Music is the only field of study that requires regular and extended one-on-one interaction between student and teacher. The student-teacher relationship is a very special one, based on mutual trust and respect. Young students are often hungry for knowledge and experience: they turn to their teachers for support and advice, they share their insecurities and emotions. Music is all about expressing emotions, plumbing the depths of the soul or soaring in ecstasy, and a certain vulnerability and emotional intelligence is essential if the musician is going to communicate with honesty and passion. Good teachers know this – they encourage their students to know this too, enabling them to let go and free their spirit to play with feeling and musical colour.
For many students and teachers the relationship can be long-lasting: some of my students came to me when I first started my teaching practice 10 years’ ago and they are still with me now. I have watched them grow up, move on to senior school, develop as musicians and young people. I will miss them when they leave – to go to university or into a career – and I hope they won’t forget me…… Musicians who studied with some of the great pianist-teachers of the last century remember them with fondness – and profound respect – and carry with them their teacher’s unique wisdom and approach to music making, passing it on to the next generation of musicians.
Former students continually relate how her pragmatic and positive approach to problem solving remains with them in their daily lives. Her ability to demonstrate the simplest and most potent interpretation of any phrase was infallible and her emphasis was always on providing the pupil with the means to continue independent development. In addition to her ability to articulate what would be of most use to the student…..
(Obituary of highly respected teacher Phyllis Sellick, who died in 2007)
It is important that we like our students – and vice versa – regardless of their musical abilities. Such mutual regard enables us to work better together because we demonstrate that we value our students as human beings and recognise that each one is different. In doing so, we can tailor our teaching to suit each student individually: there is no “one size fits all” approach to music teaching (though, sadly, I still come across teachers who believe that there is). Creating “bespoke” lessons for each student, which demonstrate our understanding of their particular strengths and weaknesses, their musical tastes and character, will enable us to teach them better and for them to feel supported and valued. This virtuous circle means that students feel motivated and progress more quickly because they feel confident that they have their teacher’s support.
The relationship is so special that sometimes certain students will place the teacher on a pedestal and take what they say as gospel or confide in the teacher about matters which are not directly related to musical study. As a teaching colleague of mine remarked, “they take what we say very seriously and we need to be extremely careful how we phrase our comments and advice”. Of course, it may be flattering that our students feel sufficiently comfortable in our presence that they can confide in us, but in such instances the teacher should be mindful not to step over the teacher-pupil boundary, nor say things which may conflict with the student’s parents (if the student is a child or young person). Where one is concerned about a student, it is of course crucial to discuss one’s concerns with the parents as well. Then both student and parent know that the teacher has the student’s best interests in mind.
When the relationship becomes unbalanced and the teacher seems to wield an unhealthy control or power over the student, a student may feel demeaned or threatened by the need to please the teacher at every lesson in order to win praise. In such instances, progress may stall and the student may become anxious or even afraid of the teacher. At this point, the student should consider moving to a new teacher.
It can be hard to leave a teacher whom you like and respect, but sometimes it becomes necessary when the relationship has run its course or the student feels they need a different approach to provide new stimulation and inspiration. A number of adult pianists whom I know like to see several teachers, taking from each one the advice they feel will benefit them the most. Recognising that no one teacher has the answer to everything is an important stage in a musician’s development – and teachers themselves need to be respectful of this too. By the same token, making the decision to be independent of a teacher is also an important stage in the musician’s journey.
A good teacher also appreciates that they are not “always right about everything” and will encourage their students to challenge and question them. I enjoy such interactions with my students, and actively encourage them to question me: it keeps my alert and reminds me that my own learning journey is continuous.
Above all, a good teacher will convey his/her passion and enthusiasm for the piano and its literature: this is my main motivation for being a piano teacher, and if I had to distill my mission statement into a snappy one-liner, I think it would probably say “Because I love the piano!”.
And for the student, when they meet the right teacher, everything seems to click into place. They look forward to their lessons and can see noticeable progress and improvement, thus inspiring them to go on studying (hopefully!).
Who or what inspired you to take up singing and pursue a career in music?
We had a large selection of Maria Callas recordings when I was growing up, which inspired me a great deal. I thought that if I could achieve even just 1% of the vocal and communicative power that she possessed, then I would be very happy. I also could not have begun to study music without the unfailing support of my mother.
Who or what were the most important influences on your musical life and career?
