Mood – now there is a concept! I am quite familiar with moods! And especially sensitive to changes of moods. Being mood-sensitive, I am easily flooded with emotion. And this brings me to what I think of as the central core of all of this: I believe that the humanity in music boils down to the aural communication of emotion.
Throughout history there can be little doubt about music’s profound capacity to inspire, to uplift, to rejuvenate spirits. Moments, past and present, of mourning and rejoicing have elicited group-song, joining the collective cathartic spirits and experiences of the participants. In fact, recently, anthropological research reveals that humans probably sang before they spoke. From the earliest times to the present, group singing has been in response to feelings, to emotion. Sound audibly coming from mouths spontaneously ushered out to signal an internal emotional response is inherently human.
This thought is powerful. For me this is the real answer to the “Why?” question – the catalyst for what I am looking for in choosing a piece of music — the ability to experience an emotional connection to the composer’s composition. The connection may be immediate or may take place over time, but no matter what, it is the emotion that I feel about a piece of music that motivates me to perform it, and especially to teach it. That is for me, the ultimate energizer – this connection that motivates me to teach my conception of a composition so that I can share it with my students.
These insights are the catalysts that hold the possibility of drawing our students closer to experiencing those magic moments: that inspiration fired by the transcendent power of music.
For conductors, I think, these thoughts and experiences may answer both questions: “why did the composer write what she/he wrote; the answer to that question, answers the question, why do I want to perform your composition?” Because I understand what the composer wrote and I can’t wait to teach it!”
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