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| Olivia with Director of Musical Theatre Arts Angela Beaton and piano accompanist Ruslan Odintsov |
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Wharton Music Center Voice Student Gives Solo Junior Recital
Thursday, April 30, 2015
How do you feel about memorizing music?
Excerpt from How do you memorise an entire symphony?
BBC News Magazine
The extraordinary ability of musicians to recall millions of musical notes over a lifetime is undoubtedly one of the most impressive feats of human memory. For scientists, such feats provide an opportunity to understand how human memory works - but, for musicians, having to achieve this on a regular basis can be terrifying.
Most musicians will have to perform from memory at some time in their career. Some, especially singers or soloists, have to perform from memory most of the time. Feelings about the practice are divided. Some musicians feel that performing without a score allows them to be freer and more expressive. Others feel that memorisation is time-consuming and less reliable than using a written score. Moreover, the fear of memory "slips" can hamper expressive performance, or worse. Debilitating stage fright may cause a musician to withdraw from the profession entirely.
Most ensembles escape the burden of memorisation - with notable exceptions being the Kolisch Quartet in the 1930s and the Chiara and Zehetmair Quartets today. An entire orchestra playing from memory, as the Aurora Orchestra will do this summer at the Proms, is all but unheard of.
Musicians with a hatred of memorisation may bemoan Clara Schumann and Franz Liszt, who were among the first 19th Century musicians to spark this trend. The image of a piano virtuoso was beginning to form at this time, with Liszt declaring that "virtuosity is not an outgrowth, but an indispensable element of music". Before this time, it was considered arrogant to perform without the score.
Beethoven explicitly disapproved of one of his pupils, who could play the composer's entire set of works from memory, as he was concerned that important details in the score could be missed.
Chopin was angered when he heard that one of his pupils wanted to play him a Nocturne from memory. Mendelssohn had an amazing musical memory, but would not let on - before one performance when his score was unavailable, he had a page-turner place a random book in front of him and pretend it was the score.
However, prior to the Renaissance, playing from memory was a necessity, as little or no musical notation was available.
Memorised music performance has interested scientists since as far back as the 1800s. One type of memory that musicians use is commonly called "muscle memory", but the memories are not actually stored in the muscles.
Muscle memory instead refers to a type of "procedural" memory called motor learning, in which memories for movement patterns are acquired through repetition. Procedural memory is separate from other types of memory, such as our memory for events (autobiographical memory) or general knowledge about the world (semantic memory).
We use procedural memory for actions such as driving, typing on a keyboard or riding a bike. This is the type of memory for which "practice makes perfect", and it allows us to perform complex actions, such as driving a car, with little attention.
However, when we are stressed or anxious, procedural memory may fail, and we "choke". Choking is often seen in athletes in high-pressure situations. Musicians also experience choking, for example when performance anxiety disrupts a procedural memory that is normally second nature, resulting in mistakes or memory slips.
Many of the practice strategies that musicians use are aimed at preventing and recovering from slips. Simple repetition, the most common practice strategy, does not necessarily prevent slips.
Read the full article in BBC News Magazine.
BBC News Magazine
 |
| In a feat of musical memory, the Aurora Orchestra will perform Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony without printed scores at the BBC Proms 2015. Neuroscientist Jessica Grahn explores how musicians manage to remember highly complex arrangements. |
The extraordinary ability of musicians to recall millions of musical notes over a lifetime is undoubtedly one of the most impressive feats of human memory. For scientists, such feats provide an opportunity to understand how human memory works - but, for musicians, having to achieve this on a regular basis can be terrifying.
Most musicians will have to perform from memory at some time in their career. Some, especially singers or soloists, have to perform from memory most of the time. Feelings about the practice are divided. Some musicians feel that performing without a score allows them to be freer and more expressive. Others feel that memorisation is time-consuming and less reliable than using a written score. Moreover, the fear of memory "slips" can hamper expressive performance, or worse. Debilitating stage fright may cause a musician to withdraw from the profession entirely.
Most ensembles escape the burden of memorisation - with notable exceptions being the Kolisch Quartet in the 1930s and the Chiara and Zehetmair Quartets today. An entire orchestra playing from memory, as the Aurora Orchestra will do this summer at the Proms, is all but unheard of.
