This is the season of competitions for the young musicians and the older accompanists. The Saratoga competition is already done, the North Solo and Ensemble is this Saturday and the South Solo competition is next Saturday. Those three represent a tremendous amount of work for the soloists and for their accompanists. That in mind, I have tried to figure out why in the heck I do this again and again when I detest competition as much as I do. And, truth be told, I think most of the kids are in my camp, the "I don't like it" camp! So why do we put . Yah, I like that!
Adam plays Fenzi 's five bagatelles for Clarinet on the 6th of February. 2 of the 5 bagatelles are this years offering. He has gone from thinking the Choral was too easy to realizing that playing musically is never easy and counting complex rhythms is never going to be a simple thing, to thinking he could never master the Fhughetta. He plays them both extremely well now and is a pleasure to listen to. Will he win the covetted nod to go to state? Probably not, he is only a Freshman and they always weight it to the older kids and I agree with that for the most part. Will he win? Oh yes, major big win. He grew in understanding, in self discipline, musically and in self respect. He knows he is playing well and he knows he is playing stuff that is very difficult. Yes, he will walk away a winner no matter what any judge says to the contrary.
And that is the reason I put myself through this year after year. I love to watch these young musicians open their eyes and realize that they need only please one person, and that person is themselves. Besting a piece of music is a heady thing and it is fun to watch them discover what it feels like to best something. Will I do it again next year? Probably, but I will not do it with this many students. Some will have to move on to another accompanist as this one is getting tired of the routine. But I will still keep the few that I consider magical, the few that I feel a real connection to and marvel at all the things they have taught me as we perfect music.
And no more saxophones! It taxes my limited hearing in a major way. I play blind as I cannot hear myself at all. One of these years I will have to admit I just don't hear well enough to do this super sensitive work, but not yet. I will cross that bridge when it comes.
1 comment:
This brings back so many memories, good and bad. I'm afraid my best performances were given not in front of a judge, but in practice with you and Elisabeth. Sadly few judges heard my musical triumphs. I'm glad you were there to hear them though. Thank you. It was the music teachers like you who inspired me, not the judges.
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