In terms of live performances that were formative in my early love of opera, I would have to cite Joyce DiDonato’s much-feted Rosina at ROH in 2006. She is a singer whose attitude I admire greatly. I think she is a living shrine to professionalism, and is an absolute queen on stage. Similarly I followed Renée Fleming’s ‘Thaïs’ in 2007 from ROH to the Lincoln Centre, as I just couldn’t get enough of her poise and vocal clarity. And during that same season I went three times to see Dessay/Florez’s ‘La Fille du Regiment’, which I found endlessly gorgeous and beautifully executed. I saw these performances when I was just beginning to study opera and they were incredibly influential. They were all witnessed from the standing gallery and this in no way limited their impact on me. (I diverge but, when people tell me that opera is expensive, I have always to remind them that most of these world-class performances can be experienced for the meager cost of £6 if you’re a student, and only about £10 more if you’re not…!)
More recently, witnessing at close hand Krassimira Stoyanova’s enchanting Marschallin was a huge inspiration. And one singer whose recordings have always been top of my wish list since I was a teenager are those of Cecilia Bartoli. Both her song and opera recordings are always so cleverly and sensitively curated, and I admire very much all of the work she has done to bring to light many of the lesser-known late Baroque composers. Getting to see her live for the first time last summer at the Salzburg Festival in her hero role as La Cenerentola was a dream come true!
What have been the greatest challenges of your career so far?
I have been very blessed with a full compliment of incredibly supportive friends and family, and so any challenges I have faced have been greatly minimised by the simple unwavering encouragement of this support system. Of course, as musicians we face daily internal ‘challenges’, but really these are best embraced, because they cause us to think creatively about our profession. To paraphrase one of my heroes above (Ms. DiDonato), we aren’t surgeons; we aren’t tasked with the daily responsibility of protecting people’s lives and livelihoods. We have responsibilities – yes – and sometimes very big and important responsibilities, but our job as artists is to practise hard and to bring joy into people’s lives through the music we sing and interpret. We are just vessels after all, and I reckon that if we overestimate our importance within the general scheme of things, then this in itself can lead to unnecessary challenges. Far better to put our time into learning our craft flawlessly and not to worry (too much!) about the challenges along the way, I think.
Which performance/recordings are you most proud of?
I was thrilled last summer to get to perform one of my favourite bel canto arias last summer with the Camerata Salzburg, ‘Il segreto per esser felici’ from ‘Lucrezia Borgia’. I am proud of this performance and recording mainly because of how utterly stunning the orchestra sound! I felt very fortunate indeed to be on a stage with such an esteemed group of musicians (including Maestro Theodor Guschlbauer).
Which particular works do you think you perform best?
My very favourite composer both to sing, and in general to know about and learn about, is of course Mozart. It so happens that many of his travesti roles (Cherubino, Annio, etc) sit in a comfortable range in my voice, but actually learning to sing Mozart is, for any singer, a veritable masterclass in the operatic artform. This obviously isn’t an unusual opinion but I cannot recommend the study of Mozart highly enough.
I also adore a wide range of operetta, particularly Offenbach (especially because he wrote so many excellent and well-drawn mezzo roles), but truly my all-time favourite opera would have to be Carmen! This was another one I was exposed to an early age (as are many people I imagine), and I never cease to get goosebumps during almost every number when I hear it performed live. Anita Rachvelishvili’s Carmen at the Met last season is my newest favourite!
How do you make your repertoire choices from season to season?
I suppose as opera singers we have little choice over what we are cast in (within reason), but I feel very lucky to have recently had more time to put together a number of my own recitals in recent months. In terms of choosing song repertoire, well I have always loved Schumann’s ‘Frauenliebe und –leben’, and so I had been desperate to sing this for a while. I have performed it twice now in the last year but I still don’t feel as if I have scratched the surface. As the Schumann cycle is only 25 minutes long, I had been searching for something to pair it with, and a lovely friend recommended to me Shostakovich’s ‘Spanish Songs’. I have always enjoyed Shostakovich’s symphonic works but had never sung anything of his, so I very much enjoyed studying these charming pieces from an academic as well as a musical perspective. They are Spanish folk songs, translated into Russian, and while mainly sung by women, are written from a male perspective. I undertook my own English translations of them – a project which gave me endless joy.
Do you have a favourite concert venue to perform in and why?
In terms of recital venues, I very much enjoy singing at St. James’s Piccadilly. It has such a warm acoustic and is visually breathtaking (designed by Christopher Wren). Another incredible Wren venue is the Painted Hall of the Royal Naval College, which is fairly echoey, but visually arresting. One of my favourite venues in the world is the Musikverein in Vienna, which I have not yet performed in, but in which I was lucky enough to rehearse last year with the Wiener Philharmoniker. The Musikverein is heavenly-looking, and also has such a rich history, from Bruckner to Brahms.
