|
"It is easy in the daily work of practice and trying to pay for school and everything to forget why I do this. Today's class reminded me of the transforming power of art. Music can be enchanting, invigorating, and if it's not, it's not worth doing. When you experience a moment like this one, you remember why these great composers wrote this way in the first place -
it is our responsibility to the composers and to our society to express the beauty every time we perform." |
Student's White Paper
|
 |
 |
IT'S ALL ABOUT TEACHING
 Benjamin Zander has been a teacher most of his life. For the past thirty-five years he has been on the Faculty of the New England Conservatory in Boston, where his Friday Class, called, provocatively, "Interpretation", has gained almost legendary status.
He is the Artistic Director of the Music Program at the Walnut Hill School, a boarding high school for the training of highly accomplished young performing artists. Find out about Ben Zander's Master Class at Walnut Hill here...
Mr. Zander teaches master classes all over the world, including, for the past four years, a class for conductors as part of the London Master Classes at the Royal Academy in London.
 Even his concerts are an aspect of his teaching. Ever mindful of the need to educate audiences, Benjamin Zander precedes most of his concerts with lectures about the music. During these 45 minute sessions, he helps listeners to grasp the ideas and structure of the music, enabling even the completely unschooled to follow the music as it unfolds.
In 2001 the Boston Philharmonic instituted a new concert series, THE BOSE DISCOVERY SERIES, designed to attract a new audience to classical music. Each performance is preceded by an explanation of the music by the conductor, using the orchestra to demonstrate the points.
Motivated by the same desire to educate what he calls the "unsuspecting", Mr. Zander has developed a highly successful program called "Classical Fever" - a free concert to introduce newcomers to classical music.
With each of his discs issued on the Telarc label, Benjamin Zander offers a full-length free explication CD for the lay listener with detailed explanations of the music. Visit the recordings page for more details.
|
 |
| |
|
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
"I guess what I admire most about you as a teacher - conductor - force is that I know you never go half speed, or take a night off. If you were an athlete, the hyperbole would be "He gives 150%". Full engagement, that is how it all survives!"
to our audience, whatever we play, wherever
we play it. It's all about freeing the broad phrases and the
long lines, showing us that what we do in our music and what
we do in our lives are all part of the same rhythm. Telling
us that all we need is the courage to listen and join in…"
