“ Your instrument is truly an extension of self ; its stewardship , your responsibility ; its possibilities , your joy .”
The social element is also key to staying the course . The fun of playing in orchestra and chamber groups motivates practice . Yet a deeper force is at work , the never ending quest to improve , to get to the next level , not unlike the motivation in much maligned video games .
However , moving up the ladder of advancement has deeper ramifications . Music , from simple folk songs to the great master works of Bach and Beethoven , has the power to express emotion in ways that words ( poetry excepted ) are powerless .
During the Covid year 2020-2021 , my Fourth Grade music class came up with the statement ‘ Music is powerful because it conveys emotion .’ As a performer , the student realizes it ’ s possible to communicate this power directly , to experience it physically , while simultaneously expressing great nuances of emotion that might be hard to acknowledge to one ’ s classmates in daily life .
With the apprenticeship years behind and the groundwork of skill laid , the joy of playing with others in chamber music and orchestra adds motivation to continue . Yet each musician must continue to strive to improve , to set personal goals , and to build character by competing with one ’ s self .
This is especially true for older teenage students where playing music is increasingly a vehicle for expressing powerful emotions . Horizons expand . The chosen instrument has opened a portal to a world of unparalleled aesthetic beauty .
Time deepens the identification with the unique traits of one ’ s chosen instrument , even in simple things such as carrying the instrument case in public . ( In a small town in Maine , my early music director promoted a case that “ didn ’ t look like a violin case ”; rather it could be a trombone !)
As mentioned earlier , success on this internal journey requires the burden ( and joy ) of regular practice . This is a challenge for everyone . Patience and perseverance are required from parents when the student is young , and from oneself when practicing independently . The rub is that practice doesn ’ t produce obvious concrete results . At the end of the day , there ’ s no paper , or canvas , or other physical object with which to assess progress . Yet at the end of a week ( or year ) one realizes that what was once unattainable , is now possible . These realizations recur throughout study and fuel the eagerness to continue .
The instrument is now part of the student ’ s persona . Resilience and perseverance have honed the long process of growth . Recently , a teenage student remarked during his lesson at being surprised to be playing advanced pieces he couldn ’ t dream of mastering when he was five years old . This paradigm is applicable to other realms of the student ’ s life , no matter how distant the goals may seem .
Despite bumps in the road , the journey has great rewards . New horizons of repertoire are unlocked covering all manner of different genres and styles . Your instrument is truly an extension of self ; its stewardship , your responsibility ; its possibilities , your joy . •
Choosing and playing an instrument can be framed in the four pillars of our mission :
Aesthetics : Hands-on experience of great works of art . Athletic : Physical training and teamwork , akin to sports . Academic : The ability to analyze and solve problems . Spiritual : The opening of unexpected spiritual realms .
Finally , choosing your instrument is indeed a mystery . But in the words of the great Catalan cellist , Pablo Casals , “ Music will save the world .”* Choosing your instrument is the first step .
* Pablo Casals , Joys and Sorrows
Philip Hough is Strings Teacher at Saint David ’ s School and the Director of Saint David ’ s Philharmonic Ensemble .
Summer 2022 • 33