Musical phrasing and interpretation are affected by the way the instrumentalist moves. It often marks the difference between cold, dead music-making and compelling, electrifying results.
A lot of dynamic effect can be achieved with a very efficient and slight movement, as when a hammered dulcimer player uses mostly his fingers to flip the hammers in just the right way, with shoulders and elbows moving the hammers to the note locations.
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Although these three quotes are all from Classical performers, I think they apply to any genre of music and indeed to many roles in life!
This is an element of my own view of musicianship, as articulated by three of my favorite players. By the way, it's an honor to the Jewish people that all four of these guys are of that lineage (as are many other great musicians).
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Do you know what the letters ‘SATB’ mean?
That’s the shorthand for the common choir and hymnal arrangements in which there are four parts for the four ranges: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass.
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If you’re a musician, do you keep in mind the whole length of the piece you’re playing? At the beginning, do you see ahead to the end and work with every phrase as a part of the journey toward that ending?
When I listen to a symphony or a piano concerto, my subconscious mind seeks to follow along on that trip, and the performers who speak to me the most are the ones who seem to be tapping into that overall arch.
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Have you noticed that sometimes there’s a particular moment that really grabs you in a piece of music? It may be a chord change or a certain leap in a melody or a swell in the volume at just the right time; and its effect may be more than just something that gets your attention --- it may be truly a view into the sublime!
I actually crave those times and keep on the lookout for them, because that special moment that lifts my spirits or stirs my soul or grants a glimpse of the transcendent… is unutterably significant!
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