Notes for String Teachers - Benedetti Foundation by Benedetti Foundation

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CONTENTS 01 NICKY'S WELCOME

ILLUSTRATED BY MARK BEECH

02 SIR SIMON RATTLE

ALL PHOTOS CREDIT TO ARTIST

03 A LETTER FROM ELIN MANAHAN THOMAS

04 EXTRACT FROM NICOLA'S SPEECH TO THE ROYAL PHILHARMONIC SOCIETY 07 MICHAEL TILSON THOMAS

HEALTH 09 BEING A MUSICAL ATHLETE 10 PHYSICAL WELL-BEING

ENGAGING STUDENTS WITH SCALES

SCALES ADVICE

DEVELOPING SKILLS AS A PLAYER

DEVELOPING YOUR SOUND

CONDUCTING FOR TEACHERS

DAILY PRACTISE ROUTINE

SHIFTING

VIBRATO

KODÁLY IN THE INSTRUMENTAL LESSON

WHAT IS MUSIC PERFORMANCE ANXIETY

BEYOND STAGE FRIGHT

SOUNDSCAPES

A NOTE FROM RICHARD MORRISON

MUSIC IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS TRUST

YOGA AS MEDICINE

PAGE 08

ELENA URIOSTE

WYNTON MARSALIS PAGE 11

BACK TO BASICS 38

WHY ARE THE BASICS IMPORTANT?

WARMING UP

INSTRUMENT POSITION

FUNDAMENTALS OF A STRONG LEFT HAND

MUSIC IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS TRUST

TOP TIPS 43

HOLDING THE INSTUMENT

BOW HOLD

BOW STROKES

SHEKU KANNEH- PETR LIMONOV PAGE 25 MASON

PAGE 18

BRINGING HOME THE BENEDETTI SESSIONS

BENEDETTI FOUNDATION 2020

We hope you’ve found this weekend both instructional and enjoyable. This booklet was a labour of love, compiled by myself and two unbelievable young women - Laura Gardiner and Hannah King, and with the generosity and help of countless friends and colleagues.

PHOTO: ANDY GOTTS

This is intended for those moments, when we need reminding of the ' why ' of our daily work, effort and sacrifice. Although I teach all the time, I have never been solely responsible for the development of a young person’s playing, or their relationship to music. This responsibility is huge, and precious, and your work must be nurtured, valued, empowered and supported. In your hands lies the opportunity to unlock untold potential, to free imaginations, to gift a voice to someone shy, to give confidence to someone who doubts themselves, to represent that moment for a child where they choose action over apathy, perseverance over giving up, to believe ‘I can’ over ‘I don’t want to try’. We do not value teaching enough in this country, and we certainly do not value music teaching enough. But through creating as much strength, solidarity and energy in action and result as possible, we can counter this trend and set new ones. I believe we all have something unique to share, and our collective power comes when we create environments where we can see each other’s strengths and grow from the learning process. There is no right way to teach music. It is as varied and complex as the human story itself. I hope we have demonstrated a sense of openness and embracing over this weekend, and I hope this booklet does the same.

Nicky x

NONE OF US CAN EXIST WITHOUT MENTORS, SUNG AND UNSUNG. WE NEED TEACHERS SO THEY CAN MOULD AND NURTURE A CHILD’S PASSION FOR MUSIC, AND SO THAT CHILD THEN HAS THE ABILITY TO EXPRESS THEMSELVES HOW THEY WANT TO. I FEEL VERY LUCKY TO HAVE HAD SUCH EXTRAORDINARY TEACHERS THROUGHOUT MY LIFE AND CAREER.

PHOTO: OLIVER HELBIG

A LETTER FROM

ELIN MANAHAN THOMAS To young musicians everywhere; YOU ARE A SUPERHERO! Oh yes you are. And do you know what your superpower is? You can stop time. Did you know that? Do you know how you do it, or remember the last time it happened? I’ll tell you: you make time stand still when you make music. It’s like magic. All those hours of practice, those fiddly technical sessions, those minutes devoted to tricky passages, those lessons filled with scales, dynamics and repeats – they all boil down to one special moment when you get to play your piece. And what happens then? The room falls still. You command everyone’s attention. Your instrument colours the atmosphere of the space you’re in; your sound conjures up images and memories for everyone listening; your music sparks emotions the audience didn’t even expect. And all of that – the stillness, the rapt attention, the colours, the emotions – that’s because of you, and your music-making. You are a superhero.of music. And even better than that, there’s no

kryptonite to stop you, and you don’t even need the power of the sun to refuel you; nope, you only need yourself. You can make this magic as often as you like, and no two times will be the same. You’re like a storyteller with an endless book of tales. Remember that your story is unique. Even when you’re learning a piece that’s been played a hundred, a thousand times before, when YOU play it, you own it. Give the audience your take on the music; tell the tale as you understand it; invite us in to a world of your own making, one that you’ve prepared, studied, considered, and are ready to share. There’s no such thing as a ‘wrong’ story, so have faith in what you’re saying, and convince the audience to listen to your version. Use your power with care: you can reduce people to tears, make them smile, maybe even bring out a laugh, and you can certainly overwhelm them. That’s the magic. And that magic is in you.

x Elin

Royal Philharmonic Society Speech Extract NICOLA BENEDETTI Our sense of the world and our place in it expands exponentially by the hour. This 21st century jungle is incomprehensible in its complexity and fullness; the earth is saturated with people and with information. Just to think about how much stuff is out there, from scientific and medical discoveries, books written, works of art created, the 500 recordings of Elgar cello concerto - the inordinate documentations of our collective pasts, and the continuous stream of current inventions is overwhelming. We also have so many things in every shape, size, colour and form conceivable, and for every purpose imaginable. And many of these things are deliberately designed not to last. Mobile phones are actually downgraded through a process called ‘upgrading’ - the companies that do it have even admitted to it. But what about a thing that does last, and is intended to? Do we understand the weight or value of a timeless thing? “Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge, where is the knowledge we have lost in information?” wrote T.S. Eliot in 1934. If he felt that then, I wonder what he would be saying about us now. I believe that people still want to feel and to be moved. They want to communicate with loved ones better, and we all want to feel we are not alone in the world. Even though more and more young people seem content in the worlds of their phones - adults too - I meet plenty more still committed to community, and to the enriching experience of creating something collectively. Yes it’s an effort, but that effort is the sacrifice that seals lasting bonds and allows for deeper, more profound and lasting experience.

Photograph: Jeff Holmes/REX/Shutterstock

But I am not bemoaning the present and lusting after the past. The amassed insights, information and resources at our disposal now, gives us phenomenal potential for a conscious and deliberate shaping of the directions we wish to go in. I believe we have a better opportunity than ever to choose to reacquaint ourselves with all the most enlightened areas of our past and to develop a deeper relationship with the profound intelligence of our intuition. Classical music sits in a very interesting place in this evolution of humankind; it is a grand and beautiful dialogue between instinct and intelligence. Music comes from so deep inside that it’s able to speak ancient truths in our modern language. Like learning how to deal with heartbreak, or how to trust - things that are not going to be discovered more truthfully through an equation or formula or data. Music can tell facts of our humanity that may seem to be imprecise, but are actually as precise as it’s possible to be because they can only be what they are.This of course is old wisdom, but old never means it’s less just because it’s old. 04

The teaching and sharing of music is important because, put simply, music is important. Well before it was notated, before it was codified and refined and studied and given names, it was a gift from the depth of one person’s soul to another, or the capturing of a moment’s emotion, or a lifetime’s devotion to a god, or simply of improvised expression and a means of communication. It is the art of all the things we can’t see or touch. It is feelings and thoughts, offerings of generosity, vulnerability and openness. It addresses us, and communicates and passes invisible things from people creating sound to people receiving sound. It has the power to capture us, to make us feel many complex things at once. It can lift us high into optimism, and accompany us during feelings of hurt and pain. The making of music can be described as healing, as invigorating, as exhausting, as allconsuming. It brings many millions together through the basic act of listening, and many thousands together through the act of making melody, rhythm and harmony in the practice and service of collective expression. So what about education? What comes to mind when you think of education - teaching, learning, passing on, the sharing of information? My duo partner Alexei Grynyuk studied in Kiev with a strict teacher who was the ultimate authority - what she said was how it was going to go. He then came to study at the Royal Academy of Music and was totally shocked to discover there could be dialogue in learning, and that he also could determine the answers to questions himself. Watching Alexei teach now is basically an entire series of questions. He is disinterested in forcing an idea on a student, unless that idea is that they must think for themselves.

