Concerning the question on why we make music, the issue was raised of those
who make music for personal enjoyment. I have a lot of respect for those who
do, but I think this question was mostly directed to students who plan to
have some kind of career involving the organ. To me, this is an entirely
different proposition. In this case, we're talking about someone who wants
to get PAID for playing the organ, and I think in that case, I think it is
good for a teacher to ask some probing questions which cause a lot of
self-reflection.
Think about it--this is a question of ethics. When money is exchanged,
usually we're talking about some kind of buying of goods or services. As
musicians, all we have to offer is a service, the creation of an experience,
and one that is supposed to be so good that people actually want to PAY for
it. We all have our own inner compasses of what constitutes a fair exchange,
but my own ethic is that I should provide at least an even exchange and
preferably I should try to give more in perceived value than the amount they
are giving me in return.
I feel there are several approaches to playing the organ (or any instrument)
and how we do it depends on the circumstances. We can play for ourselves,
where we can pretty much do whatever we like, use the music in any way that
we see fit. Nothing wrong with this, it can be a good learning experience,
or a good way to raise your spirits or whatever. Then there's playing in
church. In this case, we're getting paid for a service, and one would hope
the goal is pretty much the same as that of any of the liturgical
leaders--to use the music to somehow edify people, lead them to a deeper
spiritual experience, making them better people . . . The spiritual goals
may differ in different situations, but in any case, this is not entirely
self-directed because there's an exchange of money taking place, and the
goal of the organist should not be simply "to make myself happy."
(Unfortunately, I have seen too many situations where church musicians, like
some clergy, seem unable to open their hearts and do more than abuse their
position of authority in a selfish way, but thankfully this is not the
rule.) Then there is performing, another situation where the organist is
being paid, and often much more than in a church. What I think distinguishes
this situation from church is that when performing, our presentation takes
on aspects of ENTERTAINMENT. Yikes, that ugly word that we like to avoid!
Somehow, we want to be paid to perform, and yet we organists often feel we
are somehow more lofty than entertainers. But think about it--WHAT ARE THEY
PAYING FOR? Well, why do people pay, say, Whoopi Goldberg to get in front of
them? Because she is entertaining, her very presence makes (for some but
maybe not all) for a fun experience that is so mesmerizing that people
actually want to PAY her just for being there.
Granted, an organ performance has a somewhat different flavor because of the
organ's association with church, and the fact that much of our music, even
in performances, is taken out of its intended sacred context. But if organ
recitals or concerts are to survive, we have to admit that the days are gone
when people go because "it's the thing to do" or because the organ is such
an impressive machine (it's not anymore) or because people have some kind of
awe for things related to the church (they hardly do anymore.) No classical
musician can afford anymore to simply plunk themselves down in front of an
audience, inflict their painful lack of social skills on an audience, and
think they will pay them and COME BACK FOR MORE. To me, the basic musical
goals of playing in church and performing concerts are similar, however the
presentation is different. To me, church playing involves putting yourself
in the background as much as possible and putting the music and its message
up front. When playing concerts, we have to accept that there is an
entertainment side to what we do. People might pay for some kind of
spiritual edification, and I personally hope that my music will somehow feed
their souls, but when performing, all eyes are on you, and like it or not,
they are also paying for your personality, your presentation. Gone are the
days when people actually like to see some dorky musician tied in knots of
self-importance. In my opinion, performers need to be extremely
knowledgeable about their art, excessively so, but channel that knowledge
entirely into making the music more effective (and don't bother to wear your
knowledge on your sleeve.) Should we think the average audience member cares
whether we are getting the notes inegales correct according to someone's
theory? Come now, THEY DON'T GIVE A SH**!!! What they do care about is
whether your music making is affecting them enough to make it worth their
time and money to come hear you play! (And one would hope that a good,
heartfelt application of notes inegales to French Classical music would make
it more affective, or why do it?) The only people who "get off" on musical
"correctness" are other musicians! If we want to get paid to perform (and
have audiences come to organ concerts), we simply MUST give the audience
something, not just an aura of dorky self-importance! (I guess a minority of
people might pay to see that for some reason, but my guess is that the vast
majority don't really like it.)
This is why it is VITAL to ask the question of why we make music. How a
student ultimately answers that question would, in my opinion, determine in
what capacity they should play the organ.
Thomas Dressler
Pocono Mountains, Pennsylvania
http://www.thomasdressler.com
Moderator, Pipe Organ Forum
Magle International Music Forums
http://www.magle.dk/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php
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