Make and express meaning

The ability to comprehend information, ideas and sensations, and then interpret what has been perceived underpin the development of literacy, and the ability to connect with others.

Introduction

Cognitive aspects of learning are associated directly with the acquisition of knowledge and the development of the ability to reason, interpret and communicate ideas. Cognitive learning is underpinned by the formation of dispositions or habits of learning that rely on questioning, critical reflection and experimentation, enabling the extrapolation new ideas from what has been learned. Cognitive aspects are perhaps the most apparent characteristics of the learning process.

The ability to comprehend information, ideas and sensations, and then interpret what has been perceived (Jefferson & Anderson, 2021, p. 67) underpin the development of literacy, and the ability to connect with others.  As children develop into adolescents, the level and depth of understanding becomes more sophisticated, matched with increased vocabulary to express experiences, in order to interpret and communicate this knowledge to others (Jefferson & Anderson, 2021, p. 89).  In the context of music performance, the making and expressing of meaning generally has a very large non-verbal component, whereby students are learning to comprehend the language of music. They learn to interpret musical elements and the ways in which ideas and emotion can be encoded through melody, rhythm, harmony, phrasing, symbols and so on.  As musical literacy develops, even if largely intuitive, young people progressively develop ways to express their own emotions and ideas through the medium of music.

In the data we collected, ensemble leaders talked about finding ways to facilitate a stronger intellectual and emotional connection between students and the music they were playing.  The importance of explaining the composer’s intent was stressed as foundational for making meaning of music and connecting with it.  Being able to build upon a musician’s inherent interest in music can enhance the development of abstract interpretation, with the ultimate destination being to “fall in love with music” (Nicholas, conductor). Expressing meaning through music requires the musician’s awakening of an “intuitive emotional response” and to take risks in tandem with “trust and belief between director and themselves” (David, conductor). The ensemble leader has an important role in placing the music at the centre and providing the context and insights to enable players to connect with and communicate through music.

What our participants said

“Is a symphony not to express all those things for which words cannot be found but which nevertheless arise in the heart and cry out for expression?” (David, conductor)

“Young players need more assistance to awaken the intuitive emotional response to the instructions on the page … In the performance that energy must be released in such a way that the players see the directors understanding and belief in the music being performed and join in a concerted collaboration in respect of the repertoire and composer” (David, conductor).

“I couldn't fault them in the sense of ‘performance’. Was it a perfect performance? No. Was it musical? Yeah, it was because they were willing to take some chances.” (Nicholas, conductor).

“How do I measure their personal response and feeling to the occasion? From experience just watching how each section rises to its feet during the applause. Do they glow? Have they added something consciously or unconsciously to their musical and personal development?” (David, conductor)

Exemplar

One of the ensemble directors, David, provided a case study of working with TYO to prepare for a performance of Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony.

Tchaikovsky had recounted that the opening fanfare of the first movement referred to Fate, reflecting his experience and belief that the passage of life is hard, with fleeting moments of happiness.

The emotional content of the music is markedly dark, demanding of director, and players a maturity of interpretation, and understanding of the musical nuances. He described the Tchaikovsky Symphony as an expression of “some kind of inner conflict”, believing that musicians can draw from the composer’s inner world to make connections with their own world.

Young musicians “can experience that kaleidoscope of expression from a composer and relate it to possibly how we feel about the world”. He reflected that even “the younger members got this kind of idea. We're in a safe place where we can, and that's really, perhaps why people take comfort from listening to great orchestral pieces, or great compositions is the fact that…they can sense something when they listen.”

Preparing and performing this monumental work provided insights into the communicative possibilities of music – with the performer’s understanding and interpretation being important aspect of acting as the conduit between composer and audience.

In spite of the maturity of content “the positive reaction to Tchaikovsky from the younger players tells me that the composer’s subjective emotional stimulus in the music has somehow been absorbed by young people who possibly have not consciously been moved by these feelings in their lives so far.”

What does this mean for me?

  • Provide background about how and why a work was written, and the intent of the composer.
  • Identify musical structures and symbols that can convey meaning.
  • Discuss stylistic characteristics of the work and influences from others.
  • Indicate climactic points and themes/motifs that need to be emphasised in performance.
  • Encourage comparisons with other genres.
  • Encourage players to talk about how the music makes them feel.
  • Ask them to consider what it is about the music that makes them feel that way.
  • Broaden the variety of vocabulary that players use to describe their feelings about music. Metaphors using visual or tactile imagery can be useful e.g. velvety, shiny, transparent, midnight blue.
  • Divide melodies in rehearsal and ask one group to copy the phrasing and expression of another to encourage closer listening and attention to detail.
  • Use performances of professionals as examples of non-verbal emotional communication.
  • Ask players to perform a given phrase to reflect several different emotions.
  • Show how playing techniques can help convey emotion (e.g. more weight on the bow, more breath to the sound etc.).
  • Choose repertoire that resonates with the players (e.g. idiom that is familiar, emotionally charged, or has subject matter that is relevant to life stages, interests).