Musicians with a hatred of memorisation may bemoan Clara Schumann and Franz Liszt, who were among the first 19th Century musicians to spark this trend. The image of a piano virtuoso was beginning to form at this time, with Liszt declaring that "virtuosity is not an outgrowth, but an indispensable element of music". Before this time, it was considered arrogant to perform without the score.
Beethoven explicitly disapproved of one of his pupils, who could play the composer's entire set of works from memory, as he was concerned that important details in the score could be missed.
Chopin was angered when he heard that one of his pupils wanted to play him a Nocturne from memory. Mendelssohn had an amazing musical memory, but would not let on - before one performance when his score was unavailable, he had a page-turner place a random book in front of him and pretend it was the score.
However, prior to the Renaissance, playing from memory was a necessity, as little or no musical notation was available.
Memorised music performance has interested scientists since as far back as the 1800s. One type of memory that musicians use is commonly called "muscle memory", but the memories are not actually stored in the muscles.
Muscle memory instead refers to a type of "procedural" memory called motor learning, in which memories for movement patterns are acquired through repetition. Procedural memory is separate from other types of memory, such as our memory for events (autobiographical memory) or general knowledge about the world (semantic memory).
We use procedural memory for actions such as driving, typing on a keyboard or riding a bike. This is the type of memory for which "practice makes perfect", and it allows us to perform complex actions, such as driving a car, with little attention.
However, when we are stressed or anxious, procedural memory may fail, and we "choke". Choking is often seen in athletes in high-pressure situations. Musicians also experience choking, for example when performance anxiety disrupts a procedural memory that is normally second nature, resulting in mistakes or memory slips.
Many of the practice strategies that musicians use are aimed at preventing and recovering from slips. Simple repetition, the most common practice strategy, does not necessarily prevent slips.
Read the full article in BBC News Magazine.
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
New Jersey Youth Symphony Student Organizes Benefit Concert for Paterson Music Project
by Alice Hamlet, Associate Director of Marketing
Wharton Music Center
Aidan Garrison, a tenth grader from Sparta who has been a member of NJYS’s Youth Symphony for two years and recently joined the NJYS Advanced String Quartet, as well as serving as a volunteer and intern at PMP’s Community Charter School of Paterson site for two years, studies with Brett Deubner of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and Karen Ritscher at Manhattan School of Music.
Q: How did you get involved with PMP?
A: I got involved with PMP through one of PMP's teaching artists, cellist Terrence Thornhill, whom I have known for several years. Since I began playing viola, I have been looking for ways to integrate music with community service, and PMP provided a great opportunity for me to do that. I was a volunteer at the Community Charter School of Paterson (CCSP) last year, and this year I am the CCSP intern. The internship was created in part due to my consistent participation as a PMP volunteer.
Q: What do you think is the most important aspect of PMP?
A: The opportunities it provides the kids to improve and grow as musicians and as people.
Q: What inspired you to organize this concert?
A: PMP is really important to me, so I thought it would be nice to help raise money for the program. It's really great to see the kids grow and to see the effect the music has on them. To see how excited they are to play music and be part of PMP.
Q: Can you give us a sneak peak at a few of the pieces that are going to be performed on the concert?
A: Repertoire for the benefit concert includes Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 7 in F sharp minor; the Handel-Halverson Passacaglia, Prokofiev’s String Quartet No. 2 in F Major; and Sarasate’s Navarra. And a few surprises!
PMP provides an intense musical immersion after school for nearly 200 students at the Community Charter School of Paterson and Paterson School 1. Students grade 3-5 study a primary instrument (violin, cello or viola) and participate in six hours of group music instruction, ensemble practice and choir weekly. Students in grade 1 & 2 participate in Pre-Orchestra, a preparatory program which meets for two hours weekly. Pre-Orchestra students sing, participate in paper orchestra, and play the recorder and buckets. Students perform frequently for the school and community.
Paterson Music Project began in January 2013 with 30 students at the Community Charter School of Paterson where it now serves over 100 students. In January 2015, Paterson Music Project partnered with Paterson Public Schools to open a site at Public School 1. This new site serves 78 first through fifth graders from P.S. 1 and P.S. 26. For more information, visit www.patersonmusicproject.org.