French philosopher Emmanuel Levinas said that "teaching is the presence of infinity breaking the closed circle of totality". In other words, through education are we in fact trying to open windows into worlds you would never dream of yourself? Interacting with, and ultimately embracing, the “other” or that which is radically different from you. Is education preparing us to become units of production, predominantly utilitarian, taking up our place in the work force? Or is education simply, as we often experience now, a process of giving systematic instruction? The Matthew Arnold notion of passing on the best of what has been thought and written in our culture. Music and education can be a tricky combination. Music, so unquantifiable and very difficult to test, so reliant on creativity and individuality and freedom and expression, and the untidy, messiness of life. Education, so often experienced as something more structured, controlled and systematic. We are all accustomed to hearing that music education teaches empathy, coordination, concentration, cooperation, how to listen, while expressing something, how to express ourselves more confidently, how to be definitive while staying flexible, how to communicate and relate. We hear that it improves confidence and personal satisfaction, it boosts all round academic attainment and lifts morale, our physical and spiritual wellbeing affected, our sense of achievement and ownership over something is nurtured, it tests our exploration into that tentative and nerve-wracking feeling of offering something personal to strangers.

We hear about the opening up of our creativity creativity in problem solving, in thought, in how to make it through a day that bit better or that bit more easily, it addresses the releasing of blocked channels in our minds and our hearts, our ability to trust and stay resilient and positive, even when things don’t go our way, even when nothing goes For Socrates, the role of a teacher was akin to that our way. We know it can also give us early exposure of a midwife, implying you have something within to the idea of ‘professionalism’, in our you that only requires bringing forth.

attempt to make it through a difficult piece in front of our friends and teachers, or in how to set up the hall and try to make sure the Christmas concert lasts two hours instead of four! Learning an instrument demands learning how to practice. Practise itself can teach us uncommon discipline, persistence and patience. We know that caring for our instrument teaches us responsibility. That technical work and accuracy, playing in tune, coming in on time, paying attention to accents and dots and crescendos, and sound production, all whilst actually trying to express something collectively, teaches us loud and clear about balancing opposites and staying afloat. Music can teach us about meaning.

Music’s power is born out of its social practice and the art of creation and interaction. It is conversation. Music teaches us about our connections to the thoughts, feelings and voices of those from other countries and eras. It puts us in the mind and space of those who seem to experience lives very far away from our own. It allows us to strip away all that separates us and urges us to see and feel what unites us. Ultimately our biggest challenge on this planet is to understand, empathise and elevate one another in pursuit of our common humanity. There is no greater challenge or reward.

Nicola Benedetti 5th November 2019

Music fires the imagination in young minds. On some occasions, I have learnt more about the pieces I’m playing from critiques of four year olds, than from years of studying with learned professors. 06

“AS TEACHERS, WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE OPPORTUNITY AND WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE TO DEVELOP THE SENSE OF CONTACT WITH A NEW BRILLIANT SPIRIT OF A NEW GENERATION. THE WORLD NEEDS TEACHERS FOR MUSIC TO BE PRESENTED IN A WAY SO THAT KIDS CAN GRASP SONGS, DANCES, SIMPLE MUSIC THAT’S ASSOCIATED WITH SOME PARTICULAR DEFINING MOMENT IN HUMAN EXPERIENCE” PHOTO: STREIBER

Yoga as Medicine

ELENA URIOSTE VIOLINIST, YOGA INSTRUCTOR, CO-FOUNDER OF INTERMISSION

In my second year as a student at Curtis Institute, my right arm started going numb from my elbow to my fingertips on a fairly regular basis. It was sort of like how your limbs feel right before they fall asleep; not full-on pins and needles all the time, but a dull, hot emptiness, like there was no blood to keep that part of me alive and vibrant. I was overworked, under-slept, and using my body as a landfill for garbage like Entenmann’s donuts, Red Bull, and DeKuyper Sour Apple Pucker. The arm numbness was exacerbated by sitting, so I had to be excused from orchestra regularly, incurring the wrath and eye-rolls of Rick Zuch. My mentors and classmates were as clueless about how to remedy my issue, let alone what might be causing it, as I was. The best advice anyone could give me was to go see the local “hand doctor”, whose solutions to musicians’ pains generally involved a scalpel. Finally, a loved one suggested that I go see a Rolfer (someone who practises a style of physical manipulation called Structural Integration). I had no idea what that meant, and frankly I’m still a little hazy on it, but by that point I was just desperate to have a functional bow arm.

The Rolfing sort of worked, but only after I’d shelled out thousands of dollars for a prescribed 10 sessions of treatment, many of which had little or nothing to do with my actual issue. My numbness mostly went away - perhaps from the hands-on contact or maybe just out of sheer will but each time I could feel it coming back in the months following, I grew terrified. I had no idea what the numbness meant or how to fix it on my own. I have been doing yoga for almost 9 years now. I have been injury-free for all of those years. Yoga is by no means a panacea, and nor is it a cult.

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The very best yoga, at its core, is science. Noninvasive, basic, “the foot bone's connected to the... leg bone!” science. I am not an anatomy scholar. What I am, now, is someone who is aware of her body, in tune with how it feels at any given moment. I have a healthy enough understanding of what joint/muscle/ligament is supposed to go where so that when something doesn’t feel good, I know how to move it to correct the problem and prevent more serious issues. I know to take breaks when I feel stiff or fatigued from playing. I know that it's ok to admit when i'm in pain, and that it’s also okay to tell people off when they roll their eyes at you. Musicians are not better, tougher, or more employable for playing through pain. By the way, that numbness? A nerve at the base of the right side of my neck was compressed, probably from something as silly as falling asleep in a twisted way or sitting in an awkward position on a plane, compounded by hours and hours and hours of violin playing with no intelligent countermovement. I felt a glimmer of something similar starting up about two years ago, but this time I was able to identify the problem. Thanks to my knowledge of and trust in a slow, mindful yoga practice, I spent the next hour or two doing stretches and sequences that opened up my neck, collarbones, the front side of my chest, and my upper back. The numbness was gone by that evening’s rehearsal. I wanted to write this out not to be selfcongratulatory or preachy - I haven’t always been a head-standing, rose quartz-loving, meditation-obsessed human pretzel. Once upon a time I was in fairly constant pain. But it is truly an amazing practice. It’s medicine. Yoga is truly for everybody. Let’s prevent and destigmatise injury together!”

L PERFORMANCE TOP TIPS FOR OPTIMA

BEING A MUSICAL ATHLETE BY SARAH UPJOHN

PHYSIOTHERAPIST

Warm up before tune up Do some exercises that make you warmer This increases blood flow through your muscles Blood brings oxygen to the muscles Keep hydrated – drink plenty of water Keep fit – being physically strong and fit reduces the risk of injury

When playing Be mindful Are you sitting comfortably? Are you sitting heavily on your sitting bones? Is your weight dropping through your sitting bones? Are your feet flat on the floor? Return to neutral position whenever you get the chance Regularly let go of accumulating tension – shoulder girdle, forearms, hands, jaw

After playing Stretch out – get out of playing position Make optimal use of breaks – go for a walk, get some fresh air, swing your arms Remember the importance of rest and recovery time - muscles need this in order to get stronger

Remember Don’t ignore pains - seek help if you are hurting because of playing Playing related injuries are preventable

Physical Wellbeing

OSTEOPATH ANDREW PATTERSON

We know from many years of research evidence that playing a musical instrument can lead to discomfort, pain and potentially injury. The good news is that much of this is preventable, and if we can encourage good physical habits in young people then they can prevent many of the postural and movement patterns that can lead to injury. With this approach they may even develop a better sound. Playing posture is as important as technique and ability. To play beautifully we need a foundation, and a body that supports us that is also relaxed and able to move dynamically. A good foundation starts by placing the feet flat and shoulder-width apart. The pelvis should be neutral, like a bowl full of water, allowing the water to neither tip out of the front of the pelvis, nor out of the back. If playing in a sitting position, the weight should be divided equally onto the ‘sitting bones’. The body should be upright and relaxed, neither curved in a slouching position nor too upright and arching backwards. The front and back should be the same length, and the neck should be encouraged to lengthen a little. The shoulders should be relaxed and open.

It is helpful to warm up first. The goal of a warm-up is to get the blood circulating and to warm the muscles. Some general movements that get the joints moving are sufficient and they can focus on the upper back, shoulders and forearms and fingers.

Stretching before activity is of no benefit, you cannot warm a muscle by stretching it. After playing you should stretch and move in a way that relaxes the postural muscles and the playing muscles, again concentrating on the upper back, shoulders and forearms. This helps to prevent carrying forward any playing-related tension to the next day. Practice can be more effective if it starts with long slow bows and controlled scales rather than launching into fast finger exercises or straight into the piece. When learning something we can make use of a feature of brain physiology whereby the wiring pattern of new movement is processed when we have stopped doing it. Thus, when we come back to it, we will often have the pattern established and we are able to play it. The learning happens in the gaps. This can help when repertoire becomes more difficult and can help to ease the pressure of learning. We should also be aware of other postural challenges to the body such as carrying instruments, and straining our neck muscles to look at our phones. These tend to compound any tensions that we acquire whilst playing.

