So as a music education student, we are required to take practicum classes. Basically, these practicums are courses set up sot hat upon completion, you would have a basic knowledge of an instruments or a family of instruments. I find these to perhaps be the most insightful of all my courses here for my Master’s degree. Of course, many would disagree with me, as many see practicums as “filler” for methods classes and philosophy and psychology courses.
The reason why I feel that practicums provide such a valuable experience is because we are learning as beginners, as our students will also be learning as beginners. It is quite a humbling experience, being such an accomplished pianist, and then having to figure out how to not squeak on a violin when switching strings. I also find that so many people, myself included, are so afraid of making mistakes, of looking “bad” in front of their musician peers. Perhaps this is one aspect that draws kids away from music – that they don’t want to sound incompetent. Especially as adults, it is quite difficult to simply let go and accept ourselves, and not be so self-conscious.
The same is true for creativity – the self-consciousness is so difficult to overcome, because we have been trained to think of “right” or “wrong”, and that somehow, it’s a shameful thing to be “wrong”, or “immature”, or “incomplete”. However, creating or recreating art in these terms seems to take the joy out of what we are making. We become occupied with how we’re perceived rather than how we feel as we create. In addition, we tend to worry more about the result rather than the moment.
I find it strange how people (especially artists) feel the need to “suffer” through skills building in order to “achieve” something. And those “achieved” in their fields will make their students suffer through these processes just as they had, in order to become “accomplished”. Must we really continue to suffer? I used to think so. Now, the masochism is becoming unbearable, and I just want to put up my violin and squeak through an 8 bar song. Will I ever play violin in Lincoln Center? Probably not. But do I have fun?
Absolutely.
Learning as a beginner
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