Masterclass notes taken by Susan Maclagan
Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2006 08:43:55 -0400From: "John R. Ranck, D.M.A." <jranck@harvard.edu>
To: John Ranck <ranck@fas.harvard.edu>
Reply-to: jranck@harvard.edu
Subject: Baxtresser lessons learned
Subject:
NFA Convention report: Jeanne Baxtresser Lecture: "Lessons Learned"
From:
Susan Maclagan <suemaclagan@SHAW.CA>
Date:
Wed, 16 Aug 2006 15:07:12 -0500
NFA Convention 2006-Lessons Learned: My Greatest Discoveries About
Performing, Practicing and Teaching: A Distillation of Knowledge Gained
from a Life in Music with Jeanne Baxtresser
I thoroughly enjoyed the lecture given by Jeanne Baxtresser on "Lessons
Learned" during her career. Her delivery was so personal that I almost
felt like she was just talking to me. The lecture was split into three
sections: Practicing, Teaching, and Performing, and was dotted with
humor and quotes throughout. What follows are my notes from the class.
Part 1: Practising
Many times during this part of the lecture, Jeanne emphasized the
reduction of tension while playing.
-During practise sessions we focus on small muscles. Break up your
practising with physical exercises where you use big muscles. For example:
1. Shake your arms at your sides
2. Circle your arms at your sides. Do 20 forward rotations. When
done, hold your arms still without moving. Repeat the exercise with 20
backward rotations.
3. March in place to get the blood flowing, etc.
-Work on difficult music until it is easy. To do this, ask yourself
what you have to do to make something easy. For example, to work on a
difficult run or a solo (e.g., Daphnis & Chloe, Ein Heldenleben solos),
find the smallest element that you can do easily, thus building from
your strengths, not your weaknesses. Practise it briefly; then add on
other notes, a few at a time, to build confidence.
-When you practise an exercise, work to get something good for no longer
than five minutes so that you stay focused. Get as much done in that
five minutes as possible and then move on to something else. Don't work
to finish the exercise. If you practise something too much, you may get
frustrated and discouraged, etc., and bring that mood to your practise
session the next day.
-Keep your shoulders down; don't crunch up your face (pretend you have
botox in your forehead). The work that you need to do is at your
mouth. We don't play with our foreheads. Play as if you have weights
on your eye lids.
-How to practise orchestral solos like L'Apres Midi:
1. Play the solo on one note without vibrato (i.e., play the rhythm of
the excerpt at one pitch)
2. Repeat #1, but play expressively
3. Practise only the long notes in the solo
4. Practise the end of the solo and build backwards.
5. Practise bringing the flute up to your lips and starting the solo.
6. Imagine yourself playing the solo in a concert with the conductor
watching you, etc.
MISCELLANEOUS PRACTISE POINTERS
-Bring your environment into your performance. For example, play with
your chest, head, and eyes up and play 'out' to the audience. Do not
play down into the stand.
-Be creative in your practising.
-Slow down.
-Make discoveries. The most important lessons are from YOUR hard work
of discovery.
-The basics of flute playing must be mastered.
-The greatest weapon against insecurity about your playing is practicing
and preparation.
-Don't practice what you can't do - this leads to fear, and insecurity.
Practicing what you CAN do helps to relax your body and mind.
-Practise relaxation.
-Practise one element at a time.
-Practise with your eyes closed
-Practise the ends of pieces and solos. Work from the end towards the
beginning.
-Use a mini-disc or some other recording device to tape yourself doing a
mock performance. Then listen to yourself like a jury.
When you listen to the recording, listen to ONE thing at a time.
-Practise imitating your musical heros. Through imitation you will find
your own voice. "Mediocre artists borrow; great artists steel."
Enjoy the journey of learning to play the flute. Do not focus on trying
to be the best flutist in the world as this will never come. Jeanne
said with humor: "It's so great to finally be phenomenal. My work is
done. Bring me a glass of wine."
Susan Maclagan
Winnipeg, Manitoba
