One thing I am constantly discussing with my students is the motivation behind music-making. I strongly believe that practicing, rehearsing and polishing a performance should be directed towards achieving those rare, indescribable musical moments that touch and move you.
Dr. Paula Crider calls these million-dollar moments. They don't come along very often. Through hundreds of performances as an instrumentalist, chorister and conductor I could count these highlights on one hand. Whilst there are many uplifting times during rehearsals and performances once one experiences that rush of being in 'flow' and totally giving oneself to the music there is no going back. The feeling is addictive.
What exactly determines the occurence of these moments is a discussion for another time, but it's these moments that keep musicians going, and audiences coming back. Therefore, young musicians must to be given the opportunity to have these experiences and engage with music on this deep, personal level. Only through this will students come to develop a personal love of music for music's sake.
Leading students to have these million-dollar-moments as their main motivational tool for performing and practicing is a long process. In an ensemble setting it requires extremely careful planning of repertoire, rehearsals, curriculum and listening.
This approach lacks the ease of motivating students with the prize of winning a competition, getting a high score or impressing a teacher. Such goals are clear, the results tangible and measurable. They usually come on pieces of paper with scores out of 100 or a grade from A to F. Is this what music is for? Constantly throwing down these gauntlets to our students without pause to appreciate the aesthetic gives our students exactly that message.
Being motivated by art and the desire to create a feelingful performance is a long road. As stated, the big rewards are few and far between. However this approach leads not only to eventual million-dollar-moments, but an appreciation of the journey along the way. Students who yearn for music to move them do not worry about the competition results, or adjudication reports. They grow to love music, and develop a desire to represent the composer and the music with integrity. They are more afraid of being musically average than wrong notes. As Benjamin Zander says of phrasing: they are like the bird that flies over the fields without worrying about the fences underneath.
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