Thoughts on Music Workshops and Group Classes
As of August of 2011 I've attended ten five-day concertina class series with Noel Hill, four five-day workshops with Gearóid Ó hAllmhuráin, a five-day workshop with John Williams, two five-day workshops with Florence Fahy, an afternoon workshop with Brian Peters and "sat in" on four harp workshops/symposiums. I've also had ample opportunity to talk with several people that have attended a variety of workshops on other instruments from various sources. As a result I have several thoughts on the topic and have come to some conclusions about maximizing the value of the experience.
My comments come from the viewpoint of someone who learned the basics of "Irish Concertina" in an instructional setting without prior familiarity with Irish music and very little prior concertina experience in general. When I first started with Irish music, I found the tunes so "busy" with flurries of notes that they all sounded suspiciously similar although I wasn't likely to recognize any tune well enough that I could tell if I'd heard it twice in a row. I didn't think I'd ever be able to play that sort of music myself and memorization seemed nearly impossible for even the simplest tunes.
If you're new to the instrument workshop or group class environment, you might pick up something of value from reading my lengthy ramblings on the topic. My comments will not be all encompassing, rather I will focus on aspects related to the experience that I consider important. If you have prior experience with training of this sort you may well find my observations and suggestions to be boringly obvious and so you'll likely save yourself time and irritation by bailing out now. My comments are really targeted at people that are new to the experience and wondering what to expect. If that describes you, then read on...
An Overview of Typical Classes and Workshops
Short "one-time" workshops of just a few hours duration may not included an assessment of one's current level of skill, but multi-day workshops and classes typically start with one being asked to play one or two tunes to give the instructor some insight as to one's proficiency and style. If the group is large, it may be several minutes before your turn comes. Talking to others, it seems people's perspective depends on their level of skill. People new to the instrument are reluctant and tentative while the more experienced and confident ones look forward to their chance to showcase their talents.
Once the individual assessment period is over the class finally begins. Usually the routine consists of the instructor doing a simple demonstration of a tune, a perhaps lengthy discussion of the mechanics and technique involved in playing it, and concludes with a polished performance to show what your ultimate goal should be. The order may vary, and additional elements may be included, but these three parts seem to be the essence of the process.
Sheet music may be made available but in almost all cases the students will be encouraged to record the demonstrations and cued during class as to when to turn on their recording apparatus. In theory the resulting recordings will be used for the first few hours following class to help fix the tunes in one's mind and referred to as needed after one returns home. In practice, I find it's not uncommon for people to make little use of the recordings after they return home, and I'll have more to say on that shortly.
Multi-session classes and workshops repeat along the same lines, and it's common in this setting to find oneself asked to demonstrate their grasp of the tunes and techniques from the previous meeting. While one is not expected to have mastered the tune in a short time, there is an expectation of familiarity with the tune's basic elements, even if it can only be approached quite slowly.
Look for opportunities to get to know the others in your class. You'll not only gain friends and contacts with people that share your interest, but you will also likely find they're struggling with the some of the same difficulties that you are and perhaps you'll be able to help each other. If time permits, try to get together to play class tunes and other material if others are inclined to do so. Extended workshops and classes aren't just about what goes on during sessions of instruction. Besides, especially when you're first starting out it's easier to play in front of friends.
An important point that should be mentioned is class lodging/accommodations. Whenever you plan to attend a multi-day class or workshop held in a facility that you're not familiar with, I strongly encourage you to ask specific pointed questions about the accommodations and meals before committing to the event. You may be the the flexible and easy-going type willing to adjust to any situation, but most people like to have a clear picture of what to expect in this area. Private rooms and private baths should not be assumed, nor should personal choices be expected for meals. It's not uncommon to find yourself sharing a room (with a non-locking door) and group meals based on a predetermined schedule. In most cases you can expect that special dietary needs will be provided for so long as you make your needs known well in advance.
My Experience with Class and Workshop Auditions
My first concertina class occurred rather unexpectedly. I'd purchased a Stagi Anglo concertina and tinkered around with it infrequently over a span of months. The buttons stuck often and I finally decided to purchase a new Tedrow Anglo and then considering the financial investment decided I should do the instrument justice by seeking some sort of formal instruction other than the decades old self-instructing tutors I'd seen in a very few local stores.
