NOTES FROM THE RSC

Broadening Perspectives with Master Classes

By Meghan Laska

P“ art of what makes music so great is that if you put 10 musicians in a room, you’ll get 15 opinions. There is not just one way to make music,” says cellist Bruce Coppock, chair of RSC’s Chamber Music Department and director of RSC’s ChamberMusicLab. “That’s why it’s so important for young musicians to hear different perspectives—and to learn over time to craft their own point of view. Master classes are a great opportunity for that kind of learning.”

A strong tradition at RSC, master classes are lessons with a guest teacher for select students, conducted in front of an audience. The goal is to provide the students with feedback on core elements like technique and musicality.

Since music is subjective, of course, that feedback may be varied—and that’s part of the point. Roberto Plano, associate professor of piano at Indiana University, who gave a piano master class at RSC last fall, explains, “Music is extraordinarily personal. The student may hear something from the teacher giving the master class they have never heard before from their other teachers. That feedback may even conflict, with one teacher suggesting you play one way here and another teacher suggesting you play that same part the exact opposite way. Young musicians learn to understand that people can have their own opinions, and they can form their own opinion based on all of those perspectives.”

Master classes are valuable for all genres of music, notes saxophonist Philippe Crettien, who is jazz department director for both RSC and The Rivers School. He invites composers or soloists to share their expertise with students in a master class, followed by a concert in which students apply what they have learned.

Last fall, Crettien organized two master classes at the Rivers Jazz Festival with bass trombonist and tuba player Bill Lowe, who leads the Signifyin’ Natives band and has worked with masters of African American music across all genres.

Crettien says, “Master classes are amazing opportunities for students to get into the artist’s head and learn about their process. Having access to that artistry is unique, and there is no substitute for that as a young musician.”

Building Confidence

A significant element of master classes, said Coppock, is the performance opportunity. He explains, “You can duplicate just about every aspect of playing an instrument in the practice room except for what it feels like to perform in front of an audience. I know extremely few musicians without some form of performance anxiety. It’s something one can only learn to manage through experience.” Crettien agrees, noting that he begins every morning of the Rivers Summer Jazz Program with a master class. “We create an environment where the students feel safe taking risks by volunteering to play in the master class. Everyone gets a turn, and we encourage all of the kids to participate,” he says.

Connecting with Audiences

Master classes have something to offer all attendees—even those who are only there to observe. While students clearly benefit

Roberto Plano led a piano master class at RSC last fall.

from the master teacher’s feedback, the audience benefits by auditing a high-level music class.

Coppock says that he saw “a noticeable difference” in his ChamberMusicLab students’ performances after they started watching and hearing one another in weekly master classes. “It’s excellent for their development musically, and the whole level of the group rises,” he says, noting that master classes also help observers learn how to address common errors. “When someone makes an all-toohuman mistake in a performance, the audience sees that this happens to others, too, and benefits from the teacher’s feedback.”

Plano says that he enjoys the audience aspect of master classes and tries to make the class accessible by contextualizing the work, explaining his feedback and the history of the piece. “I can tell I am really connecting with the audience when there is silence in the hall, and they are listening to every word. It is a beautiful experience,” he notes.

The master teachers also benefit from the classes. Plano explains, “It is our job as teachers to share our knowledge, and master classes are a way to impact more students outside of our own institutions. We listen to talent and learn other points of view. We always say teachers learn from students— and that is true in music.”

Crettien agrees. “Every department at RSC offers master classes because it’s the RSC way. We look for opportunities to help students get to the next level musically. It’s also refreshing for faculty to have outside teachers visit RSC because it’s a form of professional development. I enjoy going to master classes in other genres like classical music, because I can adapt those lessons back to jazz.”

He adds, “I can’t overemphasize the value of master classes. They are elevating for everyone.”

Seminar on Contemporary Music for the Young Brings Noted Composer to Campus

Forty-three years ago, The Rivers School Conservatory pioneered a unique model to bring together young performers, composers, and audiences. The launch of the Seminar on Contemporary Music for the Young not only began a beloved tradition at RSC, it also set the bar for such events around the world.

The three-day event, which took place this year in early April, includes master classes, lectures, and concerts. The highlight of the seminar is the commissioning of a composer for a major work. This year, the RSC commissioned Chen Yi, a professor at the University of Missouri-Kansas City Conservatory, a prolific composer, and recipient of the Charles Ives Living Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

RSC Director Gabriella Sanna said, “It was important to us to have a woman as our commissioned composer. The classical music world has been dominated by white male composers, and there is now a movement to make space for and appreciate the works of women composers and composers of color.”

Said Chen, “It is my privilege to have had the opportunity to work closely together with our young musicians at RSC and to have the premiere performance of my two-movement new string quartet work, ‘Song of Spring.’”

More performers from The Rivers School were involved this year than ever before. Chen worked directly with The Rivers Middle School Vocal Ensemble, which performed the composer’s “Capriccio.” Several other Rivers students performed, and a number of student-composed works also had their premieres.

Sanna points out that the Seminar is an important vehicle for exposing young people to contemporary music. She explains, “It is invaluable for students to have the opportunity to talk with a composer while studying their music, rather than only playing pieces by composers who are no longer with us. At the Seminar, the composer and students work together, and the student can learn what the composer was thinking about when the piece came to life.”

Chair of the Seminar and RSC’s wind department Ethel Farney says, “The atmosphere at these Seminars is electrifying and inspiring to all who attend. The composers who participate share the same feeling of excitement and creative energy as the young performers.” —ML