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Program Notes: Engaging The Audience
Joseph E. Higgins Rowan University Higgins @ rowan. edu
When I attend performances by professional orchestras, I always hurry to my seat, open the concert program, and begin to read about the first selection. And if I read fast enough, before the house lights go down, then I am prepared with a better context for the music that I am about to hear. Perhaps, for example, I now know that this elevenminute piece will feature a melody from a Hebrew folksong, or that the composer was a student of Messiaen, or that the music was originally conceived for use in a ballet score. These program notes are usually written by a professional staff writer employed by the orchestra, and they are aimed at a specific audience of orchestra patrons. But the purpose of quality program notes, to better engage listeners in the experience of a piece, relates to the performances of our student ensembles, as well. From my experience, the creative application of program notes can enhance any concert experience for both the audience and the performers.
When writing program notes, you must first consider the audience. Are you writing primarily to untrained musicians? Will any music professionals be attending? Balance your writing to a diverse audience. You do not want to insult the reader by“ talking down” to them, but you must also not ignore those readers who have very little prior knowledge. Not every minute detail about a piece is necessary or meaningful to every audience. The same piece of music might merit two different descriptions when dealing with two unique audiences. For example, I would prepare adult listeners at a state-level music conference much differently than the fifth graders at a Music In Our Schools Month assembly performance.
Use the program notes to put the piece in context. Explore the environment in which a piece was composed, including any relevant political, literary, artistic, or social movements. If the composer is well known for a work other than the one being performed, then find a way to reference the more famous piece of music. If there are known source materials, such as the lyrics to a folksong arrangement, then share them. Provide a sense of the work’ s history, perhaps including its premiere performance, important past performances, or interesting information about its commissioning. What has happened to the piece since its premiere? Has it been rewritten or adapted? Has it inspired other great works of art or literature? Was it lost and rediscovered? You must sift through these facts and choose which to include; which are the most relevant to your performance.
Writing program notes is an opportunity to think creatively about how to best prepare listeners for the music they will soon hear; likewise, it is an opportunity for teachers to engage their students with these ideas. When the concept of considering the audience is brought into the rehearsal room, instructions such as“ Begin your decrescendo sooner!” or“ Play this 6 / 8 melody with more lilt!” take on a new sense of urgency. Rather than play“ with more lilt” just because I said to, play with more lilt because the music is a joyous dance; because this joyous dance should leave all audience members smiling and swaying from side to side in their seats. Music is an art of communication, and communication requires that a message be both sent and received.
I believe that we, as artist-teachers, should approach every task with artistic intent. In addition to, or in place of, traditional printed program notes, consider more creative ways to present this same information. Recently, before a piece that is inspired by electronic dance music, I played for the audience a few short examples of EDM songs. These recordings provided an audio context for the subsequent listening experience; one that many audience members would not have otherwise known and one that written words could not have created. Another recent performance featured a composer’ s musical adaptation of a Shakespearean sonnet. Rather than just read the sonnet text in program notes, audience members were treated to an onstage performance of the sonnet by a professional Shakespearean actor. I would also strongly encourage teachers to“ step away from the microphone” and invite their students to speak between pieces. This not only teaches our young performers how to engage with an audience; it enhances their sense of pride and ownership of the ensemble.
The next time your group has thoroughly prepared a piece for concert performance, lead a group discussion about how to best introduce each work to the audience. What information should be included? What should be omitted? Would it help to guide the audience’ s listening by previewing a short excerpt of an important musical theme; or would it be better for them to be surprised by certain elements in the piece? These thoughtful discussions will help bring pieces to life in new ways for you, your students, and your audiences.
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TEMPO 40 OCTOBER 2016