Teaching Through Performance eighth blackbird
By: Christine Digangi
Issue date: 2/5/08 Section: Features
A broad variety of advice was offered, from tips dealing with rhythm and sound quality to others evaluating effective posture: each suggestion was presented in different forms to best suit the learners, so that it could immediately be put into practice by the students and then reevaluated by the group member.
This process allowed the students to make noticeable changes over a short period of time. Beyond rote repition of the lessons, students were given the opportunity to experiment with what they learned. However, the musicians were careful to clarify that their advice was mere pointers, saying that there was no one sure way to do anything, and many aspects of performing had to do with personal taste. While the classes were constructive, they attempted not to restrict the comfort levels of the students.
The contact with the members of eighth blackbird was not one-sided. As the students received a great deal of input, they were able to ask many questions and interacted on the level of fellow musicians in addition to the student-teacher relationship.
Freshman clarinetist and pianist Katie Blakey has enjoyed the presence of eighth blackbird at DePauw and in her class. Blakey admitted that without the ensemble in residence, "I probably wouldn't advance as a clarinetist as quickly. Randy [Salman] is a good teacher, but it's so helpful when you have more opinions on how you play."
Saturday, Feb. 2 was the eighth blackbird concert, held in the Kresge Auditorium of the Green Center for the Performing Arts. Saturday morning before the concert, prior to that performance at 7:30 p.m., the group held a 30-minute open rehearsal, which offered the chance for the community to see professional musicians working in action in a non-performance setting.
The group is not unfamiliar with a small liberal arts setting: all six members are alumni of Oberlin College and have been together for 12 years, with the exception of flutist Tim Munro, who joined two years ago. As contemporary musicians, they only play selections by living composers and memorize about half of their music, which puts a spin on the classical genre.
This process allowed the students to make noticeable changes over a short period of time. Beyond rote repition of the lessons, students were given the opportunity to experiment with what they learned. However, the musicians were careful to clarify that their advice was mere pointers, saying that there was no one sure way to do anything, and many aspects of performing had to do with personal taste. While the classes were constructive, they attempted not to restrict the comfort levels of the students.
The contact with the members of eighth blackbird was not one-sided. As the students received a great deal of input, they were able to ask many questions and interacted on the level of fellow musicians in addition to the student-teacher relationship.
Freshman clarinetist and pianist Katie Blakey has enjoyed the presence of eighth blackbird at DePauw and in her class. Blakey admitted that without the ensemble in residence, "I probably wouldn't advance as a clarinetist as quickly. Randy [Salman] is a good teacher, but it's so helpful when you have more opinions on how you play."
Saturday, Feb. 2 was the eighth blackbird concert, held in the Kresge Auditorium of the Green Center for the Performing Arts. Saturday morning before the concert, prior to that performance at 7:30 p.m., the group held a 30-minute open rehearsal, which offered the chance for the community to see professional musicians working in action in a non-performance setting.
The group is not unfamiliar with a small liberal arts setting: all six members are alumni of Oberlin College and have been together for 12 years, with the exception of flutist Tim Munro, who joined two years ago. As contemporary musicians, they only play selections by living composers and memorize about half of their music, which puts a spin on the classical genre.
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