A NOTE FROM

Wynton Marsalis Almost all of us have been intimately involved with music in some way for most of our lives. In the course of our regular workday, it's commonplace to reflect on the directors and private teachers of our youth. The mere mentioning of a name can evoke the intensity of our first love affair with music, or perhaps, cause us to recall our gradual progression from lukewarm participant, to enthusiastic band member, to enlightened purveyor of the musical values that we were raised with, long ago. Just the name - music....bespeaks spirituality, sophistication, solemnity, sass and celebration. Sensuousness and skipping, squeaking, squawking and silliness, sonatas and serious symphonies, and so much swooping and being souped in a special sauce called soul. It bespeaks the blues and saying exactly what you want to say.

TRUMPETER, COMPOSER, EDUCATOR & ARTISTIC AND MANAGING DIRECTOR, JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTRE

Music is the exhortations of a country preacher and the sound of the midnight moan. It is the super trite jingle of a TV commercial, a ditty that identifies the video game, the sound of an entire ethnic group and the travail of Southern Slaves encrypted in song. The voice of morning prayer that stops cities and the anthem that calls a nation to attention. In music, there is the recorded history and memory of a people sung to life at every performance, the tying together of generations, a feeling of belonging and an expression, ultimately, of love. It can reorder emotions, awaken thoughts, can raise morale and open the mind's eye with a single note. Consciousness made physical through the razor's edge of performance and forced into truthfulness through the pressure of time, music is always now. And mastery of the present is serious business.

In music is everything from the movements of the heavens to the chirping of crickets, the ringing of church bells and of cell phones, the splashing of water and howling at the moon, the whispers of new lovers, the cacophonous clatter of embattled couples, to the lonely cry of the broken hearted.

"Just the namemusic...bespeaks spirituality, sophistication, solemnity, sass and celebration." 11

Though lightly compensated, a band director is chief local custodian of a personal and collective musical legacy. A special type of teacher whose identity is moulded by a lifetime's engagement with the profound and immediate truths of music. Someone who is compelled to lead students to deeper self-knowledge and cognisance of others by curating their relationship to the art itself. One of the greatest achievements of Western culture: like-minded instruments grouped into families co-mingling, with all the joys and dysfunctions appertaining thereunto, becomes a family of families, a concert band, an orchestra, a marching band, a jazz band. It is a complexity of relationships with constantly shifting rights and responsibilities. At its center, the relationship between director and individual student can be as complex and simple as the relationship between brass and woodwinds, trumpets and jealous trombones and between everyone and percussionist. Finally and first, it is the director's job to bring everyone together in fulfilment of the basic and ultimate mandate of music: be together and stay together. The director is the connector and time is the equaliser. Problems in a performance? Solve it immediately because playing IS the final word, and it is always now.

The very 'presentness' of performance makes high aspirations even more critical. A band is inspired by the quality of its music and inflamed by the passion of its director. All of the working and pulling together for a successful performance, deserves substantive, well crafted music and a purity of intention WORTHY of the effort. This value cannot be calculated in dollars and cents or in number of downloads. It can't be bartered or traded. Music is worth whatever was put into it to begin with; the soul of a people, a spiritual insight, hours of craftsmanship, a deep romance, humour, extinguished love, orchestrational brilliance, deep rooted form, centuries of tradition, an innovative genius... It's so much deeper than the notes. And it all flows out from the mysteries of creativity through the composer to the music through the director to the ensemble and through to the audience.

After performances, everyone is almost always excited and uplifted. But so much of what makes for a successful performance is not onstage. Far beyond production logistics and the basic requirements of harmony, rhythm and tune, directors are increasingly called upon to be community dreamer, builder and activator. A nagging and pervasive national ignorance, apathy and sometimes outright hostility towards the arts in general education, necessitates greater off-thebandstand involvement. Whether we accept it or not, enlightening, entertaining and inspiring our fellow citizens is the future of our programs. And it's all very personal. Your story becomes your band's story, and through their retelling and embellishing, it soon becomes the story of your community and then the tale of us all.

Let those of us who can, reflect upon a beloved teacher who is no longer with us. Even now, in this moment, we can recall, with an uncommon suddenness of emotion, how much they gave to make us better musicians, students and people. Just the remembrance of a voice conjures their repeated sayings and unique approaches to a challenging piece. Reflect upon your high school band experience. You will never, ever forget your band director. Even the most ambivalent student remembers. YOU now occupy that position and have become an immovable guidepost on the landscape of YOUR student's lives. And what are our responsibilities to this position, to our students, and to our loved ones who sacrifice so much for our ensembles? We owe them AN INVESTMENT IN SUBSTANCE, THE PURSUIT OF QUALITY and AN UNQUENCHABLE ENTHUSIASM FOR IMPROVEMENT. We don't want to look back on a career directing youngsters and say, "That was a drag! Full of bad music and pains-in-the-behind. I never see the kids I spent my life teaching. Good riddance!" It is important to keep former students around us. Their participation in music at home and in their communities testify, across time, to the effectiveness of our teachings. 12

ENGAGING STUDENTS WITH SCALES

The practice and development of scales in young musicians is important to building a strong technique. Developing good habits and positivity towards scales within students from an early age will stand them in good stead for future development. Here are some tips for students. Always set yourself targets and stick to your mission Breathe Listen for even bow distribution Follow the sound from beginning to end - always listen for a beautiful tone Practice initially without vibrato so you are able to listen for a pure tone, clear intonation, smooth bow changes and flawless connection between the down bows and up bows Listen for fluidity in the shifting and string crossing Check intonation with open strings and seek that ‘ringing’ feeling of the vibrations when it’s really in tune and the instrument starts to open up Try to always include arpeggios and double stops - these are invaluable for the development of a good left hand frame and for getting to know the geography of the instrument Avoid dancing fingers in the left hand - keep them supple, ready and prepared Spend some time in your practice each day developing different bow strokes and remember to use a metronome 13

SCALES ADVICE from Andrea Gajic, Professor of Violin at Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

When teaching scales, here are some things which you will find helpful to remember: Take time to understand how the pupil learns Identify strengths and weaknesses Be flexible, open and creative Create a routine which facilitates the development of areas in need of improvement Be consistent in making time to hear exercises and scales, ideally at each lesson Be consistent in encouraging the pupil to fulfil their potential Avoid saying/giving too much too soon there is plenty of time (especially with young players) Remain patient and conscientious - always consider the long term plan

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR SCALES AND STUDY BOOKS Barbara Barber: Scales for Young Violinists (Alfred Music) Barbara Barber: Scales for Advanced Violinists (Alfred Music) A.Grigorian: Scales and Arpeggios for violin (Muzyka) Carl Flesch: Scale System by Carl Flesch (Carl Fischer Music) Ivan Galamian and Frederick Neumann: Contemporary Violin Technique Part 1 and 2 (Galaxy Music Corporation) Elisabeth Gilels: Daily Exercises for the Violinist (Sikorski Musikverlag) Carl Flesch: Urstudien (Carl Fischer Music) The Dounis Collection: Eleven books of studies for the violin (Carl Fischer) Schradieck: School of Violin (Schirmer Library) Ševčík: Changes of Position and Preparatory Scale Studies Op.8 (Bosworth) Ševčík: Preparatory Exercises in Double Stopping Op.9 (Bosworth) Ševčík: 40 Variations Op.3 (Bosworth) Ivan Galamian: Principles of Violin Playing and Teaching Paul Rolland: The Teaching of Action in String Playing (Alfred Publishing) Simon Fischer: Basics 14

WHAT ARE WE REALLY DOING WHEN WE DEVELOP OUR SKILLS AS PLAYERS, AND AS WE MAKE MUSIC TOGETHER? KATHRYN JOURDAN VIOLIST, TEACHER AND RESEARCHER

We hear a lot about music being a universal language, but there are so many different varieties of music-making and a multitude of musical cultures across the world which contrast sharply in terms of sounds and functions. Can we understand all music-making as a common practice? How might we understand the importance of technical development and of all that hard work we put into learning our instrument? And why does it matter anyway? When looking into experiences of pupils in music education I found the philosophy of Emmanuel Levinas to be very helpful. He saw our first responsibility, before we try to make sense of the world in any way, as being to the ‘other’ - the person we encounter face to face or at a distance, for us

perhaps the person we’re sharing a desk with, the audience members we are playing for, or even the people perhaps thousands of miles away whose music we are learning. It’s a kind of radical openness which ethically reorients us in a profoundly outward-turning way as we are changed through encountering the other. If we consider language–how we speak to one another – at the very deepest level before we actually communicate anything, we are reaching out to ‘put a world in common’ with each other. Equally, when we make music together we are ‘putting ourselves into question’ in order to ‘look into the face’ of another or a group of others. This is an ethical act. Playing music with others means reaching outside of ourselves and taking a risk in order to be in relationship.

