BEING MORE THAN THE SUM OF YOUR PARTS:
"I can't make it to rehearsal tonight, but it's ok, I know all the notes, it won't make a difference if I'm not there"
Over the years I cannot tell you how many times I have heard this comment from choir members in various choirs, mine and others.
Sometimes choir members forget that a choir is an ensemble.
Now, if ensemble means "together", then how do we create one if we are not there?
If creating a great musical group, an ensemble could be done simply by collecting a number of people who knew the notes, and putting them together for a performance, things would be very easy for a musical director! Or perhaps, we could completely get rid of people altogether and simply leave music making to computers to create virtual ensembles of perfect mathematical harmonies, would they not sound just as good? ....No...? Why is that?
Remember at the advent of computers over 30 years ago? Society became paranoid that computers would take over the world, replace humans in their jobs? Musicians were scared that MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) sequencers and synths would replace them completely. Yet it hasn't happened. Why? Because computers can only emulate creativity, musicality, they cannot create, and they are only as good as the person inputting the information.
There is something unique, something magic, something creative which occurs when all the parts of an ensemble come together to rehearse. The act of making music occurs. This cannot occur in isolation. Try though we might to create "virtual choirs", like Erik Whitacre, the result is the same, and it is not musical. Don't get me wrong, the "virtual choir" is very cool, I love it, I love technology and all that it brings. It is a technological marvel, but not a musical one.
The mathematical, the technical side of music, is but one facet of music. The beauty of music is that it is a linear art form, and it occurs over time. You will never hear the same piece of music twice in your lifetime. You will never sing the same piece of music twice in your lifetime the same way. For music to happen, the sum of the parts must all be in the same space at the same time. It is the energy, frequency, experiences, issues, emotions, musicality and beauty that each individual brings to the group which creates perfect harmony, and beautiful music. Indeed, this is what speaks to us, as singers, as musicians, and as audience members. This is what makes us want to rehearse, it is the interaction of the creative process, we take from, and we give to others a part of ourselves in the creative process.
Unfortunately, too often we get bogged down in the technical, and mathematical side of music, the learning of the notes, the plunking... oh the plunking... We read the notes, instead of creating the music. We cannot disconnect from our brains, the cerebral, mathematical, harmonic side of music. Yet ironically it is only when we can get past this, when we can know the music so well, that we don't need to read, to think, to analyze, that we begin to communicate, and what is music but communication? Many groups, and indeed many "musicians" actually never get past the technical, and though they can be very proficient, perfectly blended, perfectly harmonized, they nevertheless miss the mark when it comes to creating music at all.
As a musician, I am never satisfied when it remains cerebral, beautiful harmonies if that is all they are, are indeed math over time, and though beautiful to the ear, do not translate into music at all. There HAS to be more, there HAS to be an emotional connection, I have to feel something as a musician and my listener too has to feel something.
I love to watch Benjamin Zander when he talks about music, to paraphrase, he said something to the effect that, when you are bored in a classical concert has it ever occurred to you that it's the musician's fault?
As a choir director I expect each person to excel to his or her personal best, to come prepared to rehearsal, so that we, as an ensemble can make music when we get together. The math homework can be done at home, and when it is rehearsals become fun, uplifting, and energizing, and everyone can go home feeling great, and happy they came out.
Do you bring your personal best to your choir every week? Imagine what would happen if every single person in a choir did this every week? Just imagine.....
Dominique Hogan
www.burstinwithbroadway.com
