August 2012

Impairment on Creativity

August 20, 2012 14:22

Recently, a poll was posted asking us whether we believed 'rigorous classical training' would impair an instrumentalist's creativity.

Over 50% of voters said that hardcore training wouldn't restrict creativity. I was one of those people.

I'm not sure whether the 'creativity' referred to the violinist's ability to take a piece and play it soulfully, putting as much as themselves into it without being a 'sheet music robot', or whether it pertained to their actual ability to compose their own music.

An adequate metaphor would be to take a seamstress. Many seamstresses could design original, creative clothes, but not only could a professional - or more highly trained - seamstress also design this, they could sew it. They know what they can and can't do, how to make their design look as beautiful as possible, where to stitch and where to add a buttom or lace.

Playing an instrument is the same - the result, rather , is the same, as are the means of getting there. A seasoned musician knows how to phrase a piece to maximise the beauty, or sadness. They know how to articulate it, which bowings will complement the unique notes and passages, where they need to crescendo and trill.

A two friends of mine play instruments - one the guitar, one the clarinet. My guitarist friend started when she was 11 when her mum wanted her to pick up an instrument before starting high school. She herself has said that she has no interest in pursuing the guitar after high school, despite owning several and being an intermediate player.

The clarinetist started playing around the same time. The difference is that he is highly dedicated; if he could snatch an extra hour here or there - maybe turning down his friends, or banning himself from the distractions of modern technology - he would. And you can tell the difference.

When she plays, you can tell she's talented, but she pretty much plays 'by the book' and doesn't seem too into it. When he plays, he deviates a little and adds his own flair; firstly because he's more passionate, but also because his many extra hours of practice have built up a technique and knowledge that allows him to confidently stray from the written path.

Most people tell you to feel the music, to make it your own. How? Adding a few trills, using a slower tempo and more vibrato - adding different bowings, double-stops, dynamics. Do they really make music that different?

Decide yourself. Listen to a beginner - me included, but we all start somewhere - playing a Bach sonata, or a Mozart concerto.

Then listen to a professional.

Seems the rigorous hours paid off, huh? :)

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Typecasting.

August 19, 2012 12:47

This happened to me a couple of weeks before school broke up for the summer holidays. I was sat, at a computer, rifling through some sheets on IMSLP.

Someone to my right asked "Are you in a band?"

I said I wasn;t.

Another person quietly (and mockingly) said to him(presumably hoping I wouldn't hear) "What, with a violin?"

Ugh.

Let's be honest, though. The violin isn't an instrument renowned for 'rocking out'. Mostly people think of it as a classical instrument.

Of course, there are exceptions. The violin can be found in pop music, rock, and even Mark Wood's heavy metal - though is the timeless debate with Mark, being 'How far can you 'edit' a violin before it becomes not much of a violin?'

The electric violin is changing people's minds - with amps and distortion, it can do pretty much anything an electric guitar can do and then some. Plus, there's the shock appeal. I imagine seeing a live rendition of Jimi Hendrix's 'Purple Haze' would look more startling on a violin.

It's a dream of mine to pursue a music career of some kind. The best thing that could possibly happen is if I find a few like-minded freaks who like Baroque music and instruments, rock, metal, and dark surrealist imagery and music, who would love to form some kind of Vaudeville group of strange things going on in derelict rooms.

We all have our dreams.

The main point of this is that, if people open their minds (and ears) we can find the versatile violin in all music; Eastern, pop, New-Wave, electronica...you name it. But really...how far can we take the violin before it's not the beautiful instrument we love, but something trying to be something else?

Maybe, on the other hand, there's no limit to the violin's capabilities.

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August 2012

Impairment on Creativity

Typecasting.

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