In searching the Internet, I discovered Concertina.net and that Noel Hill did a summer class not too far from my home. I knew nothing of Irish music or Noel Hill, but figured any sort of formal instruction would be useful. I checked about four four months before the class was to start but found it was fully booked, so forgot about it and went on as before, only occasionally picking up my concertina to stumble through something like 'Dixie' while downloading large files to my computer via phone modem.
Then less than a week before the Noel Hill class started, a cancellation occurred and I was offered the spot. I took it and found myself thinking it might be a good idea to find out more about Noel and the sort of music he taught. A frantic search of the local music stores turned up nothing in their stock and I didn't have time to order anything, so the day I headed to class I still had little idea what to expect and had never heard him play.
As I prepared for class in those last few days it seemed a good idea to have one Irish tune handy in case I was asked to play something. I couldn't turn up an Irish music book in the time I had available, but found a Scottish book with the tune "Jack 'A Tar" and figured it'd have to do. I spent much of my spare time for three days trying to learn to play it, and just before heading out to the class I finally managed to haltingly make it through the tune by memory one time.
Of course, when Noel called on me to play for him the first morning of class, what little familiarity I'd had with the tune evaporated and I couldn't find enough of the notes that even I could recognize the victim of the musical murder I committed in front of a room full of witnesses. I used to know someone whose favorite line was, "If you can't be good, be memorable" and I believe I was. I don't think anyone would have argued that I'd demonstrated unquestionable ownership of the 'worst in class' position for the "Beginner's" group that day.
The class series worked out well and I met a great group of people, though in spite of my best efforts I was never able to elevate myself from my unique class standing during the course of the week. I spent hours trying though, practicing every spare moment. The others were encouraging and I learned a lot from Noel so in spite of my poor showing I was very glad I'd attended the class and went home pleased with the progress I'd made in my time there.
For the next series of Noel Hill classes I attended (six months later in Ireland) I was determined to do better with my demonstration tune, so I picked one that taxed my abilities, but when I got it right (about a 2 out of 3 chance when playing at home), it sounded pretty good. Sadly, perhaps predictably, when my turn came to play for Noel, I played it far worse than I had any time in recent weeks. After several feints and stops, I completely stalled and then had the notion to switch to a different tune. I should have retired from the field when I had the chance, the second effort went arguably worse than the first, although it wasn't long before I capitulated.
I still had a great time at the class though and learned new skills. Better still, when I arrived home from the Ireland class family and friends commented that they noted a distinct improvement in my playing and felt I was developing a more authentic "Irish" sound.
Having performed demonstration tunes dismally in front of 20+ people twice, I took a different approach when John Williams asked me to play at the start of the five-day workshop I did with him just a few weeks later. I selected something I was comfortable with and I believe I played it quite well that day. Rather than trying to showcase developing but uncertain skills, I stayed with something I knew and so demonstrated what I had mastered. I think this is the right approach to an assessment setting because the instructor wants to know what you can really do.
At my third class series with Noel Hill some six months later, I applied my new insight and when asked to play, selected something I thought I played well even though it wasn't the most complicated tune in my repertoire. I did just fine with it and I was quite pleased. Then Noel asked me to play another and in that moment of foolish confidence I unthinkingly picked something from my 'difficult but often goes well' collection. Would anyone be surprised to learn that this wasn't one of those times?
The Wrong Approach to Learning Tunes
In my first class series with Noel I spent hours attempting to grind my way through unfamiliar tunes from sheet music without having first fixed the target tune in my head. Each had sounded good when Noel played it, but after I'd stumbled through it a few times away from the classroom I'd completely forgotten Noel's example and what I derived from the paper had no life in it. Worse, because I didn't know the tune, I had no automatic cues to suggest when I'd selected the wrong button or the wrong bellows direction.
Although I had class recordings available that I could have used to refresh my perspective on each tune, I didn't review them at all. At the time I didn't think of the recordings as learning tools so much as I thought of them as polishing references. Since I couldn't play the tune at that point, I thought it'd be a waste of much needed practice time to listen to them.
Further, after returning home I didn't bother with my recordings more than listening to small portions just a couple of times because I was still in the 'basic mechanics' mode and trying to build rapid sequence coordination and evenness. After a time I got to where I was playing the tunes with familiarity and felt confident I finally knew them. There seemed to be no need to review the recordings then, after all, I'd 'learned' them and therefore assumed I didn't need guidance. Besides, it was a bit of a hassle to get the recordings out and search through them to find specific tunes so I just didn't bother.
