Perfection cannot be reached; however, we musicians snuggle as close to perfection as we are able.
Happy New Year everyone!
I have had an interesting battle with myself while writing this month’s blog.
The original January 2025 blog began as follows:
Ignorance - Lack of knowledge or information.
Stupidity - Behavior that shows a lack of good sense or judgment.
After the definitions, I had written a rant about the inability a majority of school administrators have to understand the importance of Music and the arts in school.
My fingers flew in a flurry of ferocious sentence fragments. Each dangling participle and run-on sentence was filled with vitriol.
I had taken a couple days away from writing in order to rally my words for the next wave of battle. After a short respite, I opened the document, reread my rant, and realized that I couldn’t post the abrasive and mean sounding words I had written.
I didn’t start this blog as a way for me to rant and rave about the injustice music programs receive across the country. Those of us in the music world know many horrible stories and have experienced unfair and terrible situations that have hurt music programs. For me to take the time to whine and cry about it does not fit within my vision of posting blog entries.
Before I begin my story of the silly C sharp, I would like to share a quote from a very wise, well-known, and world-class composer, clinician, and educator.
In core curriculum classes, the standard is 70% or higher. The results are usually only seen by the student, teacher, parents/guardians, and maybe some admin.
In music ensemble classes, the standard is 100% from 100% of the students, knowing that it will be seen by multiple members of the school and community.
And people wonder why music students are the best prepared for success as adults.
Music education creates successful adults.
Randall Standridge
Those of us in music know that perfection is unattainable, but, we have the drive and desire to get as close to it as we can. We thrive when we are in a group of like-minded musicians who snuggle up to the edge of perfection as an ensemble.
Now is the time I shall write about the silly C sharp.
I was in my studio practicing, La Fiera Asturiana written by Michele Fernández.
If you haven’t played or listened to her works, please treat yourself and indulge in her music.
On February 2, 2025, I will be playing, La Fiera Asturiana along with many other great tunes with the Southwest Florida Concert Band.
While practicing the piece, I concentrated on playing all of the dynamics, at the right time, and in the right way. The subtle differences between mezzo forte, forte, and fortissimo are amazing when an entire ensemble participates in making them happen. The only way an entire ensemble creates these magical dynamic changes is when individual musicians practice the dynamics during their practice time and then execute the dynamic differences during rehearsal.
I was very happy with my practice and continued to repeat passages to solidify the dynamic changes in muscle memory.
However…
In measure 132, only 3 measures from the end of the piece, I encountered something that was a bit strange.
Allow me to digress and explain something very quickly.
I love to sight read music. I will pull music from my shelves during practice sessions and read through them as my way of working on my sight-reading skills. I will pull up music ranging from the classic cornet solos to 70s funk tunes, lyrical concert band tunes, and some orchestral parts and excerpts.
Sight reading is fun for me and being able to read well is an asset when I get called to read a book at a gig.
Anyway, in measure 132 of La Fiera Asturiana, the measure contains a quarter note, an eighth note triplet, and another quarter note. The time signature is 3/4 and it is executed in a feel of 1 to the bar or a quick three.
I had played the last four bars a few times, solidifying the rhythm. But, something was off. The rhythm wasn’t too difficult and I had played it correctly each time from the time we sight-read it during full band rehearsal.
Practicing a passage and not fixing a mistake can be disastrous. Working slowly and pounding out each note in order to make sure that the right note, at the right time, in the right way is being played, is vital.
Something in the last four bars of the piece didn’t feel right to me and it didn’t matter how slowly I played the measures, the music didn’t feel correct.
After the third time, I played through the passage slowly and still had the feeling something was wrong, I decided to use a technique my wife uses while proofreading a paper.
I looked at the music backward.
When I looked at measure 132, I said, aloud, C, B natural, C sharp, B natur……
I stopped and realized that the first C in the measure was a C sharp and I hadn’t been carrying the accidental through the rest of the measure.
I played through the passage again, slowly, and everything fell into place. The glitch in my brain stopped and all was right with the world.
That one C sharp needed to be heard. It was written with a purpose and was placed in that specific spot to be played.
Once I stowed my concert band music, I placed a new set of music on my stand. The music is for an upcoming audition and I want to make sure that every note is played as close to perfection as possible.
Fortunately, I recognized the music and played a few of the pieces in different bands. But, complacency never won an audition, so, I began practicing the pieces as if I had never seen them in my life.
One of the pieces is an excerpt from an 80s hit with a Latin groove. The horn parts are well-known and played by many cover bands. But, the audition has more than the well-known parts. It was during my second read-through of the music that I discovered that I failed to play a C sharp. This C sharp was not an accidental that I missed, it was given in the key signature.
Something didn’t feel right, I noticed it, and it was fixed quickly.
In the heat of battle, the notes would have been played, right or wrong, so quickly that the audience would not have noticed. (Probably)
However, as a musician, a music student, and a professional, I will not settle for 70%.
I strive to snuggle up to the line of perfection.
I owe it to the composer, arranger, fellow band members, conductor, and myself to play the music at the highest level I am able.
Thank you to my wife, Randall Standridge, and Michele Fernández for helping me to write this blog to foster positivity and not sound like a cantankerous and bitter old man.