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Dear Guests, Welcome to my blog which I treat like a creative garden where I regularly plant and change this and that be it poetry, philosophy, an Oboe Brilliance lesson, an essay of some kind, or a journal about composing. Visit every Monday for oboe coaching which is also helpful for many melodic instrumentalists. Musically yours, Kathryn
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"How do you compose?" That is the most commonly asked question I hear.
This blog is a window into my creative process and philosophies as a composer and instrumentalist. At times it may contain music, photos, and poetry as well. May you enjoy, return, and benefit!   My Archives  September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009
What to consider when commissioning an original score!
Oboe Brilliance: The art of mentoring lesson #2 Listening and questioning What Oboe Brilliance is and the inspiration behind it Oboe Brilliance: Mentoring Essay # 1 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 |
Oboe Brilliance: The art of mentoring lesson #2 listening and questioning ©Kathryn Potter 2009
Listen well and speak well to your student. It's a great habbit to cultivate! Your job as an Oboe Brilliance mentor is to listen deeply, compassionately, and to guide the student towards self discovery via the art of oboe playing. This is aided by the art of asking questions instead of instructing all the time. Students, I believe, need to be heard and understood. Hearing them and understanding helps them hear and understand themselves better. It’s important to foster an air of discovery and encouragement through patient emotional safety while also being clearly directive and focused. Let’s say a student plays a phrase. You can ask the questions such as:- 1) What did you hear in the music itself? What did you hear in your playing? 2) What did you like about your playing? What do you like about this musical phrase? 3) What would you like to do better? How can you bring it to life more fully? 4) How can you do that? 5) What did you express? – How would you describe what you expressed? Was that your intention? 6) What’s a different way to play that? 7) How do feel when you hear it that way? 8) What can you express differently? And so on… Since each student is different, it makes sense to cater the questions that you feel the specific student is ready to answer. Listening patiently without interrupting or creating an air of impatience is extremely helpful in fostering the development of the highest musical ability in another as well as a positive student teacher relationship. Wanting to hear what the student is playing and saying is vital! Questions can be leading, or sincerely open. It’s your call as the teacher/mentor as long as the bottom line is respect for the individual musical voice as well as your own discretion of where you as the teacher draw the line for instructing/teaching/mentoring – see lesson one about the distinction of instructing/teaching/ mentoring. Listening deeply to the student’s atmosphere expressed via body language, tone of voice, musical expression, mental state, emotional state and energy will help you bring the student out to shine brighter musically. Being aware of all of the above about you is of course helpful! Being you consciously helps the student be him or herself more consciously. |
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