Another jaw-droppingly beautiful venue that I have performed in is the theatre at Giardini La Mortella, a roman-style amphitheatre carved into a mountain on the island of Ischia. This was the residence for many years of William Walton, and still boasts his wife Lady Walton’s sensational walled gardens.
Favourite pieces to perform? Listen to?
To perform, it would have to be Mozart, Handel, Offenbach, Tchaikovsky, and Britten. And of course ‘Der Rosenkavalier’, which I think is one of the most transcendent pieces of art (words and music) ever to have been made.
To listen to, I would have to choose Ashkenazy’s famous Chopin recordings on Decca from the 1980s. They are so precise and yet so full of life – a very inspiring combination!
Also, my new absolute favourite piece ever written or performed is Jake Heggie’s ‘Camille Claudel: Into the Fire’, performed with complete fervour, tenacity, and vocal majesty by Joyce DiDonato earlier this year. I am deeply in love with this music, poetry, and Ms. DiDonato’s rendering of it. It is recorded on a CD entitled ‘Here/ After’, and I would very strongly advise everyone to buy and listen to this!
Who are your favourite musicians?
Apart from the singers I have already mentioned variously above, I have also to include Grace Bumbry, Monsterrat Caballé, Fiorenza Cossotto, Sophie Koch, Elina Garanca, Jennifer Larmore, Sarah Connolly, Anna Netrebko, Stephanie Blythe, Thomas Hampson, Placido Domingo, Jonas Kaufmann… The list goes on! In terms of musicians from other styles I would choose Sarah Vaughan, Kurt Elling, and Jennifer Pike, who I recently saw in concert and was totally in awe of!
What is your most memorable concert experience?
This wasn’t exactly a concert per se, but the most memorable moment of my nascent career to date (memorable mainly for the combination of abject terror I felt in the minutes leading up to it, and the complete relief I felt for the hours after it!) was opening the International Opera Awards in 2014. I sung Rossini’s ‘Cruda Sorte’ and was incredibly nervous about performing this characterful and fast-moving aria in front of an audience of 800 of the world’s opera singers, intendants, creatives, and critics (!). But I was so grateful for this priceless opportunity, and I have my sponsors at the International Opera Awards, and my fairy godmother (you know who you are!) to thank for this incredible experience.
What do you consider to be the most important ideas and concepts to impart to aspiring musicians?
The thought that has been the most useful to me is the idea that this is a marathon, and not a sprint. Once we have learnt a little bit about music and the whole funny business of being on stage, the next part to tackle is our stamina, and also our attitude; to always remind oneself of the big picture is a very important tool. British-American Mezzo Soprano Phoebe Haines studied at the University of Cambridge where she obtained a Double First Class Degree, and recently completed her MMus at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama under the tuition of John Llewelyn Evans. She continued her training at the Guildhall as a Fellow in 2014/15, and was also a 2015 Opera Works trainee at the English National Opera.
In 2014, Phoebe became a Britten-Pears Young Artist, partaking in the Aldeburgh English Song Project. Also in 2014 she was named a Concordia Foundation Artist, an Iford Arts Young Artist, and a Salzburg Festival Young Artist.
Last summer, Phoebe made her debut at the Salzburger Festspiele as Zweite adelige Waise in Der Rosenkavalier conducted by Franz Welser-Möst, and as Tisbe in La Cenerentola für Kinder, a co-production with Teatro Alla Scala. She participated in many concerts during her time at the Festival, including a concert of arias with the Camerata Salzburg under Theodor Guschlbauer, and sang in master classes with Thomas Hampson and Helmut Deutsch. Her engagements with the Festival also took her to Castell Son Claret, Mallorca, where she sang in their annual gala concert, ‘Opera Under the Stars’.
Also a talented recitalist, Phoebe has given recent performances at 22 Mansfield Street, the Pushkin House, Castell Son Claret, Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild, Villa Kyrélos, Giardini La Mortella, Villa Del Balbianello, Belvoir Castle, Bloomsbury Ballrooms, the Handel House Museum, Christ Church Spitalfields, The Savoy Chapel, Asia House, the British Embassies in Rome and Budapest, and the Lebanese Embassy in London. She performed Schumann’s Frauenliebe und -leben at St. James’ Piccadilly in October 2014 for the Concordia Foundation, along with her own translation of Shostakovich’s Spanish Songs. She is a passionate advocate for charitable causes, and very much enjoys working for Concordia Foundation on a number of outreach projects at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.