DEVELOPING YOUR SOUND Paying attention to your sound is so important, don’t avoid it! It is the most personal thing about your playing, so I would strongly advocate taking the time to patiently develop it.The tone anyone produces on their instrument is entirely unique so I would encourage everyone to ask themselves, “What do I want to sound like?” and to remember, your sound is only ever going to be your sound. For students, encouraging them to accept themselves, accept their sound and from there, work with them to develop and deepen it. When producing and developing your sound, the things we need to take into account are: Bow hold Bow placement – position of the bow between the bridge and fingerboard Bow angle Bow speed – fast, slow, controlled Arm weight through the bow – sinking into the string for a big sound or hovering over the string creating air and lightness Sound is not a purely physical thing, the strongest force at play is your hearing and your intention.Your ears are powerful instruments – they will guide you. Experimenting with your sound: Experiment with the outer dimensions of too little and too much weight through the bow into the string Feel the vibrations of the instrument and listen really carefully when you are experimenting Practise finding the extremes of your instrument then the middle ground The ‘middle ground’ is your most resonant, beautiful, comfortable and happiest home for your sound. You have to know what the extremes are in order to know how to sit in the middle and make the most beautiful, projecting sound It should be unique, but sustainable (so it doesn’t exhaust you!) 16

Conducting for teachers Notes by Alex Laing

Much of your success in conducting a group of students comes from showing and sharing you own enjoyment and your own confidence with them. It’s important to remember you do not need to try to be, or to look like, a professional conductor. Professional conductors are often not very good at working with children. They develop their own varied styles of conducting that adult or professional musicians learn to interpret. REMEMBER Children need simple, clear, consistent direction Children do not need to be counted in Discipline at the start is worth it When the stick goes up this means that you are ready, so they should be too Feel the beat inside, then give the upbeat HOW TO HOLD THE BATON This is rather like holding a violin bow, but bringing the baton inside the hand:

WHEN BEATING THINK: Bounce – like pizzicato Ping pong – hit shots at 6, 9, 3, 12 o’clock 17

A NOTE FROM

Sheku KannehMason

CELLIST

Many people watched my performance in the final of the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition in 2016 playing Shostakovich Cello Concerto No.1, but what many won’t have seen and might not have been aware of was the preparation and support I had leading up to it, and that was mainly thanks to my wonderful teacher at the time, Ben Davies. I started having lessons with Ben at the age of 10 when I started at the Primary Royal Academy of Music, which I went to every Saturday. Ben was my teacher right until I was 18 and finished my time at the Royal Academy Junior Department. They were some of the most amazing years of my life and I learnt so much about cello playing and about music, and discovered the musician I wanted to be. Ben helped me develop from a young enthusiastic boy who loved the cello, into the musician I am today (still loving the cello). The unlimited number of ideas Ben had about the pieces I was playing was one of the things that always inspired me in my weekly lessons. He enabled me to search deeper into the music I was learning. It was clear also that he would think a lot about these things throughout the week away from teaching me and that was really special.

"My teacher taught me to search deeper into the music." Although he is no longer my full time teacher, if he’s at a concert, he’ll be sure to have his notebook and pen and always send me a message after with his thoughts. This is always so valuable. I think what’s really important is the trust I have with him that’s built up over the years, because I see him as a friend as well as a teacher. One of the things I remember the most from studying with him is the weeks leading up to the performances in the BBC competition. Right until the last few moments before going on stage, Ben was there with me enthusiastically coming up with ideas and challenging me. He encouraged me always to search within my playing and for that I am so thankful, because it has enabled me to be creative and to think about what I want to say in my performance, instead of worrying about what could go wrong!

I am so lucky to have had a teacher like Ben for so many years. 18

DAILY PRACTISE ROUTINE Breathing is one of the most important and most human things we can practise doing. I wish I had been taught to practise focusing on breathing when I was younger. Just take a moment to take a number of deep breaths in and out. When you breathe in, feel your stomach and lungs expand. When you breathe out, let your whole body feel as heavy and weighted and ‘earthed’ as possible. Sink into the ground, or into the chair if you’re sitting down

BREATH

CALM & FOCUSED MIND

Take a little second to be silent and still with your instrument before you dive right into making a sound. Think about what you’re about to do, and try to approach it with a calm but focused mind. Don’t stress about practice, but with positivity try to do it as seriously as possible

08 Music doesn’t exist without sound, so time spent on SOUND

your sound is never, ever a waste of time. Spend a good portion of your daily practice JUST thinking about and listening to your sound. Just try open strings or simple melodies - nothing complicated. Feel the vibration of the sound, try to make it clearer and more beautiful, more personal, more sincere and more comfortable

6This follows on from the breathing part. Feel the weight WEIGHT

of your arms and the weight of your whole being. Plant your feet deep into the ground, and bob up and down. Feel with each out breath that your arms are heavy and calm

2 TRUST

Spend a minute thinking about trusting yourself - that you and your hands can work out what to do. Don’t approach practice with anxiety - ‘I can’t do it’ or ‘I don’t want to do it'. Leave space for mistakes and for experimentation. Don’t try to get everything right every time!

INTONATION / LISTENING

WHERE IS YOUR HEART?

To play in tune, you have to listen really, really carefully. One of the most helpful lessons I was ever taught was to just get ONE OR TWO notes unbelievably in tune and ringing and shining and glowing. Once you know what that in tune feeling feels like, you will get addicted to it and want everything else to feel the same. So, actually be ‘mindful’ of intonation, at least once a day

Address what you feel towards music at some point in your practice. Question where the music is from, what’s the point of it, what is it trying to say, what do you feel about it and what do you want other people to feel about it

However small or large the repertoire you have to work on is, it’s best to lay out beforehand what you have to achieve and schedule your REPERTOIRE time so you don’t miss half of the important bits. Know how long the pieces are you have to practise, and try to make sure you can get through it. And if not, make sure you leave time to cover the bits you’re struggling with the most

SEPARATE & SIMPLIFY

CALM ATTITUDE

Separate out rhythm and notes, left hand and right hand, sound production from intonation. For example, practising intonation much, much more quietly is very useful. And practising sound only on open strings without any left hand distractions is really helpful, too

If you know you are doing them on a daily basis, you can be calm and trust the results of repetition. And even if you’re not, it never helps to try to do difficult things with stress 20

SHIFTING! Below are some principles we stick to when teaching shifting: Shifting is all about preparation The fundamentals are to practise and learn shifting with a slow, soft and light motion. -Shifting with the same finger -Shifting across strings -Shifting in octave leaps Whether it's a substitution shift or a shift with the same finger, always practise shifts slowly and deliberately. Use every fibre of your being to feel the physicality from one position to the next (and keep this slow so it's accurate) - this is a chance to teach your body the feeling of each distance. Build in the accuracy with each try A shift takes as long as it needs to be - you pretty much always have more time than you think More often than not you will want to lighten your left hand during a shift (unless you're after a schmaltzy slide!) - be constantly aware of finger pressure. Keep fingers light and buzzingly mobile Have a plan of how you will find the new note Work out whether you want a clean shift or a slide towards the new note, and in which bow you want to shift in - the bow of the old note or the new Sing the note in your head before you shift Practice tricky shifts over and over and over again to build confidence Additional Advice for Lower Strings: Think of your elbow and release your fingers Try not to squeeze the neck, as your shift won’t work Cellos - When shifting to a note in thumb position and higher, the elbow should anticipate its new height and prepare for the new note position Basses - Don’t shift up from 4th finger to 4th finger or shift back from 1st finger to 1st finger - in both cases, your hand will collapse 21

VIBRATO

Everyone’s favourite topic... vibrato. Obviously, there are an infinite number of ways to teach vibrato but below are some of the best ways I have been taught, and some collated top tips from our tutors. Nicky x

1 Your expression comes predominantly from your tone and your right hand so don’t put too much pressure on needing the ‘perfect vibrato’. Besides, pressure and too much expectation doesn’t usually help in learning a tricky skill

As advised by our great viola tutor Jenny Lewisohn, try out the dead beetle method. Practise vibrato away from instrument first - back into dead beetle position (use both hands if you want) and move them very loosely towards and away from you (a bit like when it's a really hot day and you're pushing air towards you, but keep your hands totally, totally loose otherwise you miss the point!)

