It has been said that because today more people hear Beethoven in twenty-four hours than heard him in his whole lifetime the people have music…and a citizen doubtless sees more policemen now in twenty-four hours than Beethoven saw in his whole life-time. The people hear more music and ipso facto they are more musical? The people have more law, and ipso facto they are more lawful?
-Harry Partch, Genesis of a Music
I believe in a holistic approach to music, and acknowledging the role music plays in the world, not only its role within the Arts, but as part of a dialogue that people have with the world around them. A true musician is one who is engaged with the music community, whether that be attending concerts, performing live, or simply discovering and listening to music at home. A good musician is not made only by technically proficient playing, but by awareness, inspiration, and passion. We are not only musicians, but artists.
I am an advocate for the dissemination of avant garde musical practices. Art music did not end with Bartok, or Stravinsky, or even twentieth century “pop-classical” composers such as Philip Glass. Also, the “universal language” of music is vast. At lessons in my studio we build the tools that will help us understand more of it. While I encourage students to strive for their best musical abilities, most importantly, music is something that the students should feel good about, and have fun exploring. Exploration and discovery are very important in my musical world.
photo credit: ‘Animali’ for solo violin (2011) by David Young. (score)
Robyn Jacob 