Our friends at Dial "M" for Musicology have an interesting post on how our instrumental upbringing can affect our other musical activities.
As an orchestral bass player, I think I may be subject to the kind of "musical racism" to which Prof. Bellman refers. I teach my aural skills classes as though everyone in there is destined to be an orchestral bass player (or, at the very least, an orchestral musician). Problem is, I can't teach it as though everyone in the class were aspiring band directors or choral musicians or concert pianists because, quite frankly, I have no idea how any of those people use their ears. Sorry guys.
I suspect also that a jazz or rock bass player (upright or electric) would teach an aural skills class quite differently than I would because they have to use their ears in very different ways than I do.
How do you use your ears? What do you listen for when you perform? How can aural skills classes help you do what you do?
As an orchestral bass player, I think I may be subject to the kind of "musical racism" to which Prof. Bellman refers. I teach my aural skills classes as though everyone in there is destined to be an orchestral bass player (or, at the very least, an orchestral musician). Problem is, I can't teach it as though everyone in the class were aspiring band directors or choral musicians or concert pianists because, quite frankly, I have no idea how any of those people use their ears. Sorry guys.
I suspect also that a jazz or rock bass player (upright or electric) would teach an aural skills class quite differently than I would because they have to use their ears in very different ways than I do.
How do you use your ears? What do you listen for when you perform? How can aural skills classes help you do what you do?