3 From here, just on the instrument (no bow) apply this loose movement up and down the neck of the instrument - go into super high positions too! Don’t be shy or careful. No one can hear you

For violins and violas, it’s a good idea to practise vibrato in 3rd position. But if you don’t already play in third position, the only thing that’s important is to hug (with your hand) where the neck joins with the body of the instrument. This is your safe zone, your comfort zone

Your hand should always feel as comfortable and loose as possible when doing these exercises. This includes all the joints in your fingers too. If they’re super stiff, it will make things much harder

Start off with a much bigger, slow, wobbly waving motion. Try to make sure every single muscle in your hand and arm is really loose

After a while you should begin to narrow it, but don’t rush this phase and don’t add the bow too soon. Right now it doesn’t matter what it sounds like! Only what it feels like

8 Vibrato should be used to infuse the sound, not the other way around. Try not to make it totally disruptive in terms of shape, line, quality of sound

vibrato should not be one thing. It should vary for different pieces, different moods, 9 Your different styles and different volumes. Do you whisper like you shout? Do you say

something lovingly the same way as angrily? We want to express the full range of human emotion. If you are tense, it’s much much harder to be flexible

10 Be patient! Things often get worse before they get better. Or at least they most likely go up and down and up again. Embrace the ride and don’t live and die by each moment Extra Tips for Double Basses: Aim for slow and relaxed rocking motion on the vibrato finger/thumb on long notes Try starting with the 2nd finger, which is the easiest, then 1st then 4th 22

Kodály in the Instrumental Lesson

Sassy

Teen Magazine

by Jo Bradley The basic premise of Kodály pedagogy is teaching just one skill at a time, usually from a known piece of music or song and then making the achieved skill conscious. With this in mind, we consider how this might help on a weekly lesson basis to improve sight reading. Introducing ‘Rhythmic Stick’ notation layered, as always, over consistent pulse

This idea is not new, and it is certainly not confined to Kodály teaching. In fact systems like this have been in use for many hundreds of years in Indian music (where it is called Bol), in Japan (where it is called kuchi shoga) and in African music. The Hungarian system was adapted from the work of the French musician and teacher Emile-Joseph Chevé (1804-1864).

As a teaching tool, rhythm syllables are effective because they represent real sound, with language offering the teacher a method to isolate the study of rhythm from that of pitch. However, music teachers sometimes reject rhythm syllables

under

the

mistaken

belief

that

the

syllables

impose

different

‘babyish’ name in place of proper theoretical names. This idea is false. Rhythm syllables

are

not

really

names,

but

expressions

duration.

They

are

spoken/chanted and not written down as words. Their written form is the actual musical notes themselves.

The use of rhythm syllables does not excuse students from learning theoretical names.

Older

encouraged

students

learn

and

both

those

experienced

theoretical

and

with

rhythm

the

syllables

names

should

both

naming

conventions operate in different domains. Theoretical names help in identifying, classifying

and

discussing

rhythm.

However,

being

able

name

identify

something is not the same as internalising something as sound. Theoretical names do not help students understand what the rhythms sound like.

Kodály

Sassy

Teen Magazine

For example: minim becomes ta-a Dotted minim becomes ta-a-a Dotted crochet becomes ta-(t)e

Methods of teaching yourself these is the same as the children, start by learning them one at a time. Using body percussion does help as any movement aids the space of time.

Ta-a Ta

knee slap and slide knee slap

Te te

two claps

Ti-ka-ti-ka

4 knocks on palm

You can then combine the above and develop this further into: Sets of 4 pulse bars Call and response

Flash cards are a great help here and can be bought or created yourself. Laminate and then you can write on them and wipe them too

Allowing the children to create (improvise) these, in the given musical sentence length, helps to consolidate their learning

It takes just a few minutes each lesson to do this, either with their pieces or studies

You can also try to speak the rhythm over a pulse

So, sight-reading then becomes easier as your student feels more confident rhythmically. By looking at the rhythm only, the spoken word gives them the lines and a feel for the melody, which in turn means approached any piece of sight reading can be done with more confidence and ease.

What else can we do? Add dynamics to your weekly games Add air bowing with articulation

As in everything, there are a few differences in the names intonationally but using this (mostly) universal nomenclature will, if nothing else, ensure that we create very rhythmic musicians for the future. Further reading: British Kodály Academy - http://kodaly.org.uk

PETR LIMONOV

PIANIST AND CONDUCTOR Many articles, books, blog posts and videos address the question: “How can one learn to play a musical instrument in the most efficient way?’ Fewer resources deal with the question “How can one teach someone else how to play a musical instrument?”, and very few people get their answer to the question “Why teach someone to play a musical instrument in the first place?” The number of challenges which modern life in a so-called developed world poses to a music teacher is truly formidable. One often gets a feeling that our society, which values status, money, glamour and instant gratification, is only taking music pedagogy seriously when it is convenient to do so. Music’s position seems so unstable that in order to encourage the urge to immerse their children in the world of Beethoven parents are frequently given easily quantifiable reasons to do so: better exam results, better chances to get into a university, better social skills, better ability to focus, better self-discipline and resilience. Whilst all of the above is, undoubtedly, true, one of the unique, fundamental qualities which can be found at the very core of the existence of continuous musical tradition often gets overlooked. That

characteristic is our ability to approach the process of learning in the most direct way possible, that is, human-to-human interaction, with all its unspoken subtlety and immediacy. This type of learning environment does not present pupils with impersonal information which they are simply expected to memorise. Instead, music teaches us how to learn an art which cannot be put down in words, formulas or algorithms without taking away from its infinite complexity. By its very nature, playing a musical instrument can only be learnt through largely intuitive imitation, and it is intuition, creativity and absence of fear that children who excel at playing musical instruments demonstrate. Those children are fearless in the sense that they are not afraid of the unknown, and they are not afraid of the unknown because they have an unshakable belief in the power of their instinct - their intuition. 25

Continuing this line of thought, music does not only teach us how to learn - it also teaches us how to teach, and it also shows us that learning and teaching truly are the two sides of the same coin. Quite unlike compiling a driving theory test, passing which could be seen as the ultimate triumph of impersonal memorisation, teaching music is a natural evolution of the effort to become as good at possible at what one does. It is the step one makes naturally and, ideally, effortlessly, after having spent many years discovering one’s own strengths, confronting one’s limitations and developing a highly sophisticated and personal musical language. Teaching gives a musician a unique chance to explore the results of combining their inner vision and experience with their pupils’ enthusiasm and individuality.

"music does not only teach us how to learn - it also teaches us how to teach"

Why do so many teachers seem to have secret doubts about their chosen path, then? I do not believe they are to blame for not feeling secure in the landscape of modern markets and social media. Information has suddenly become so easy to obtain that many people are currently under the illusion that mastery is easy to obtain, too. Obsessed with “selling” successful soloists, singers and conductors, the music industry of today is routinely ignoring the inter-generational relationships its very existence depends on. But the type of learning music depends on has been at the core of human existence for thousands of years, and that makes teaching music one of the most meaningful occupations in the modern world. Without teachers we won’t simply cease to be able to build bridges and launch satellites; we will slowly lose the connection to who we are: human beings, able to communicate the intangible and comprehend the unexplainable. The immediate sense of beauty, which great music instils in us, is what gives us all an opportunity to survive the immense global challenges which our children might be facing in the very near future. Music enables us to be true to who we are, and I very much hope we take this opportunity to stay intuitive, creative and fearless.

What is Music Performance Anxiety? by Rachel Cooper

Performance anxiety occurs through biological and/or psychological vulnerabilities as well as negatively perceived performing experiences. It produces somatic, cognitive and behavioural symptoms and can occur in a range of different settings. It arises focally (state anxiety) or in combination with other (trait) anxiety disorders (social phobia/social anxiety disorder). It appears partially independent of years of training, practice and level of musical accomplishment and it may or may not impair the quality of musical performance. (Kenny 2011) Practical suggestions for you and your students: Mindfulness

Practical suggestions for you and your

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)

students:

Build self-esteem in yourself and your

Mindfulness

students

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)

Strive for excellence NOT perfection

Build self-esteem in yourself and your students

Get comfortable with being

Strive for excellence NOT perfection

uncomfortable

Get comfortable with being uncomfortable

Actively seek performance

Actively seek performance opportunities (low

opportunities (low pressure)

pressure)

Play to friends

Consider the days leading up to the

performance: what you are doing?

performance: what you are doing? what you

what you will be eating/drinking

will be eating/drinking

Prioritise sleeping well and cut down

commitments

BEYOND STAGE FRIGHT: MANAGING PERFORMANCE NERVES by Charlotte Tomlinson

Author of 'Music from the Inside Out' & 'Keep Calm and Pass your Music Exam' (both available from Amazon)

Performance nerves - we all have them!

Which ‘F’ do we want?

Managing our physical needs

Preparation

Critic or Observer?

Perfection or Excellence?

‘Performing At’ or ‘Sharing With’?

MORE RESOURCES

Free video interviews with top musicians about performance stress www.beyondstagefright.com Online Courses to move through perfomance anxiety www.beyondstagefrightacademy.com

Performance coaching www.charlottetomlinson.com

GET IN TOUCH WITH CHARLOTTE ON info@charlottetomlinson.com or 07970-850057 Charlotte Tomlinson

SOUNDSCAPES BY LUCY DREVER These resources are designed to be easily accessible to do in any lesson- it’s a little way to do some creative composition that can take five minutes, or thirty! MAKING A SOUNDSCAPE WITH YOUNGER STUDENTS

A soundscape is a sound setting- it helps paint the picture of a topic, a story, a theme. It encourages the child/children/group to use their instruments in really different ways and can develop some extended techniques!