Wharton Music Center
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| NJYS member and PMP intern Aidan Garrison with CCSP student |
A benefit concert for Paterson Music Project (PMP) organized by New Jersey Youth Symphony member and PMP intern Aidan Garrison is planned for Saturday, May
9 at 7:00 p.m. at the New Jersey Youth Symphony’s Burgdorff Hall located at 570
Central Avenue in New Providence. The concert is free and open to the public.
All proceeds from the concert will be donated to PMP. Based
in Paterson, New Jersey, Paterson Music Project (PMP) is an El
Sistema-inspired program of Wharton Music Center that uses music as a vehicle
for social change by empowering and inspiring children through the community
experience of ensemble learning and playing.
Aidan Garrison, a tenth grader from Sparta who has been a member of NJYS’s Youth Symphony for two years and recently joined the NJYS Advanced String Quartet, as well as serving as a volunteer and intern at PMP’s Community Charter School of Paterson site for two years, studies with Brett Deubner of the New Jersey Symphony Orchestra and Karen Ritscher at Manhattan School of Music.
Q: How did you get involved with PMP?
A: I got involved with PMP through one of PMP's teaching artists, cellist Terrence Thornhill, whom I have known for several years. Since I began playing viola, I have been looking for ways to integrate music with community service, and PMP provided a great opportunity for me to do that. I was a volunteer at the Community Charter School of Paterson (CCSP) last year, and this year I am the CCSP intern. The internship was created in part due to my consistent participation as a PMP volunteer.
Q: What do you think is the most important aspect of PMP?
A: The opportunities it provides the kids to improve and grow as musicians and as people.
Q: What inspired you to organize this concert?
A: PMP is really important to me, so I thought it would be nice to help raise money for the program. It's really great to see the kids grow and to see the effect the music has on them. To see how excited they are to play music and be part of PMP.
Q: Can you give us a sneak peak at a few of the pieces that are going to be performed on the concert?
A: Repertoire for the benefit concert includes Shostakovich’s String Quartet No. 7 in F sharp minor; the Handel-Halverson Passacaglia, Prokofiev’s String Quartet No. 2 in F Major; and Sarasate’s Navarra. And a few surprises!
PMP provides an intense musical immersion after school for nearly 200 students at the Community Charter School of Paterson and Paterson School 1. Students grade 3-5 study a primary instrument (violin, cello or viola) and participate in six hours of group music instruction, ensemble practice and choir weekly. Students in grade 1 & 2 participate in Pre-Orchestra, a preparatory program which meets for two hours weekly. Pre-Orchestra students sing, participate in paper orchestra, and play the recorder and buckets. Students perform frequently for the school and community.
Paterson Music Project began in January 2013 with 30 students at the Community Charter School of Paterson where it now serves over 100 students. In January 2015, Paterson Music Project partnered with Paterson Public Schools to open a site at Public School 1. This new site serves 78 first through fifth graders from P.S. 1 and P.S. 26. For more information, visit www.patersonmusicproject.org.
Q&A with Trombonist and WMC Board of Trustee Anthony Mazzocchi on Recent Book Publication
by Alice Hamlet, Associate Director of Marketing
Wharton Music Center
Wharton Music Center
Wharton Music Center is pleased to announce the publication of a
survival kit for new music parents by trombonist and WMC Board of Trustees
member Anthony Mazzocchi. The 47-page resource book provides practical,
step-by-step instructions for parents with little or no musical experience who
want to support their child’s interest in a musical instrument. From picking
the right instrument to play to recognizing whether your child is practicing
correctly, The Music Parents’ Guide
arms parents and students with essential information needed to get a solid
start on their musical craft. Mazzocchi has been a WMC board member since 2013
and is an alumnus of the New Jersey Youth Symphony, where he was a member from
1990-1991.
Q: What was your inspiration for writing the book?
A: During my time as a teacher, administrator, and professor, I have been fascinated by the fact that so many students are interested in playing a musical instrument, yet one year later most quit. I spent a lot of time contemplating teacher and student education, but when I began writing a blog for music parents in my district in order to educate them about helping their child learn an instrument, the attrition rate reduced dramatically! That was the inspiration for the book.