Phoebe opened the International Opera Awards on April 7th 2014 and has performed at many other events throughout 2015 under this auspice. This summer, Phoebe returned to Austria to join the prestigious American Institute of Musical Studies in Graz, where she was a finalist at the Graz Meistersinger Competition, under the direction of conductor Karen Kamensek. Phoebe worked with the legendary Montserrat Caballé in masterclass in September 2015 at the Auditorio Zaragoza, Spain. In September and October 2015, Phoebe takes on two modern cantatas: Britten’s Phaedra in London, and John Eaton’s El Divino Narciso in New York. She then goes on to sing the countertenor role of Katte in Scott Wheeler’s critically-acclaimed Sorrows of Frederick for Center for Contemporary Opera, NYC.
“There are two components to conducting, expressiveness and exactness. These two components are in dialectical opposition to each other; in fact, they cancel each other out. A conductor must find the way to bring the two together.”
Ilya Aleksandrovich Musin, Conductor Maker
Ilya Musin (1906 to 1999) was a Russian conductor and renowned teacher of conductors. His identification of the paradox that lies at the heart of the art of conducting, the need to be both expressive and exact in one’s communication with the orchestra, is of immense significance, for not only conductors but also others who want to develop and utilise their skills to an exceptional level.
Exceptional performance within any sphere requires the ability to be both exact and expressive in our actions, to be technically reliable, accurate and consistent, and uniquely expressive, imaginative and creative. The best soccer players, golfers and tennis players can not only execute their skills perfectly time after time, but also combine and use them in new and unexpected ways that enhance their performance and surprise and delight their audiences. Think of Messi and his visionary passing, Ballesteros and his gift of recovery around the greens, Federer and his ability to wrong foot his opponents with unexpected shots and angles; they can not only execute their skills accurately and consistently but also find ways to express their personal style and uniqueness through their sport.
Many highly successful scientists are not only technically rigorous but also uniquely creative, imaginative and even playful in their approaches, again able to express their personal style and uniqueness through their vocation (Galileo and his imaginative and playful experiments, Einstein and his memorable and engaging thought experiments, and Richard Feynman and his creative and practical lectures).
So, how can we all work towards achieving and combining the exactness and expressiveness that leads to exceptional performance? The first thing to make clear is that it takes time and disciplined effort. For most of us it takes about ten years to achieve the fluency of thought and action that is an essential requirement for top level performance. Having said this, appreciating how the two dimensions of expressiveness and exactness interact with each other can act as a helpful springboard, providing the impetus for our initial and on-going efforts. Exactness relates to our ability to execute our skills, apply our knowledge and use our experience. If we are low in exactness we will find it difficult to execute our skills, apply our knowledge and use our experience consistently, efficiently and effectively. If we are high in exactness we will more easily be able to execute our skills, apply our knowledge and use our experience consistently, efficiently and effectively.
Expressiveness relates to our ability to express our unique perceptions and preferences and demonstrate the blend of skills and attitudes that constitute our personal style. If we are low in expressiveness we will find it difficult to express our unique perceptions and preferences and demonstrate the blend of skills and attitudes that constitute our personal style. If we are high in expressiveness we will more easily be able to express our unique perceptions and preferences and demonstrate the blend of skills and attitudes that constitute our personal style.
These two dimensions of exactness and expressiveness can be combined to create the above matrix, which can be used to inform and support the development of our skills and the personal style we use to deliver them.
The matrix consists of four quadrants:
The beginner quadrant is where we are at the beginning of our journey towards mastery of our skills and acquisition of our personal style. We are low in exactness and expressiveness. We do not have the skills, knowledge and experience we need and therefore lack the confidence to express ourselves and develop our personal style. Key to moving out of this quadrant is successfully identifying and taking those first few crucial steps that will help us begin to develop the skills and gain the knowledge, experience and confidence we need.
The loose cannon quadrant is where we are if expressing ourselves within our chosen field comes easily but reliable and consistent execution of its technicalities does not. We are high in expressiveness and low in exactness. We possess a personal style that needs to be polished; others commonly perceive us as possessing a ‘natural but raw talent’. We are capable of flashes of insight and brilliance but they are unpredictable and unreliable. We do not know how we succeed at things and so we find it hard to replicate those successes as and when needed. Key to moving out of this quadrant is to identify and focus on our key strengths and attributes, find out precisely why and how they work and then practise these aspects until we can call upon them at will, so ensuring consistent and effective execution. We also need to try out these aspects and approaches in different contexts to identify when they are most and least appropriate and/or effective.