You can use anything as inspiration. Ask your students what topic they’re studying in class, or it could be something that someone randomly suggests. For the purpose of this exemplar plan, let’s use a storm. 1. Collect your sounds. Ask your students to explore their instruments- what storm sounds can they find? They might include... Raindrops- finger tips patting the instrument Wind- blowing into the soundbox Heavier rain- playing extremely heavily and off pitch with the bow You might also hear: some thunder some darkness 2. Pick three or four of these sounds e.g raindrops, wind and thunder and practise them. Then if you have lots of children, split up into groups and give each group a sound. Listen to each group make their sound. Then decide on an order, what group should go first? For example, your piece might go like this: Raindrops

Wind

Thunder

Raindrops

Wind 30

3. Give your soundscape a structure. Decide on a final order for your sounds (a sound can come back more than once, and they could happen at the same time!). Why not add some dynamics?

4. Once you’ve practised your soundscape and have your sounds, here are some other things you can do: Change the order Encourage a child to lead it- getting a child to lead is excellent for building confidence and increasing leadership skills. It’s also a really accessible way for nonverbal children to lead! Come up with your own conducting signs; what hand sign will mean people will start, stop, carry on, get louder etc? If it’s just you and one student, get them to lead you! Put a pulse to it Have two different sounds per group and there’s a point in the soundscape where everybody switches to their second sound - the second sound could have some pitch? 5. To extend this, you could then explore writing your soundscape down… what might it look like? MAKE A GRAPHIC SCORE

A graphic score is a very accessible way of writing down music. As you create one you will explore the relationship between sounds, drawing and reading. It’s also a brilliant way of composing music without realising you’re composing music! Have a search online to see all the different variations of graphic scores! For the purpose of this plan, I’ve taken the sounds that we used in the storm soundscape. Raindrops

Wind

Thunder 31

Resources

You can either pre-cut out some shapes that represent the raindrops, wind and thunder.If you’re working with a large group, I’d suggest pre-cut ones, unless you have a lovely member of support staff to cut them out for you depending on the child’s suggestion in the moment!

Making the score

1. Recap your soundscape, what was the order? Raindrops

Wind

Thunder

Raindrops

Wind

2. Decide on a symbol for each sound… this can be as abstract or literal as you like! e.g a raindrop could be a raindrop, or lots of straight lines Some wind could be a cloud Thunder could be a lightning strike 3. Get a large piece of paper and using the order or the soundscape, lay out the the symbols. Sound: Raindrops Picture: Raindrop

Wind Cloud

Thunder Raindrops Lightning Raindrop

Wind Cloud

4. With your student/group, read your graphic score… this could be left to right, or right to left - it’s up to you! 5. Pick a child to rearrange the order of the symbols on the paper...now can the group perform this new piece? Furthermore, there’s no set rule about how to read a graphic score- maybe the symbols are in a circle. Or maybe the symbols towards the top of the piece of paper are loud and the ones towards the bottom are quiet...you make your own rules!

A NOTE FROM RICHARD MORRISION Chief Music Critic, The Times. Whatever branch of music you work in, the potential for feeling not just isolated, lonely and unappreciated but sometimes even persecuted and redundant is very real. And it doesn’t help that the way the system works – or doesn’t work – often means that we don’t support each other as we should. Freelance musicians are continually vying with each other for jobs. Everyone fights for the same limited amount of funding and, of course, for audiences. Even in the music education sector there is tension between rival philosophies and projects.

What I love about the Benedetti Foundation is that it provides an opportunity for the musical world to come together, work together and make things better together. Think of what unites us: our lifelong passion for the greatest of artforms; our burning desire to communicate that; and our sense of responsibility about passing on all the skills and knowledge we have acquired, without smothering the creative impulse in each new generation. Taken together, that’s so much more powerful than the little turf-wars that divide us. The best teachers understand that once you light the fuse of musical expression in young people, they will often startle you by finding new ways to express themselves. When I was a young journalist I interviewed Mstislav

Rostropovich for the first time about three hours after my first son had been born. I excused my dishevelled appearance by explaining I come straight from a sleepless night in the maternity ward. Slava seized me in a huge bear hug, kissed both my cheeks, and said: “Now your son cellist will be!” About 20 years later I met him again and reminded him of his prophecy. “And…?” Slava asked, his face beaming with expectation. “I’m afraid my son is now playing bass guitar in a punk-rock band,” I said. There was a moment’s pause and then Slava roared with laughter. “But at least musical life, yes? And in bass clef! So I was right.” You never know what seeds you sow when you introduce children to music. The one certainty is that, if you don’t open the windows and reveal this aural landscape in all its rich multiplicity, they will never set off on their own journey through it. 33

Notes from Truda White, Founder of Music in Secondary Schools Trust MiSST works with 15 secondary schools in the UK. The organisation helps secondary schools that have a disadvantaged and challenging student intake by providing not only funding for classical instruments, but also support in the form of regular tuition, opportunities to perform and a programme of excellence that is unrivalled in the UK. MiSST was founded in 2013 after several years of development at Highbury Grove School. From inauspicious beginnings, the methods that became the Andrew Lloyd Webber Programme were key in transforming outcomes at the school. MiSST now provides opportunities to over 3,700 students and improves educational and social outcomes through the provision of classical instruments and expert tuition.

A report from Jenny Smith, Head Teacher of Frederick Bremer School, Walthamstow As we reflect on the first 5 years of the MiSST programme at Frederick Bremer School, I can whole heartedly affirm that its impact has been transformational. The school is unrecognisable from where it was in 2014, and MiSST has played a significant part in this cultural shift. As we move into 2019‐20, celebrating the best results the school has ever had – I am delighted that a significant number of our MiSST alumni are continuing with their musical studies. In addition, the depth of musical talent in the school is significant. Music is thriving and it is infectious. We have achieved our objectives of ensuring that music is absolutely at the heart of the school, and not an add on. It is evident to all stakeholders the difference that a rigorous and challenging music curriculum can have on our young people, and also the abilities that have been discovered. Without this opportunity, so many of our pupils would never have picked up a violin or flute and they would never have had the opportunities that a music education provides. We are beyond delighted with what has been achieved here and are excited for the opportunities as we move to the next level of our development.

From the Form Tutor of a young MiSST musician, Dominik, following his experience on their Music Residential at Radley College “I am Dominik’s form tutor and I can’t even begin to count the number of times that Dominik has left his violin in our classroom or lost it around the school. On Friday however, Dominik was one of the first to arrive at the Year 7 music assembly. He sat in the front row and as I walked past him, he was playing the Mozart piece that he had learned by heart. The confidence that radiated off him when he played was amazing to see. On Friday afternoon during sports day Dominik, sat in the spectator’s area, took out his violin and started playing music with three of his friends. A student walked past Dominik and exclaimed ‘OMG’ you are so good. Are you in the Music Specialist School?!’ Dominik looked so chuffed and just responded ‘No, but I’ve just got back from the Radley College Trip.’ Dominik, who has had such a difficult upbringing, is so fortunate to have the support of the MiSST and I have no doubt that there are so many more children that will benefit from thework that you are doing.”

Deronne’s Story

Deronne started to play the flute when he was at Highbury Grove School aged 12. At the time, he also took lessons on the cello but felt his passion for music could personally be more expressive with the flute. This is Deronne’s story: 2007 Started at Highbury Grove School and began to play the cello 2009 decided to change to flute 2010 Attended National Orchestras for All 2012 Achieved ABRSM Grade 8 Flute with distinction 2014 was accepted as a member of the National Youth Orchestra of Great Britain 2016 began his undergraduate studies at the Royal College of Music 2020 will graduate from the RCM

“According to my mum, music kept me safe. My greatest ambition is to be a member of the BBC Symphony Orchestra.”

Back to Basics

Why is it so important?

With every day, I appreciate more and more the importance of the early stages of learning to play and the privilege I had in being taught them patiently, consistently and intelligently. Difficulty in grasping these basics seem to form the majority of obstacles I see children and teenagers battle with when it comes to string playing both in the UK and abroad. I believe that all things are connected - if we’re physically uncomfortable, stiff or blocked, restricted, often in pain, tense or tight, that makes it very difficult to embody the magnitude of expressions and emotions available to us in classical / instrumental / orchestral music.

