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| Wednesday, 5 May 2004 |
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Music hath charms "Music in itself is one of the greatest forces for breath in the homes," says the great Ignace Jan Paderewski. Music makes its appeal in execution to the emotions. It is also an intellectual study requiring the exercise of the clearest mental faculties. What is musical talent? This is a question which is often asked. Musical talent, like all other talents is a gift of nature inherited, not acquired. A musician who has natural ability in music has been born with it. Any person designed by nature to be a great pianist must possess very highly co-ordinated physique. Hands, arms, wrists, motor muscles controlling finger actions from the brain impulses must all be in a healthy condition and ready for the most ample technical development. In addition, the undoubted presence of mental and other gifts must be of a very high order, of these a sense of absolute pitch must be one. Little children sometimes learn music because they love it. They are now being taught music and examined because music is more and more considered to be a real factor in every modern scheme of general education. Far too many children study music with a view to becoming great musician, but it should be studied without any aim in view, except in the cases of marvellously talented children. A child's difficulties A child's first attempt to play at sight from printed music is rather complicated. Before he can strike any note on the piano he has (A) to decide on the alphabetical name of the note in the book. (B) to locate the note on the keyboard and (C) decide which finger to use to depress the key. At a later stage, he has to, (a) Think of the duration of the note and (b) To consider whether note is to be loud or soft. Hence the teacher is faced with difficulties which can be overcome by careful attention to important principle of imparting knowledge to them. (1) By proceeding from the known to the unknown, i.e., building constructions on something which already existing in the mind something with which he is already familiar, (2) By teaching one thing at a time. Musical instruction to very young children should be given in exceedingly small quantities. At first, little lessons of only ten minutes duration, gradually increasing the time until the little ones are old enough and strong enough to bear a more regular and longer course of tuition. Adult pupils Adult pupils come to a music teacher for various reasons. Perhaps they merely wish to make up for a deficiency in their early education, or they may have an inclination to learn music regarding it as something which is likely to afford them fresh and delightful experiences. There are some who like to become music pupils for the sake of being able to supplement generally. The musical instruction of the younger people, in the way of supervising their practice hours or by accompanying their songs, violin solos etc. Those who cherish recollections of their musical instructions they received, will always be ready to do their best to create memories of the same minds of their pupils in the future. So an able and dedicated teacher creates a ripple in the pool of sounds which grows in ever widening circles of purest pleasure through generations unknown. As always I maintain that "Music is the food of love." - Yvonne Keerthisinghe |
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