A violin student came into my studio for a lesson on singing and listening.
“I can’t sing.” He said sheepishly.
“Of course you can.” I said. “Sing with me.”
We matched pitches, going up and down the scale. His voice was shaky at first, but soon he was able to hold a note for a few seconds and hop up and down small intervals. A big smile spread across his face.
He didn’t know about the major musical periods. When I began to explain he took out his notebook and started writing.
“No notes, please.” I said. “Just listen.”
He was not used to doing that, and felt uncomfortable. He was a good student.
I played him examples: Bach, Mozart, Chopin, Gershwin. We talked about musical lines that run horizontally and chords that move a piece of music vertically. He asked questions now, of things he didn’t understand.
At the end of the lesson he didn’t want to leave. A good student. I look forward to seeing him next week.
