"Thinking Musically" is a Process

“What is music?”(p.6). Can music be defined? Various societies around the world have vastly different ideas about the concept of music, yet music is the one consistent phenomenon that can be found in every culture ever studied. However, the musical traditions within these communities differ tremendously in terms of societal function. What may be considered music to one culture may serve an entirely separate purpose to members of a culture on the other side of the world. In addition, what may be considered music to one individual may serve an entirely different purpose to fans of an alternative genre or style. The term “music” is a notably loose construct. “Music” may be applied to the act of performance, the absorption of sound, or the composition of musical notation. Is music a physical thing? An idea? In her book entitled Thinking Musically, author Bonnie C. Wade expertly defines music as “not only a thing-a category of organized sound, or compositions-but also a process”(p. 6).


The Educator
Like every process, the musical process begins with a period of learning. For some, it is a self taught process and for others it is a training lead by an accomplished musician. Regardless of how the beginning musician is taught, there is always some “transmission of musical knowledge” (p. 20). In Thinking Musically, Bonnie C. Wade explains that tactile, oral, aural, and visual transmission are techniques that are used frequently by both students and teachers to learn material. Tactile transmission focuses on sense of touch and can be most effective when learning how to play an instrument. Learning by tactile transmission allows the student to learn “by feel” (p. 20) and associate the feel with the sound produced. When using this teaching technique for piano, the instructor tends to teach the student by placing their hands on top of the students as shown below.

Image result for teaching through tactile transmission music piano
 
Aural transmission can occur intentionally and, as Wade determined, through “osmosis”- unintentionally. Simply listening to a track and attempting to mimic the artist is an example of aural transmission. This aspect of transmission does not require a teacher to be present; it only requires an aural source. Oral transmission, on the other hand, “takes the perspective of the teacher” (p.20) and requires a student-teacher relationship. The instructor teaches the student by “sounding - speaking, singing, or playing.” For example, the instructor might have the student sing back an exercise that was just sung to them. The final form of transmission, vocal transmission, has essentially two types of notation. Prescriptive notation tells the musician how to play a particular part like where to put the musician’s fingers on the instrument. Descriptive notation focuses on how the voice should sound. In Michelle Anderson’s video “Clarinet High Notes 101,” Anderson uses both notations to teach her students how to play high notes on the clarinet. She uses prescriptive notation when she explains how to physically play some of the notes - such as fingering charts and good airflow instructions. Anderson then uses descriptive notation when demonstrating and explaining what a good tone sounds like versus what a bad tone sounds like. Tactile, oral, aural, and visual transmission are learning techniques that not only begin, but also to promote the entire process that music is.  


The Performer

Along with the point of view of which music means to an educator, it is important analyze what music means to individuals who perform music. In my personal experience as a musician who plays everything from jazz to classical idioms, there a three main points that stand out to my identify of what the meaning of music is to a performer. Firstly, making music as a performer presents a great challenge in the practice room and on the bandstand. When tackling these challenges, as a performer there is a great sense of personal satisfaction and accomplish, as illustrated by the smile on this pianists face as she plays seamlessly throughout the song in this video entitled, "BBC Proms: I Got Rhythm: Hiromi". Secondly, as a performer your final product in most cases will be the presentation of the music to an audience. Whether or not the audience has paid to listen or not, the performer have a responsibility to give the audience a good time and present the music in a high manner. Lastly, as a performer I feel a need to inspire people to learn about and appreciate the idiom so that the music survives and is cherished. The image below demonstrates the inspiration that this young saxophone player experience when he is under the tutelage of a professional performer.
Also, In the text Thinking Musically by Bonnie C. Wade, the points are made that making music  helps the performer to express one's identity, keep focused, and to relieve stress. These points are essential in accomplishing some of the points made earlier in such as satisfaction and influencing potential performers, leading one to believe that Wade’s arguments are applicable to the overarching message of what making music means to a performer.



The process of music can take many forms. Both music students and teachers undergo a learning process when passing cultural tradition to younger generations. Performers undergo an industrialized process when preparing to deliver performances to musical consumers. However one chooses to define it, most can agree that the process of music contains an underlying concept of beauty, which is understood by all humanity. And regardless of individualized obstacles, the musical end product is truly beautiful.


Credit:

Intro/Conclusion: Anika Hille
Educator: Emilia Soot
Performer: Frank Saxton
Blog/Media: Mackenzie Taylor

Works Cited:

BBC Proms: I Got Rhythm: Hiromi. YouTube. YouTube, 04 Sept. 2017. Web.

Chan, Bernice. Branford Marsalis listens to Hongkonger James Cheng play the saxophone at a masterclass. Digital image. South China Morning Post. Post Publishers Ltd., 26 Apr. 2016. Web. 

Clarinet High Notes 101: How to Play High Notes Better Part 1 - the Basics. Dir. Michelle Anderson. YouTube. YouTube, 03 Nov. 2013. Web. 

Teacher using tactile transmission to teach a student on the keyboard. Digital image. VSA Massachusetts. N.p., 13 Dec. 2015. Web. 

Wade, Bonnie C. Thinking Musically: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture. N.p.: Oxford UP, 2013. Print.



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