Nothing to it!

"There's nothing remarkable about it.

All one has to do is hit the right keys at the right time

and the instrument plays itself."

-- Johann Sebastian Bach

On Monday I attended Sonia's master class. I slipped into the room as this articulate, eloquent, brilliant cellist gave advice to the girl who played before Sonia. He encouraged her to play with more emotion, to follow the mood of the piece, and to let the music take "a shape." He asked her what she heard in a certain part-- she said she heard heatbreak and quiet weeping. He said he could envision a deep, mysterious jungle; and when he played, I could hear the music moving down the river, toward Conrad's Congo. As he talked to her and to Sonia, I felt all of the things that I've learned about classical music and its performance synthesize in my mind and in my heart. And when I did music listening homework last night, I can say that I truly appreciated what I heard. I think I understand now.

In the past, I always had trouble paying attention at classical music concerts. I felt like most classical music made really good background music. I mean, unless the music was really lively and exciting, I'd just start daydreaming about a guy or my future tenure as a Supreme Court Justice (hey, I can dream about whatever I want to!). I even fell asleep once during a really "romantic" piece. I respected classical music; I knew it was complicated. I also knew that I was missing something.

Last semester, my attitude began to really improve. Several people that I care about are musicians, and I guess caring about them led me to care for the music more. I watched them carefully as they played, and saw their music as a product of their hard work and passion. I began to really enjoy it, and signed up for a music appreciation class to learn more. Before Monday, the class, which hasn't met my high expectations, was filling me with historical facts and Italian-based terms and helping me to listen for and recognize form and structure (the information was valuable but uninspiring). Thanks to Rafa's history lessons, my favorite new "friend" and an incredible literature teacher, every day I was beginning to understand more and more how classical music fits into the rest of the art world, and how it is a complicated non-verbal expression of the same themes which so fascinate me in literature. The excitement continued to build as I unknowingly approached the breakthrough that would occur at the master class.

There, while about a dozen or so music majors watched at various levels of interest ranging from amusement to utter indifference, I sat in awe. The cellist would explain concepts, and then play to show what he meant. And every time that cellist lifted his bow to illustrate a concept, I heard it! I heard it! I heard how he and the young musician could play the piece, the same notes, at the same tempo, totally differently. For the first time, I realized not only all that the composer can communicate through a composition, but also all of the room for personal expression that the classical musician has. I understood. He talked about texture and using the length of the bow efficiently, about posturing and fingering, about themes and intonation. I followed; wow there was so much to follow! So many times I've listened to musicians solo, and thought "that's nice, they hit every note." But when he played the piece after the students, I heard the skill and all the subtlety that the many extra years of experience brought him. He played with the same ease with which one would speak; notes flowed from his instrument that were clear like words to me. I truly appreciated every note, every measure, and have not listened to classical music in the same way since.

I think that all non-musicians should have to attend a few of these master classes and listen as budding musicians' works are critiqued, so that we would all get a sense of how difficult it is to perform for a living. How much confidence must it take to play in front of such experts! How much humility must it take to listen and undergo the criticism! And after all of that practice! I see now that even hours of daily practice is not enough to make a good musician. Innate talent (of course), extreme dedication, and emotional depth are also required. My musician friends deserve to walk with an air of arrogance for being some of the only people in this world who skillfully straddle both the emotional and intellectual worlds. That we would all live with such passion and commitment to life!