Philosophies and Methods

There are of course many excellent and considered methods and pedagogies from all over the world. Some focus on specific instruments and others on more holistic ways to teach the language of music. For example: Kodaly – “based on teaching, learning and understanding music through the experience of singing, giving direct access to the world of music without the technical problems involved with the use of an instrument.” http://kodaly.org.uk Orff – “teaching based on the essential relationship between Music, Dance and Spoken Word. Rhythm and improvisation are fundamental elements in the approach which holds the intrinsic view that we are all naturally musical.” http://www.orff.org.uk/ Rolland - Group teaching pedagogy developed by the highly acclaimed teacher Paul Rolland. The fundamentals of string playing for group and individual teaching for the first few years of learning. The books are available from Boosey & Hawkes Suzuki – “His method was derived from his observation of the ease and facility with which young children learn to speak their own language. He analysed and adapted these precepts of language development into a system of music education which was aptly named the ‘mother tongue’ approach.” Their strength is their repertoire and their system. It’s masterfully created plus these students generally are inside a larger sound straight away with accompaniment and playing in a group. http://www.britishsuzuki.org.uk/ Galamian – A scale system which he developed introducing acceleration scales Galamian technique embraces the best of the Russian and French violin schools https://archive.org/details/Principles_Of_Violin_Playing_And_Teaching_ But the greatest teachers I have come across are intensely curious, and deeply open-minded. They look for inspiration from the greatest the world has to offer, and combine what is truest to them 36 in order to achieve the most impactful results with their students

Back to Basics Upper Strings

Physical Individuality

What does YOUR body look like, and how does it work best? We are all made so, so differently. The most impactful teaching I have had on my technique was also the most basic, simple, easily adaptable and therefore connected to my individual physicality. the softer and more sensitive your hands and arms are, the more likely they are to, slowly but surely, find their own unique way of handling the instrument this can and should be addressed regularly and consistently

Freedom and trust

How can we learn to not be tense, stiff and tight? How can this be taught and then sustained, without it becoming endlessly dull, purely technique based and put students off? One of the most successful examples I’ve seen of this is in Sistema Scotland, because most of the tricky technical and physical concepts are taught through a musical experience. As with many other excellent approaches for young musicians, they believe that actual music-making should be enjoyed as high a percentage of the time as possible, even when addressing postural or technical issues. 37

Back to Basics Upper Strings

Pre playing – Body Stance It is important to go back to basics of physical comfort and to start with body stance before picking up the instrument Fluid knees – try not to lock your knees backwards or forwards, keep free/soft Practise shifting your weight back and forth, sway, and check your shoulders, hips and feet have some relationship and alignment with each other Shoulders – lift up high, then drop down so they feel centered and weighted Arms – air playing is a great idea. Swing your arms back and forth, then swing into playing position. Then bounce the arms up and down and try to feel the natural weight of both arms Tap into the natural weight of what is in your fingers and arms

Stand against a wall or the side of a door. Feel how your back makes contact, with and is supported, by the wall Get together with someone else and play a game with them. Allow them to hold your arm – it’s great when students do this with each other. Hold their arm up and let go. Their arm should drop if it is fully relaxed and tension free (this doesn’t happen for most people!) Spend a long time feeling the weight and freedom of your arms without the instrument Violinist Rachel Podger describes beautifully the feeling of painting with the right hand: YouTube: “Masterclass with Rachel Podger for Young Musicians”

WARMING UP

TOP TIPS

It’s so important to make sure your body is warmed up. Playing an instrument involves our bodies doing certain things that aren't completely natural. WARM UPS FOR YOUNG MUSICIANS. These Warm Ups are courtesy of our friends at Sistema Scotland. You can find out more about the work of Sistema Scotland at www.makeabignoise.org.uk Fidgeting fingers Rotating wrists Elevating elbows (then drop down) Shrugging shoulders Shivering shoulders Bobbing bodies Noble neck Horsey head Swaying sides Hula-hooping hips Twitching toes High heels (roll back and ready to play) YouTube: ‘With Nicky’ link: Back to Basics (Warm Ups) 39

S P I T P O T

WARMING UP

Photo: Daniel Cavazos

FOR SLIGHTLY OLDER MUSICIANS These Warm Ups are courtesy of Elena Urioste. Elena is a concert violinist and the cofounder of Intermission, a program that combines music, movement, and mindfulness. You can find out more about Elena and Intermission on Instagram @intermissionsessions or download the Intermission App in the App story (it’s totally free!). Start the day by rolling out your wrists with gentle fists in one direction, then the other Shake out the wrists and wave ‘hi’, ‘come here’ and ‘get down’ Stretch out your forearms – extend one arm, keeping a slight bend in the elbow, and use the other hand to gently stretch the thumb, then each of the fingers, then the whole hand.This is about a feeling of length, not depth, so be mindful with your stretches Loosen your knuckles with some finger wiggles Finger flicks are good for added warmth Extend arms out to the side and do some gentle arm circles Vary the width, tempo and direction, feeling your shoulder blades travel down your back rather than shrug up towards your ears Give yourself gentle hugs (taps on the opposite shoulders), alternating which elbow is on top Roll your shoulders up, back and down, feeling the shoulder blades melt down your back Relax your neck by gently dropping each ear to its corresponding shoulder You can watch this video on YouTube via the Description on 'With Nicky': Back to Basics.

Back to Basics

Instrument Position – Upper Strings

Shoulder rests and chin rests have a huge effect on the setup and instrument position of a violinist or violist. If at all possible, present a variety of options to your students. There is no one size fits all.There is no question that experimentation is hugely important, but equally I have come across countless numbers of young players obsessed with set up. So much so, they avoid addressing the real issue which is often their own levels of tension. I know in my own experience I have obsessed over shoulder and chin rests, when in fact the real issue has been with my hands, arms, fingers, and more often than not, mind.

Shoulder Rests

Here are just a few suggestions I have quite liked in the past: Sponge Kun Wolf No shoulder rest Libero Fom Pirastro Stentor Everest AcoustaGrip Wittner

Chin Rests Again they can be to the side or in the middle and it’s entirely personal. Sometimes students with shorter arms and necks benefit from a central chin rest, or long-necked students might need a slightly raised chin rest. Experiment where possible to get the best fit for each student and to adapt and review as the student grows.

I’ll never forget reading a story by Hilary Hahn where she described how she worked with her dad, creating DIY adaptations to her shoulder and chin rest. I loved this story as it emphasises how personal these things are, and also shows that money doesn’t need to be spent in order to achieve comfort. 41

Back to Basics The fundamentals - helpful tips for a flexible, natural yet strong left hand Bring instrument to neck. Do NOT bring neck to instrument. (obviously this point applies to upper strings!) On the fingerboard, tap with all four fingers Feel the weight and bounce of the fingers Do not worry about intonation or about being in a specific position The most important thing is a strong, relaxed, free and bouncy left hand It’s important to use the elbow to go from the highest string (elbow most towards your back) to the lowest string (elbow most tucked under) and try this bouncing action If done properly, it should create a bit of a noise But don’t squeeze, only bounce! This can be done in all positions of the violin/viola, try not to exclude the high positions at the top of the fingerboard Children should learn not to fear shifting up and down Slide all the way up and down all four strings with no regard to position. Fearlessness and fluidity is the main point Swing the elbow from the lowest to highest string Gain fluidity and confidence with holding the instrument without too much strain or contortion Giving the instrument and bow a name works well with the young ones

"Personalising the instrument, or turning it into a kitten or puppy, worked amazingly for me when I was young. I didn’t dare ‘squeeze the neck of the kitten’ or ‘stroke the puppy too harshly".

HOLDING YOUR INSTRUMENT TOP TIPS FOR LOWER STRING STUDENTS

For Cellists

Use gravity where possible in both hands and approach the instrument position and bow hold around what feels natural Make sure your neck is free and your shoulders don’t creep up

For Double Bassists: You should be able to play standing and sitting (with the appropriate amount of spike) Long rehearsals are tiring standing so think about having an adjustable stool Your eye level should roughly be in line with 1st position You should be able to reach the area between the fingerboard and bridge to bow with ease If it’s a struggle to reach the bowed part of your bass or feels uncomfortable you may need to adjust your stool or the spike on the double bass to change the angle or you maybe even need a different size of instrument altogether You should always be in control of your bass, not the other way around Remember all these things should be adjusted or experimented with, with your teacher Advice for playing sitting down: Two feet should be able to reach the floor on your stool, but if it feels more comfortable to raise your left foot you can, some people use the bar on their stool or a foam yoga block to rest their left foot Find an angle with your bass that is comfortable, the bass should lean/angle in towards your body a little, unlike the cello 43

Back to Basics The great teacher Natasha Boyarsky would always say,

“Don’t hurt the bow. Be gentle, do not squeeze!”

