Cultivating Deep Listening. . . part two

The Practice Path with Leaves-photo from Bill's Dad

One of the greatest compliments musicians give to one another is to say--he has "big ears."  She has big ears.  This implies that they are listening very deeply to the music they are creating.

So often the music we are hearing in our inner ears is not exactly the same as what is coming out the instrument.  It takes a certain focus and determination to make those two one in the same.

Some students are making videos to send in for the convention.  I took some advice, and zeroed out my expectations for Mary's video session.  She is only seven.  If we get a good recording, fine.  If not fine.  The time I set aside to tape was last night after school.  On the way in the house I stopped to pick up the mail.  Here was a birthday party invitation addressed to Mary for Pump it Up--the jumping toy warehouse party factory---from her best school friend.  For the weekend we are out of town.  Sobs.  More sobs.  Additional sobbing.

Red swollen face.  Time is passing by.  The time that I have allotted to make the video.  Put her in the dress, her favorite dress from Lena.  That helped considerably.  Cold rag on the face.  Fresh wave of grief.  Mama you don't know what it is like to miss the birthday party of your best friend.  My expectations for making a lovely video are even lower at this time.  Very low. Zero.

We finally make it into the piano room.  I put the music desk down and set up the camera.  We took about 25 takes.  I'm not going to send in the one where she makes it to the last note and clams and puts her hands in her lap and pouts into the camera.  I have been there Mary.  Not sending the nose-picking one.  Not sending the one where she dramatically flings her hair.  Most of the takes were very happy hearted.  She is happy to put on a show.  I introduce her before I turn on the camera--the famous and lovely princess Mary will perform her specialty--the Cradle Song.

The reason I'm boring you with this, is because in the process of making the video, something clicked.  She started listening.  Deeply.  You can tell because she fixes the balance and tone as she goes.  Princesses can do what ordinary little girls can't do.  The right hand is beautifully singing out. She plays the right tempo.  She shapes her phrases.  After about the tenth take, I started getting really excited.  Not because I give a hoot whether she makes it to the convention or not, but because she was playing really well.  Listening deeply.

My teacher growing up used to walk to the back of the studio and listen when I was getting ready for a performance.  Louder here, he would say.  Softer now.  And I obeyed because I was a good little girl.  But I wasn't really listening.

I'm still learning to listen.  To get beyond the notes and the piano machine and my fingers and listen to the sound.

How to cultivate this?  Making recordings is a great way.  Listening back we can hear the difference between what we thought we did and how it actually sounded.  With practice they can become closer to the same.

For little kids--my number one listening game is "who played it."  The parent looks away and I play the snippet and the child plays the snippet and the parent has to guess who played first.  Then we switch turns. This cuts to the chase of what kind of sound is coming out the instrument.   Even a puppet can be the judge.  The student is so delighted when her sound fools her mother.  Why shouldn't a young person have the exact tone as the teacher.  It is only a physics problem.  Gravity is gravity--within reason of course.  The young students can get a very lovely projecting tone.  Shape a phrase.  Balance the hands.

As teachers we get so wound up in getting through all the material in the lesson, the note reading, the scale, the review, the theory, the finger numbers on the new piece. . . . sometimes we forget that without deep listening, we miss out on so much.  So, I'm gonna try to remember to make deeper listening a part of each and every lesson.  At every age and every level.

Students who listen deeply, love the music deeply.  That is my goal.