Ear Training

"The listening aspect of music is probably the most important part. Ear training is all about comprehending what you are listening to and knowing how to analyze it. The goal is to be able to look at a piece of music and know what it sounds like without having to listen to it; or conversely, to listen to a piece of music and be able to notate it."

"I want students to understand why a certain note—the highest, lowest, or longest note in a melodic line—moves them in a certain way. To be conscious and in control of this is central to anyone’s musicianship, not an addition to instrumental training in the studio, but a necessary extension of it. I can see in my students’ facial expressions that they know this. When you get it, then it’s like you have 12 actors at your disposal, each with his or her own general traits, but also chameleon-like, able to change character according to the setting. Master this, and then you’ll really start to be in control of your own art."

"Students' reading skills are sharpened in ear training because you do a lot of reading. They'll increase their vocabulary of melodies, intervals, harmonies, and rhythms, and it all goes hand in hand. It helps a person in a groove or ensemble setting be able to deal with whatever is thrown at them, be it complicated rhythms or harmonies—not only being able to perform them but actually hearing it in their head, hearing it and understanding what it is, recognizing it. Everything is intertwined."

"I hope my students understand that music is like a spoken language, and musical events are just like daily life. For example, counterpoint. This term may be scary for a lot of people, so I tell my students, 'You're listening to me, and you're sitting there with your heart beating, and you're still breathing. You have at least three things going on together simultaneously, and they all cooperate by themselves naturally. That's three- or four-part counterpoint.' If Bach can do it without a laptop, you can as well."