Musicians as Actors
A former teacher long ago used to regularly remind me that musicians are like actors. Music is full of character and a good musician worth merit can change styles at the drop of a hat.
In order to be understood from the audience perspective, French horn players are very much like stage actors. They need to speak with clear diction and with an intensity that can be heard clearly in the back row.
Last Monday, I featured a post by Alecia Bateson at Professional Auditonee and noted some excellent bullet points about character in acting.
Expanding on this a bit for musicians:
Work to further ratchet up the stakes. It increases tension and drama.
Sometimes in a concert, the group’s energy level get raised a notch or two. The tempo might be a little faster or slower than before, the dynamics might be louder or softer. A prominent line may get stretched or morphed in some other way that constitutes a risk with a big reward.
In order to be on this bandwagon, you need to be musically flexible and able to play prominent passages under extreme circumstances. In opera, this happens almost on a nightly basis - singers are wont to stretch and pull depending on their vocal strengths at the moment.
Most importantly, be alert for change and go with the flow. In other words:
Establish a deeper internal comprehension of the character. Spend more time “in” the scene.
and
Listen. Don’t talk (unless acting).
Even when not playing, or in long tacets I enjoy watching other musicians perform. Why not? I have the best seat in the house!
Watching others can be an excellent ordered exercise.
This is one thing that I enjoy about chamber music, attending concerts, watching YouTube or playing in group lessons – watching other musicians at play can be as educational as listening.
Search more deeply to find a way to connect to something that may be foreign to personal experience.
When I first heard traditional French hunting horns for example, I was not immediately enamored. These days, I wonder about trying out Rossini’s Le rendez-vous de chasse in this style.
Being open-minded to new things might a open door to new way of expression.
Besides, why speak in the same manner and dialect all the time?
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