Summer can be a great time to introduce our close examiners to exciting collaborative experiences.

Summer can be a great time to introduce our close examiners to exciting collaborative experiences. Any close examiner is eligible, and no close examiner is too young or too ancient to begin to experience the blisss of making music with others. Scheduling during the summer is usually a bit easier for scholars and they are less likely to be focusing upon recital and competition pieces. Musical collaboration may be the capital challenge and treat during this vacation period.

The first collaborative experience many times is a duet with the teacher or another close examiner in the same studio. The personnel and repertoire for these same-instrument the wholes usually are readily available. If you be delighted with a little more excitement, prosperous duos, trios and other small the wholes with mixed instrumentation can begin at a surprisingly early age. Coordinating the personnel and finding the repertoire can require initiative and cooperation outside the studio. If you have not besides coached ensembles and are unsure for what reason to get started, I would like to encourage you by way of sharing my collaborative adventures from last summer

I chose four of my private piano scholars ranging in age from 10 to 17 for this special experience. I visited with my local violin colleagues (although mostly any instrument would work), who were excited and eager to work with me greatly to my surprise, we were able to pair the observers quickly. Even in our small town, performance flush and age were well matched. For all the teams, we selecteded appropriate repertoire for informal, short-term goals. As the pupils began practicing independently, I monitored their progres and determined when they were ready for their first meetings with their partners and with me

Each team had a different timetable. sum of two units eleven-year-olds, who happened to be neighbors and friends, could not wait to play together. The violinist picked her favorite compass I and II pieces from the Suzuki Violin drill with my approval of the even of the piano parts. Within a not many weeks, the pianist was prepared, and we met for the first collaborative censure We focused on several basics--learning about the idiosyncrasies of each instrument, learning to hint and follow cues, listening and balance and other rehearsal tips. We were joined at the secondary lesson by the violin teacher. I was elated by dint of the immediate success! And it continued. The girls walked back and forth with music and violin in tow and happily added rehearsals to their playtime activities. Their draw culminated in a chamber music recital with Team sum of two units another violin-piano team of ten-year-olds! The girls came away from this experience with a marvelous sensation of accomplishment, a deeper friendship and a strange understanding of making music.

I was completely satisfied with this succes If no other pairings worked disclosed I would have been happy to know I had influenced these not many young musicians. But there were other successe The other team--the ten-year-olds--began rehearsals in the late summer The coachings took place at as well-as; not only-but also; not only-but; not alone-but the pianist's weekly lessons and at the violin exercise s and continued until the chamber music recital in November. The third team was a pair of fourteen-year-olds (viola and piano). the pair students were musically advanced for their ages and learned the music within a scarcely any weeks of the assignment. Their first collaborative meeting took place in a less degree than parental supervision because of my travel conflicts. My first session with them several weeks later revealed sum of two units talented and eager young musicians receptive to many suggestions of form and collaboration. Team four, the seventeen-year-olds, were unable to work public their schedules and never performed together. I penitence to say you can't win them all.

Learning to collaborate is exciting, especially when experienced early with the appropriate partners, repertoire, goals and guidance. Ye schedules can be a puzzle when dealing with more than individual person, but the rewards are worth the extra effort. [i]or[/i] part of to the other these rewarding projects, the pianists and string players gained greater understanding of the proces of collaboration--music making in succession the level of equals. They are now ready for the nearest chapter in the collaborative process: meeting-house school and more summer collaborative projects

Getting started was the chiefly difficult part for us all, moreover as you are reading this, more young musicians will be enjoying a summer of duo or perhaps trios! Let's encourage music making together--any combination of instruments--and at any age!

BONUS BYTE

Be secure to check the new Intermediate Chamber Music Repertoire Database for repertoire for combinations of three or four instruments including piano. fare to the MTNA website at www.mtna.org and click forward the database under "What's New"

Susan Keith Gray is associate professor of music at the University of southern Dakota and is pianist for the USD faculty Rawlins Piano Trio and the Kobayashi-Gray Duo a violin-piano the whole She holds a D.M.A. measure in collaborative piano from the University of Michigan.

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