The Art of Being Musical

[MackBrass]

An approach to teaching musical playing. Looking back, since I was a kid/young student, most teachers/ band directors I had the chance to study with, work with, and listen to, did not teach the art of making music. When i say making music there is a difference between playing notes written on the page and making notes make sense and telling a story through your performance. With the tuba, we have been blessed with a very technically demanding instrument that most of us get away from the musical line because we are distracted with things like breathing, sound, volume, range and so on. Please, to the readers of this, don't take personal offense to what I am saying, but lets be real, most of us are not musical. In fact, most people who play instruments, any instrument, are not musical and this does not exclude the pros out there as there are plenty of pros that still don't understand it nor can they teach it. You can attain a very high level of technical ability, but when it comes down to it, most solo performances are boring. Don't get me wrong, you do not have to attain a high level of technical ability to bring a musical performance to the table, this is my whole point. We need to start this at the young age, from the beginning.

Some of the teachers I have studied with were great teachers and certainly gave me a foundation to start with but it was not until I auditioned with a major orchestra that I was told, after I thought I played great and did not understand why I did not advance, "its not how well you play the notes, it what you do with the notes while you play them". After this, I realized that something must change; hence, I must focus on being musical. But the big question is "HOW"? Some teachers demonstrate, some play with, some just simply tell you it sucks go fix it. But again, how do you teach, the art of making sense out of what your playing with out making your student a carbon copy of the teacher.

When I started teaching, I wanted to have a different approach form those whom I studied with so I took all of what I learned, and made my own approach to spell it out and show the student how to figure it out on their own and eventually teach themselves. Don't get me wrong, I am not trying to call anyone out or say everyone I studied with was wrong because I could not have learned what I know today without them. Each teacher I studied with brought something to the table and still has an impact on me today.


The following videos are my approach to teaching the art of playing music and telling a story when you play. I have had students that thought I was a nut and did not listen to me. But when I heard them play I said to myself "that one tuba player I will never have to worry about at an audition". I have had you students that got it and when they played the omg factor came in. One thing I have always said to my students is that you may not become a pro, but when you play for an audience, you will be impressive to listen to.

The following are some videos that I put together of how I teach students to become musical. The videos are the very basics and should be looked at in order.

On warning, the audio is on the low side for the speaking part so turn up you volume to hear it.

The art of being musical 1 of 5.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t4E2MJoe ... zkgBcahCtK" target="_blank

The art of being musical 2 of 5.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYNA0B08 ... re=related" target="_blank

The art of being musical 3 of 5.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLaLt3HV ... re=related" target="_blank

The art of being musical 4 of 5.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VD-4_S4Y ... re=related" target="_blank

The art of being musical 5 of 5.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VD-4_S4Y ... re=related" target="_blank