Q: How did you decide what to put in the guide, and what to leave out?
A: I didn’t want to scare parents too much--a thick manual would do that. I've supplemented the guide with a blog and YouTube channel for parents who choose to "dig deeper."
Q: Who do you think will most benefit from having a copy of the book?
A: Parents of children who come home from school with an instrument for the first time and think they may just do it for a year and call it quits, or parents who gave up on music when they were younger for reasons that they probably didn't understand. This book was written to change minds.
Q: How many copies of the book have you sold so far (I've heard it's a high number!)?
A: 25, 052...but who's counting :)
Q: What was your inspiration for writing the book?
A: During my time as a teacher, administrator, and professor, I have been fascinated by the fact that so many students are interested in playing a musical instrument, yet one year later most quit. I spent a lot of time contemplating teacher and student education, but when I began writing a blog for music parents in my district in order to educate them about helping their child learn an instrument, the attrition rate reduced dramatically! That was the inspiration for the book.
Q: How did you decide what to put in the guide, and what to leave out?
A: I didn’t want to scare parents too much--a thick manual would do that. I've supplemented the guide with a blog and YouTube channel for parents who choose to "dig deeper."
Q: Who do you think will most benefit from having a copy of the book?
A: Parents of children who come home from school with an instrument for the first time and think they may just do it for a year and call it quits, or parents who gave up on music when they were younger for reasons that they probably didn't understand. This book was written to change minds.
Q: How many copies of the book have you sold so far (I've heard it's a high number!)?
A: 25, 052...but who's counting :)
“Anthony Mazzocchi crafts an
insightful and informative guide for the music parent-to-be…An important read
for parents preparing to invest in their child’s musical future,” says
Christopher Woodside, Assistant Executive Director of the National Association
for Music Education.
For more information about The Music Parents’ Guide, visit www.musicparentsguide.com/book.
A GRAMMY® nominated music educator, Anthony Mazzocchi has performed as a trombonist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, New Jersey Symphony, San Diego Symphony, San Diego Opera, Riverside Symphony, Key West Symphony, in various Broadway shows and numerous recordings and movie soundtracks. Mazzocchi has served as faculty or as a frequent guest lecturer at The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, New York University, and Mannes College of Music. He has taught grades 4-college and has served as a school district administrator of fine and performing arts. He has been a consultant for arts organizations throughout the NY/NJ area and is currently Associate Director of the John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State University in New Jersey and Co-Executive Director of the Kinhaven Summer Music School in Weston, Vermont with his wife, Deborah.
For more information about The Music Parents’ Guide, visit www.musicparentsguide.com/book.
A GRAMMY® nominated music educator, Anthony Mazzocchi has performed as a trombonist with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, New Jersey Symphony, San Diego Symphony, San Diego Opera, Riverside Symphony, Key West Symphony, in various Broadway shows and numerous recordings and movie soundtracks. Mazzocchi has served as faculty or as a frequent guest lecturer at The Juilliard School, Manhattan School of Music, New York University, and Mannes College of Music. He has taught grades 4-college and has served as a school district administrator of fine and performing arts. He has been a consultant for arts organizations throughout the NY/NJ area and is currently Associate Director of the John J. Cali School of Music at Montclair State University in New Jersey and Co-Executive Director of the Kinhaven Summer Music School in Weston, Vermont with his wife, Deborah.
Monday, April 13, 2015
Congratulations, Wharton Music Center students!
by Kristine Peters, Education Coordinator
Bravo to our students!
Recent competition winners include:
Congratulations to violin students of Wharton Music Center faculty Elzbieta Winnicki on their prize
International Music & Arts Society
Meiyouka Yao, Grand Prix
Vivian Chang, Grand Prize
Andrew & Alex Wong, Duo
Congratulations to piano students of Wharton Music Center faculty Anna Vozhik on placing at the Golden Key Festival!
Golden Key Festival
Darren Yen, Gold
Preston Yen, Gold
Natalie Yen, Silver
Phillip Gao, Bronze
Congratulations to the cello student of Wharton Music Center faculty Alice Hamlet on placing at the Mid-Atlantic Music Teachers Guild Competition!
