As we focus so determinedly (and for good reason) on improving the musicianship skills of our students, let’s not forget that there is special value in teaching by rote.
I’ve had two experiences this year where, with the octavos available, I have taught portions of the music with nothing in the hands of my singers. It has offered several advantages that are worth considering, for at least a portion of your repertoire:
- Learning inflection and subtle variance from the written notation.
- Listening for blend, balance, diction is enhanced when there is nothing in your hands to focus on.
- Hearing every part as it is learned (necessary for rote learning) enhances understanding of how your part relates to the whole work.
- To learn by rote, you must focus completely.
- Words must have equal value with notes when learning by rote; when we learn from music, we often place more importance on the notes, particularly when sight reading.
I’m not advocating teaching everything by rote – building strong musicianship skills must remain a chief focus of the educational ensemble – but including rote learning in your ensemble can create a profound difference in the musicality of then ensemble.
It’s TIP JAR week! Once a year I open my tip jar for a week. If you have found value in some of the 65,000 words I’ve written over the past year, please consider chipping in a couple of bucks! Click above for more details.