How does studying music at a university level help a pianist, guitarist, vocalist or any kind of musician!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
| Question Home |
Position:Home>Performing Arts> How does it help a musician to study music formally?Question: How does it help a musician to study music formally!? How does studying music at a university level help a pianist, guitarist, vocalist or any kind of musician!?Www@QuestionHome@Com
Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: Great question! I consider myself to be a rock-pop genre musician, composer and producer (amateur of course)!. I also have had formal training at the University level in playing cello, in music theory and history, in playing piano, in playing Javanese Gamelan, in various types of ethnomusicology, and in jazz history and criticism!. I do not provide the above C!.V!. in order to toot my own horn, but rather so you understand the degree to which my answer to your question is personal and specific!. I was a rock-pop musician before all this formal study, and I believe that the formal study was a very significant factor in my ability to approach my personal music from different points of view!. I still produce music in the pop-rock genre, but I am able to create pop music that has the flavor of jazz, classical, Latin, Asian, or African music in it!. I am able to listen to music differently as well -- all of the formal training has given me the ability to interpret and understand what other musicians are doing and thinking when I listen to their work!. Another thing that learning music theory has done for me is that when something is not quite sounding right that I am composing, I have a whole toolbox of different things to try, rather than only blind trial and error, to fix it!. In other words, I know on a technical level what has worked and sounded good for someone else!. One thing I will say against formal training is that it has demystified much of the art of music, distancing me from the pure emotionality of playing!. But, I would still choose the benefits over this drawback!. I hope that my answer is the sort of information you were looking for!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Some say learning music theory is helpful, while others insist that studying music theory will somehow make you “think” too much about your art and in fact will get in the way of your creativity!. Who to believe!? I believe by taking the time to study theory, one will inevitably gain a greater understanding of the music and instruments!. You will be able to understand what other musicians are saying when they are talking about music!. Your improvising skills and soloing ability will improve dramatically, and you will have more options open to you if you decide to pursue a career in music!.Www@QuestionHome@Com You study music theory, music history, conducting, and increase your repertoire on your instrument!. you learn how to play as a soloist, in a small group, in an orchestra!. you can learn how to compose!. having private lessons with a professional helps you learn how to improve your technique, interpretation, and style!. you can study music style and the way it's evolved over time!. you study the lives of composers and performers and instrument makers!. music is so complicated - there is so much to learn!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Haha, Dr D!. I love your additional details!.!.!.LOL It really depends on whom is studying, Tanya mentioned composition, sure studying theory and harmony can help in musical arrangements but I do not think creativity can be taught, you either have it or you don't, it is a gift!. Although technique will definitely help in interpretation, but, technique can not replace heart and soul!. I have played with some people whom can not read sheet music and are much more fun to play with than many formally trained musicians!. Edit: LMBO, I just went to give "bonecrust" a td =DWww@QuestionHome@Com My best friend did a degree in music!. You do not really study the instrument!. You learn about the history and the lives of the different composers!. I will have to ask her this question to be more specific!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Hello The notes will certainly help Musician!.Www@QuestionHome@Com Music surely is a Art one harbours on his / her own talents no doubt it's something whihc comes naturally!. Well it' will b only the theoretical part as far as learning the notes or making music sheets but without practicals it's no good!. Well one can definately understand the dynamics of the musical notes in different environment, the physics point of view and the soundproofing, the sound effect in closed environment, also how the musical notes will affect when in a theatre, in various mediums, like that of music learned using Closed earthern Pots, music learned on small bowls filled with water and without water, all these aspects and the different pitches and rhythms the environment and instruments can create, the reasoning behind it can be understood, practical is something which is not seperable thus in music lectures there will most definitely b the need of instruments and the various functions of these instruments involved!. The other important thing is say for eg!. if one desires to be a guitarist, but has to understand the function of a xaxophone he/she will try to atleast understand the instrument on preliminary basis and the basic dynamics of each instrument!. Music on a whole will be the main issue so in this instruments, external factors like environment and different medium along with the physical aspect and it's graphical resonating limits!. This is as far as my understanding tells me and as far as my general knowledge prompts me to write here, from whatever TV shows I've seen on Discovery Channel I guess i've come to conclude this, maybe there will be more factors but for now my brains prompted me with the above reasoning!. The physics aspect of sound wavelength, resonance and it's dynamics can definitely be taught in studying music in the university!.Www@QuestionHome@Com my mentor once said that a college degree is a piece of paper that opens doors for some people!. if you want to teach music in college-you must have a graduate degree! if you want to perform in a major orchestra, it may be more important to have great private teachers teach you whether you attend university or not!. anyone can study theory, you dont need some stuffed shirt spouting at the front of classroom to get that,!.!.!.it does help some students though!. the greatest thing i got out of university was being challenged and inspired by my fellow musicians, learning a few key things by observing professors in and out of class (most of my finer conducting gestures are stolen from better conductors) and finding that having a doctorate does not give anyone the right to be a pompous, opinionated, jackass (every college has one professor like that)!. the one great advantage in university is that i got to study with top professional musicians in private session on my primary instrument for free!Www@QuestionHome@Com Do you mean music as in the sheet of notes itself!? There are several reasons!. I've been playing music for three years a year or two ago (although I ignore this fact since I'm not such a good player) and memorizing music was one important reason!. Sometimes just playing the notes requires a fast reading of the notes, if it's much too fast to see and play, memorizing the notes is the best way to avoid this problem!. Of course, some musicians memorize them because they perform without them!. If you intend to play your own kind of music, studying music is helpful in changing some notes to make the music have a certain mood!. The original composition is simply for others to play if they can't think of anything else!. A year or two ago I was playing baby stuff so I'm most likely wrong! ----- EDIT: It appears you meant to say music as in music like the music we usually talk about!. Studying music helps any kind of musician because they are a musician!. And a musician is a person who studies music :-)!. ----- EDIT: OK, now I get what you're talking about!. Musicians study music history because it provides them with a knowledge of how their forefathers came up with the composition and the way music should be!. Music is not just playing, but a flow of ideas through sound!. By understanding the way composers did their work, musicians can understand how music should be!. Concerts is probably something taught for music in university!. It helps us understand how successful a piece was!. Anything other than that is rubbish!. you have a question come up such as why did knowing about Beethoven being deaf matter!. It matters a lot when a university student has to do a report!. You see, when a student doesn't do a report they get a big fat F and XYZ!. Actually this sums up everything ^^!.Www@QuestionHome@Com |