Bow Hold Upper Strings: Start with a relaxed hand down by your side and notice the natural shape. Bring the hand up and out in front of you and notice the natural curvature of your fingers Try to bring the bow to your hand, not the hand to the bow Keep the hand relaxed and supple Thumb and second finger work together Freedom in fingers promotes freedom in the wrist Thumb slightly bent at the heel Bow weight – for this we demonstrated the windscreen wipers exercises “Open and Close the door” – an exercise bowing up and down on your shoulder Crawling up and down the stick – strengthening fingers Pinky exercises – bouncing finger on the stick - begin holding the bow with the left hand to support, then without

All these exercises can be seen in 'With Nicky' – Back to Basics (Bow Holds)

BOW HOLDOR KIDS 1

TOP TIPS F

Never grip - hold it gently and try try try to relax your hand

starting to grip and your hand looks like you’re holding on for dear life, 2 Ifputyou’re it down and start again. Keep repeating this motion over and over and over again

the wave! We will have just done ‘the wave’ together at this workshop. Can 3 Do you remember it? Fear not, if you can’t, go onto the 'With Nicky' series https://www.youtube.com/TheNicolaBenedetti

Remember when waving: relax your whole arm, from your shoulder downwards start bigger and get smaller if it feels painful or awkward, if it LOOKS painful or awkward, that’s because IT IS! Stop, relax and start again check that right to the very tips of your fingers, things look ‘natural’ hold the bow with your other hand, and don’t bring your hand to the bow, drop the hand on top of it instead

out your flexibility and strength without the violin/viola/cello. Try waving it 5 Try about a bit (but carefully! No broken bows please!), and see if your fingers all stay curvy and natural looking. If they don’t... you guessed it... start again. Put the bow down, shake out your hand, wave, drop and try again

Tap, tap, tap - each finger one at a time so you can feel where it lands naturally on the bow. You cannot tap a power straight finger very easily (look out for that pinky finger), so this will help you check all the parts of your hand

pinky, pinky! Is it straight? If it is, tryyyyy to curve and relax it so it just 7 Pinky, gently sits on top. It’s not meant to do much other than help balance the bow thumb thumb! What about him, is he straight or bent? Tense or just quite 8 Thumb chilled out? Go for the latter. Don‘t be impatient. It will learn what to do if you don’t grip too tightly

- don’t neglect the wrist. If it looks too much like a swan’s neck, it’s 9 Wrists probably not helping you. Equally if it looks too squashed and bent the other

way, that’s not great either. But don’t try to blindly copy someone else - do the wave, shake your hand out, see what YOUR hand does naturally if you just flop it onto the bow OR flop it by your side without controlling it - whatever your wrist wants to do naturally, is where it will function at it’s strongest and most flexible. And that’s exactly what we want! 45

BOW HOLD FOR Lower Strings LOWER STRINGS PS

Top Tips for cellists

TOP TI

Top Tips for double bassists

Start by resting your right hand on your

There are two types of bass bow hold –

knee. Notice how the fingers gently spread

French and German.

and how the fingers naturally curl Tips for developing the French Bow Hold: Now hold the middle of the wood of the bow in your left hand, and place the right

Make sure your thumb is facing back and

hand on your bow with the same feeling

bent with relaxed finger

as it had when it was resting on the knee Make sure that the weight of the right elbow is sinking naturally down through the full forearm and hand. The left hand should be working hard to support the natural weight of the right hand/arm

Work with a mirror to your keep bow at right angles to your bridge and explore how your wrist/arm/shoulder have to be positioned in order to do this from heel to tip Keep relaxed, don’t squeeze the bow Tips for developing the German Bow Hold: The German bow has a taller frog that means the bow is held from underneath There is more than one type of hold for a German bow hold Keep your wrist nice and flexible and your fingers rounded Pinky goes underneath and supports the bow with thumb on top of the stick 46

Bow Hold- with the instrument Always begin with open strings Develop the concept of push and pull. Pushing on the way up and pulling on the way down. Involve as much of the body as necessary and helpful for sound production Long bows bending and straightening fingers - always listen for a beautiful sound! Freeing up the movement so it’s not too careful (I have come across a number of teachers that disagree with this because they want to control the bow’s parallel stroke to the bridge, but I would argue that if the arm is relaxed onto the bow, the bow is sitting comfortably on the string, AND all the angles have been addressed, this shouldn’t be a problem)

Left Hand To develop strength in the left hand, here are just a few examples of exercises to help: Stretching between fingers as you play up and down the string As one finger goes down, the next one bounces up in preparation for having enough height to ‘land’ with full weight on the string All fingers must stay relaxed, otherwise increasing the speed becomes harder and harder To have very active, but totally relaxed fingers is hard to achieve. However, it is invaluable once you achieve it Again, for upper strings, Kreutzer No. 2 is another recommended study for development of the left hand As a student moves on to more advanced techniques, I can’t emphasise enough the necessity to reiterate the fundamentals as all that follows becomes so much harder without these basics being taught and permanently looked after

Bow Strokes Martelé - Open/close/open/close. Stick to upper half Detaché – this can be practised at any part of the bow. Focus on a relaxed right hand, bowing parallel to the bridge and excellent contact with the string Spiccato - stroking the string Ricochet - bouncing off Collé - show lifting fingers towards the bow stick. Then ‘touch and go’ All of these should HELP to relax the hand, not hinder. Of course there are many more bowing techniques that also develop from here as well. Roger Raphael’s ‘ricochet sequence’ is wonderful for all of this (Hail, rain, snow, slush...) It is funny to realise that Joachim used the same descriptive words in the 19th century! It includes the very free (sloppy) stroke, slowed down at the heel which feeds into a smooth bow change eventually.

Bow Changes - the bane of every string player’s life? I have been taught bow changes in every conceivable way – this is my narrowed down list of ways I find most helpful: Changing the bow in the middle of the bow without the pressure of the weight of the heel and the flimsy-far-away-ness (!!) of the tip Return to the collé technique to fully engage all the fingers, but without tension Practise without any pressure of time. i.e. EXTREMELY slowly! Do this on open strings Then do the opposite - practice with the pressure of a metronome Practise with a very fast, fluid, free right hand that is carefree and is mobilising and utilising the full range of motion - from your shoulder, to your elbow, to your wrist, to your fingers Always maintain awareness of angles relating to the position of the instrument There is a circular movement of hand arm as the bow changes direction at the heel Extra tip for bassists - the screw or tip will make a figure of 8 movement if truly smooth

BRINGING THE BENEDETTI SESSIONS HOME WITH YOU

Our advice to all our young participants in how to continue this weekend’s experience at home is as follows. They will of course rely upon the practical support of teachers, family and friends to realise these ideas.

Set collective goals to work towards! I’m sure you’re not the only person in your school or your town or village or borough or street that plays an instrument, right? Go and find out who the others are, and set some collective goals. For the little ones, for example by February 14th (Valentine’s Day) you will have learnt one little romantic song each. Or perhaps by March you will have all learn one new scale, or will have developed your sound.

Get together, don’t work in isolation! Please, we strongly encourage you to arrange get togethers and play throughs. It’s so, so hard, and also not fun, to only practice alone and then maybe at some point turn up for an exam. No this isn’t what music making is! Get as many of your friends together as possible and arrange to play your pieces through to each other. This can take place in a: -

living room classroom community centre school church hall

Where else can you think of? You can make music in most places, as long as you’ve checked with people and are not disturbing anyone!

But we need a few rules to make these things more enjoyable and fun!

A) no one person can steal the show. Let everyone who wants to, have a chance to play

B) appreciate each other’s talent and ability and try not to be envious if someone can do something better than you. That is life, and we ALL have strengths and weaknesses. The sooner you embrace this about life, the better things will be. Because you can appreciate that someone else can do something you can’t, and THAT’S OK! And likewise - I guarantee you there is something you can do that another person cannot. It’s part of why life is so colourful and brilliant and unpredictable. C) be prepared. These things are never, ever as fun if you’re not prepared. And what does it take to be prepared? Daily discipline. Not weekly, daily D) be kind to one another, stay super positive and put energy into the organising and the playing E) don’t expect someone else to do all the work. Things only happen because WE MAKE THEM HAPPEN. So...if stands need setting up, or chairs moving, or music sticking together or printing out...do it. Be helpful, be active, and participate F) don’t be scared to ask for favours. If you know someone who knows someone who plays the piano, ask if they would accompany you all! You never know

A string orchestra doesn’t always need a conductor! You need rhythm, melody, harmony and bass. With these things, and with a lot of people knowing their parts, you can pull things together without a conductor. Don’t be shy to try this out!. But once again.... the more prepared everyone is, the more fun it will be. Try to remember all of our fundamental values? The basic things we discussed the sit underneath all the other things we are trying to do? Now that you’re home, please try not to forget them. They are so so important. But perhaps more importantly, think of your own. Try not to be passive, but to be proactive with considering what your own priorities and values are. Go with repertoire you love, but also repertoire that challenges you! Work on your organisational skills, but start small and get bigger. I can’t wait to hear about what you all create and get up to!

Nicky x

“Whoever has skill in music is of good temperament and fitted for all things. We must teach music in schools” - Martin Luther King

“Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent” - Victor Hugo

“The music is not in the notes, but in the silence between” - Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

“If children hear fine music from the day of their birth and learn to play it, they develop sensitivity, discipline and endurance. They get a beautiful heart” - Shinichi Suzuki

“Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music” - Sergei Rachmaninoff

“To play without passion is inexcusable” - Ludwig von Beethoven

“The future belongs to young people with an education and the imagination to create” - Barack Obama

“If we are to hope for a society of culturally literate people, music must be a vital part of our children’s education” - Yo-Yo Ma