I wasn't alone in this approach, I've talked to several people that have attended concertina classes and workshops around the country and many have told me that while they recorded the class material, they'd used their recordings only briefly, if at all, because once they learned the basics of the tunes they "didn't need" the recordings anymore. While I wouldn't suggest that a musician with a good feel for the music would need to work with recordings at length, many of the people I've heard this from had attended only basic level classes and felt challenged at that level.
Insight and Discovery
Back to my own situation. As I worked at learning the tunes in the weeks and months after my first class series with Noel Hill, they became familiar, but they didn't seem especially appealing. Most new things become less novel once you come to know them so I just figured my lack of enthusiasm for the class tunes reflected my familiarity. Then one day I finally listened to my recordings from Noel's classes and I was amazed. The tunes sparkled once again, though Noel's renditions were so different from what I'd been playing that I barely recognized them as being something I "knew" how to play.
I realized then that I'd failed to capture the essence of the tunes in my early efforts and rather than getting closer to their proper portrayal with practice, I'd only become adept at imitating myself with each subsequent playing. I made a point to listen though all the recordings I had from the class and indexed them as I listened, making a list on paper as to what was where, so to speak, so that I could easily find specific bits again.
I discovered something else in listening to these recordings. Though my assessment is subjective, I've come to believe that between what I outright missed and what I subsequently forgot, I'd learned perhaps only half of what the Noel had offered during my time in class. I'd left class with the basic mechanics of several tunes, new perspective on basic techniques and many fuzzy (because it was all new and I didn't understand it well) insights on several other points. Two months later, I had advanced on the tune mechanics and had applied some of the new techniques but I'd essentially forgotten everything else.
Listening to the recordings I was again exposed to a wealth of information far exceeding the obvious benefits of the tune demonstrations. Throughout the class Noel made frequent comments on matters both near and distantly related to the tunes. They included suggestions for variations, applied examples of simple and advanced techniques, perspectives on dealing with common problems, advice on guiding one's musical development and other gems of wisdom. Informal, but pure gold from the lips of a master to a beginning or early-intermediate level musician.
Conclusions
There's no substitute for time in class or even one-on-one instruction with a knowledgeable instructor. That's not to say one can't learn without having an instructor available, but learning to play the instrument will go much faster and easier if you can find one. If you have the opportunity to attend frequent lessons, it may be of less importance, but in the case of infrequent learning opportunities such as one-time workshops or once-a-year classes, record everything you can. As a minimum you'll want to record the playing examples, but if you have the patience, record the discussions and comments too. The only things I don't retain are the sequences where the entire class plays at the same time. These recordings permit you to revisit the class content in detail and to listen again to all the nuances of examples of playing techniques.
With regard to learning tunes, I've concluded that it's important that a beginning player focus on learning the sound and flow of a tune, if not prior to learning the mechanics of playing it, then at the same time. If a class recording is available, by all means one should listen to a tune several times before attempting to play it. Once you have a mental grasp of what a tune is supposed to sound like, it's far easier to learn to play it and you'll easily recognize errors. If you find yourself losing your perspective on the tune, stop trying to play it and listen to it again.
In my early days I put in hours struggling to pay a tune, attempting to repeat it over and over without taking breaks. I've seen other beginning players follow a pattern similar to my own when starting out; putting in hours of frustrating unbroken practice with seemingly little benefit and feeling exceeding untalented as a result. I'm of the opinion now that after the first ten to fifteen minutes of struggling with a difficult point, the rest of the time spent on the matter is wasted.
When dealing with difficult material I've found frequent breaks to be of great benefit, and on those occasions where I didn't want to stop playing altogether for a break, switching to a simple familiar tune for just a minute or two seems almost as good as a several minute break in overcoming stumbling points. Fingers that previously refused to cooperate become more nimble and compliant for a time as a result of such a change. I think it's all about letting go and getting a fresh perspective.
I've also concluded that one can get much more out of classes if they continue to selectively review their recordings for some weeks to months after the class is over. It doesn't need to be a daily thing, but should be done often enough to keep the target sound of tunes fixed in their minds. In my own case I continue to pick up new insights from old class recordings as I gain experience.
If you're interested in my approach to recording classes, read this section.
Last updated August, 2011