The technician quadrant is where we are if we can execute our skills and apply our knowledge within our chosen field accurately, consistently and effectively, but whilst doing so we find it difficult to express ourselves individually, imaginatively and creatively. We are high in exactness and low in expressiveness. We need to identify and develop a personal style. We may be perceived as reliable and a ‘safe pair of hands’ but not a ‘star performer’ capable of delivering brilliant and unique ideas and performance. Key to moving out of this quadrant is moving away from our comfort zones and the usual or generally accepted ways of doing things. We need to explore differing approaches and ways of doing things and identify those that intrigue us, appeal to us and perhaps even positively challenge us the most. We then, through experiment and practice, need to fine tune and blend them to create our unique style, our unique way of going about our chosen work.
The maestro quadrant is where we are if we can execute our skills and apply our knowledge consistently and effectively and in doing so express ourselves individually, imaginatively and creatively. We are high in exactness and high in expressiveness. We possess a mature and evolving personal style. We are likely to be perceived as someone who can suggest different and insightful ways of looking at things and effectively implement innovative ways of doing things. We are the people organisations and businesses rely on to create their competitive edge and help them become acknowledged leaders in their fields. Key to staying in this quadrant is battling complacency. We need to continue growing and developing our skills, knowledge and experience. We need to seek out new and exciting challenges. We need to make a habit of seeking and acting upon feedback. Lastly, and arguably most importantly, we need to reinforce our own skills through helping to develop those of others.
Charles M Lines trained as a musician and studied composition at the Colchester School of Music during the early 1980s. He joined the UK Civil Service in 1984 where he worked for various government departments, eventually specialising in management consultancy, training and development. In 1996 he became a Senior Lecturer at the UK Civil Service College.
At the age of 41 he left the Civil Service to work as an independent management consultant and trainer. He has since been in demand both at home and abroad, providing management consultancy and training events to a very wide range of clients.
Learning any new piece of music is a journey. When you embark upon this journey there is a starting point and a destination, if not in plain sight, certainly in the mind’s eye (or ear!). Let’s imagine this destination is at the top of a challenging climb. Whether it’s Ben Nevis or Mount Everest depends on the length of your legs – or your fingers!
Once we have chosen the destination, the first step is ‘making a start’. It features tentative baby steps, a little sight reading as you weave a path through the challenges ahead, working out notes, phrases, rhythms and fingerings slowly, hands separately and in small sections.
Younger pianists find this phase frustrating. Playing hands separately is boring and looking at key signatures, time signatures and counting is what beginners do! They need to stop to rest often despite the slow pace. Experienced pianists know it is imperative this stage is not rushed as bad habits are hard to break. They pace themselves, find footholds and secure ropes. It’s an exciting time, a voyage of discovery and identifying the challenges to come.
Step two is about ‘making progress’. Gradually the piece starts to take shape, phrases make more sense and the pianist develops a greater awareness of how the music fits together as a whole.
Younger pianists are excited now because they are allowed to play hands together and feel they are playing real music. Notes are mostly secure (no need to keep checking the key signature) and rhythms are ingrained (rightly or wrongly). The view is good from here, and given the choice they might not climb further, but they will probably run in circles as fast as they can!
For experienced players this is a time of uncertainty; the end goal is glittering somewhere on the distant horizon but there’s still a long way to go. And yet, they have come too far to turn back! The twists and turns of the path ahead are clearer. The trouble spots have been identified and need more work but the easier passages are falling into place. A few ambitious sprints are quickly abandoned for a more measured pace.
The last stage is ‘crafting the music’. You are taking the final steps towards your destination.
Young pianists think they’ve made it, but the teacher is still nagging about dynamics, pedalling and giving the last note its full value! They don’t care about the destination anymore; they are ready to start a new journey (having already forgotten how frustrated they were at the outset!). For experienced pianists, it’s a steep climb at the end; the most technically challenging parts remain elusive on occasion (and despite the best of intentions, some bad habits were formed along the way).
Finally, you are there; it’s performance day – an exam, a concert or something more informal. Now you’ve reached those heady heights, all you can do is hold on tight, enjoy the view and hope you don’t fall off!
My friend and piano teaching colleague Rob Foster notes that for some pieces you will make the journey many times in your life and, like a favourite city, experience them differently every time you return to them.
Why not take a moment to reflect on the music you are playing now: where are you on the journey?
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Music is the only field of study that requires regular and extended one-on-one interaction between student and teacher. The student-teacher relationship is a very special one, based on mutual trust and respect. Young students are often hungry for knowledge and experience: they turn to their teachers for support and advice, they share their insecurities and emotions. Music is all about expressing emotions, plumbing the depths of the soul or soaring in ecstasy, and a certain vulnerability and emotional intelligence is essential if the musician is going to communicate with honesty and passion. Good teachers know this – they encourage their students to know this too, enabling them to let go and free their spirit to play with feeling and musical colour.
Journey
The Cross-Eyed Pianist 