Mid-Atlantic Music Teachers Guild Competition
Zoe Wang, Second Prize - Strings Virtuoso Solo Junior Division
The mission of Wharton Music Center is to provide the highest quality performing arts education to a wide range of students in a supportive and inclusive environment, where striving for personal excellence inspires and connects those we teach to the communities we serve.Enroll in private music lessons at any time by going to www.whartonmusiccenter.org.
2015 WMC March Madness Recap
by Kristine Peters, Education Coordinator
Wharton Music Center
Between March 22 and 23, 2015, 48 teacher-nominated participants performed and competed to represent the best of Wharton Music Center in the WMC March Madness Honors Recital. On March 29, Wharton presented its “Sweet 16” of students representing Piano, Violin, Cello, Guitar, Voice, Musical Theatre, and Dance. Students listed below. Students marked with an asterisk* performed at the WMC Final Honors Recital.
Voice Department
Hannah Guglin
Olivia Hadad*
Megan Pan
Oona Qin
Olivia Sartorius*
Aashni Sawhney
Simran Sawhney
Strings
Julia Baldacchino*
Charlie Besjak
Aidan Chan
Vivian Chang
Sam DeMizio
Felicia Guo
Alexis Kim*
Emma Leung
Christopher Liang
Edison Moy*
Valmik Nahata
Sophia Rocco
Adi RoPeter Shih
Zoe Wang
Daniel Woo*
Annie Wu*
Woodwind Department
Katie Buchan
Evangelia Diplas*
Marguerite Kay
Oona Qin
Dance Department
Amelia Scott
Emily Wright
Danielle Yablonovsky
The mission of Wharton Music Center is to provide the highest quality performing arts education to a wide range of students in a supportive and inclusive environment, where striving for personal excellence inspires and connects those we teach to the communities we serve. To find out more about our programs and to get involved, visit us online at www.whartonmusiccenter.org.
Wharton Music Center
Between March 22 and 23, 2015, 48 teacher-nominated participants performed and competed to represent the best of Wharton Music Center in the WMC March Madness Honors Recital. On March 29, Wharton presented its “Sweet 16” of students representing Piano, Violin, Cello, Guitar, Voice, Musical Theatre, and Dance. Students listed below. Students marked with an asterisk* performed at the WMC Final Honors Recital.
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| 2015 Final Honors Recital Participants |
Piano Department
Sara Bolden
Tristan Choi
Amelie Hett
Kate Horton
Elizabeth Krska
Benson Liu*
Kedhar Nayaran*
Lorenzo Pagdanganan
Emily Qin
James Schadt
Jayan Shah
Ryan Smith
Ribhu Subramanian
Lily Tan
Lauren Venturella
Isabella Yee
Darren Yen*
Natalie Yen*
Sara Bolden
Tristan Choi
Amelie Hett
Kate Horton
Elizabeth Krska
Benson Liu*
Kedhar Nayaran*
Lorenzo Pagdanganan
Emily Qin
James Schadt
Jayan Shah
Ryan Smith
Ribhu Subramanian
Lily Tan
Lauren Venturella
Isabella Yee
Darren Yen*
Natalie Yen*
Voice Department
Hannah Guglin
Olivia Hadad*
Megan Pan
Oona Qin
Olivia Sartorius*
Aashni Sawhney
Simran Sawhney
Strings
Julia Baldacchino*
Charlie Besjak
Aidan Chan
Vivian Chang
Sam DeMizio
Felicia Guo
Alexis Kim*
Emma Leung
Christopher Liang
Edison Moy*
Valmik Nahata
Sophia Rocco
Adi RoPeter Shih
Zoe Wang
Daniel Woo*
Annie Wu*
Woodwind Department
Katie Buchan
Evangelia Diplas*
Marguerite Kay
Oona Qin
Dance Department
Amelia Scott
Emily Wright
Danielle Yablonovsky
The mission of Wharton Music Center is to provide the highest quality performing arts education to a wide range of students in a supportive and inclusive environment, where striving for personal excellence inspires and connects those we teach to the communities we serve. To find out more about our programs and to get involved, visit us online at www.whartonmusiccenter.org.
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