I remember when I first began to be exposed to “the best of the best.” My first horn teacher Bill Capps was adamant that I put myself out there, meet those at the top of the field and learn from them. I remember how I felt the first time meeting some of my “horn heroes.” When you are a young student growing up far away from cultural centers like the northeast or Europe, you sometimes have no choice but to get to know the bigger names of the classical music scene second-hand through recordings and books. So when the time comes to finally meet the people you have been listening to and hearing about for so long it can be an eye-opening and, sometimes, life-altering experience.
Twenty years after meeting Bill Capps the world is a different place in so many ways. The biggest change, of course, is the internet. It has changed the way we interact and do business. It has made some jobs obsolete. Some are even saying that it is literally changing our brains. In my email inbox nearly every day, I receive The Chronicle, a newsletter for those in higher education. So I get a chance to see what the buzz topics are and what people see as the next big wave. The most consistently headlined issue? Online education, global learning, the digital revolution. It is THE big point of discussion in higher education right now.
Though I haven’t read about it (yet!) in The Chronicle, music education is not untouched. Organizations like the New World Symphony – which, under the leadership of Michael Tilson Thomas, has always embraced the cutting edge – has Internet 2 in their new, stunning digs in South Beach. But even that bastion of traditional conservatories The Curtis Institute here in Philadelphia is wired up with Internet 2 now.
Online education is somewhat of a hot topic in our home because my husband’s second internet teaching project was recently launched. In our conversations, there is a sense of possibility, a wondering about where all this will lead, and more than a few concerns. I’ll touch on those later, but first, let me introduce the projects to you:
Dave’s first project was Play With A Pro. This is masterminded by Adam Simonsen, a Danish clarinetist with an incredible aesthetic sense and a desire to preserve and share with the world the beauty and craft of these musicians. He and his talented team have created a gorgeously filmed HD library of interviews and masterclasses. This is a high-quality medium. The interviews are moderated and guided by Adam who is knowledgeable, insatiably curious, and thoughtful in his approach, and the result is a series of films with iconic feel to them. There is a free download on the site of a conversation with a 102-year-old Elliot Carter and, though rougher than the ones you pay for (it is complete with the sounds of New York City construction work!), I had the sense of viewing a very special moment in time and a great conversation with a legend. To my mind, this is what Play With A Pro is about. The films are consistently informative, inspirational, and a pleasure to watch.
Through the Play With A Pro site, one can compile a video library by downloading Play With A Pro’s player and the films. The films range from a few minutes to a few hours long, and the price reflects the length. They are stored on your computer or mobile device and you don’t need to be online to watch them. Play With A Pro is an ongoing project and their library is still growing – so keep your eyes peeled for more films in the future.
Dave’s second and most recent project is giving online trumpet lessons at ArtistWorks. The folks behind ArtistWorks have an equally grand vision, but a very different approach and, therefore, a very different product. Each of the artists were filmed in a simple studio environment. They go through the fundamentals of the instrument, the major etudes, solo repertoire and orchestral excerpts. The comprehensiveness and sheer volume of content filmed is nothing short of jaw-dropping. The video count on the page that contains Bill Caballero’s orchestral excerpts is in the hundreds.
While simply being able to view and listen to the recorded content is enough to warrant the price, what ArtistWorks is really selling is access to the teacher through VideoExchange. A “student” subscribes to the site for the preferred amount of time (a month, three months, six months, etc….) and can post videos the teacher will view and will send a video reply to. The idea is that all correspondence is masterclass style. Everyone else in your particular instrument group will be able to view any VideoExchange as well as the teacher’s reply. There is also a section for posting forums and shout-outs. Another big perk is the “study materials” provided – meaning PDF’s of any of the orchestral excerpts that are public domain.
The hope that I have for this digital revolution we are now experiencing is that the medium be used to its best capacity. As I see it, this would be by providing access to “the best of the best” for those who might not otherwise have it, enriching the knowledge base of those who are studying music, and giving a fresh approach or new ideas for those teaching. Quality, thoroughness and thoughtfulness are not the easiest qualities fostered online, but I think that both Play With A Pro and ArtistWorks have set the bar high.
My personal feeling is that online teaching in no way can replace live contact with teachers and with other musicians. There simply is no replacement for the organic unfolding of dialogue and learning that occur when people are in the same room. Just as important as the lessons and masterclasses I had with my “horn heroes” was the time that surrounded the horn talk – the stories at the studio dinners and parties, laughing like crazy on the van ride to the horn competition in Michigan (we were driving from Florida), the chit-chat before and after lessons about real-life stuff. Also, my education would not have been complete without bouncing off of those in my studio and the school, talking in the hallways during practice breaks, going to concerts together, talking about ideas and ideals, playing chamber music with other students who would become life-long friends. These kind of relationships cannot be duplicated online.
That being said, I know I would have loved to have had resources like Play With A Pro and ArtistWorks available to me in my student days, and I have been wondering what Dr. Capps would think about them. I’m pretty sure he would have wanted me to follow anything of quality that might enrich and inspire me – and these sites certainly do that. Even today as I watch Radovan Vlatkovic on Play With A Pro and Bill Caballero on ArtistWorks, I find my ideas being set in motion for trying some new things in my own playing, and finding different approaches to add to my arsenal of ways of getting a tricky concept across to students. So, I’m pretty sure he would have said, “Sure! Go right ahead, it will be good for you.” But I am positive about what he would say next — “just make sure you meet them in person, too!”
