many excellent summer schools and festivals. We adore the spirit, motivation, concept, and delivery of summer music making in all kinds of contexts and locations- it is pure joy to take music to new places and share it with others. To be a professional musician on the faculty of a summer course is to let go of paperwork, day to day chores and focus exclusively on creativity… with time off each day for leisure and socialising with new friends and colleagues.
Part 1 – tap to read
There are still many wonderful opportunities for exceptionally gifted young musicians in the UK today. Many charities offer support for tuition fees, the cost of music, and instruments.
What is music education in the 21st Century?
Hefty tuition fees at universities and conservatoires, government cutbacks in funding for the Arts, lack of specialist teachers in state schools, dwindling numbers of pupils entering GCSE and A Level music, ever-escalating costs for instruments and instrument repair/ maintenance, travel and sheet music, courses, grade exam entry fees and concert tickets ….
About practising part 6: Murray McLachlan shares advice about breathing techniques from Flautist and Head of Woodwind at Chetham’s School of Music Belinda Crouch. The trick is to keep breathing!
Before you continue reading, you might want to catch up to the previous articles on the subject of practising:
About practising part 5: When I first entered Chetham’s school of music many years ago as a 14-year-old pupil, I was presented with a homework diary on my first day. Wise words reproduced on the opening pages instantly made a strong impression.
About practising part 4: it may seem strange to start writing about beginnings in the fourth part of this ongoing series about practising… but the decision to wait until now to discuss the initial stages in the learning process was deliberate.
About practising part 3: practising with our instruments by the clock and adding up the time spent working can be extremely misleading. It may breed the assumption that it is not possible to develop repertoire, technique, or interpretation unless we are physically involved, literally playing our instruments during quantifiable, scheduled practice blocks. Nothing could be further from the truth.
