Instrumental Workshops for players, teachers and parents of all ages

Presented by Dr Goetz Richter, AM.

Goetz is Associate Professor at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and President of the NSW Chapter of AUSTA

To access your FREE AUSTA MEMBER LIVE STREAM access to these workshops, visit the MEMBERS ONLY SECTION HERE.

Saturday 4th November, 2:00 – 3:30pm: Motivation and Practice….. really… do I have to?

This workshop explores an interactive dialogue about a mysterious topic: individual practice! Why do we do it? Is it necessary? Why do teachers insist on it? Could we enjoy it? Is it effective and if so why and how?Pedagogy insists that it is a game changer- Carl Flesch famously says that 80% of students’ challenges would be met if students only practiced properly. Fritz Kreisler thinks practice can be dangerous and too much can be bad for you. Students find it hard to figure it out consistently. So, what needs to go on in practice to make it work? Goetz will explore this topic as comprehensively as possible in dialogue with students and teachers. Students: please bring instruments and prepare some music (half a page) of something that you find boring or impossible…. I want us to end up with something very useful and immediately productive in response. No one will leave without ideas for improvement … money back guarantee…

Saturday 4th November, 3:45 – 5:15pm: Developing Technique Efficiently

So, what then is Technique? We are supposed to have a good one. But when we invoke “technique” it does rather sound like we are supposed to be robots that produce stuff quickly and efficiently, flamboyantly and successfully. What is the point of that when music is human and all about feeling?

In this workshop I want to introduce a concept of technique as condition and fitness (rather like sports…) and suggest that our aim is to play (not produce). If technique, actually, is our fitness to play we might need to learn it in a quite specific way, think about it with particular awareness (as condition, rather than tool) and consider in turn more carefully why playing is disrupted and our (analytic) consciousness might interfere when we think of ourselves as producing performance. (PS. For those wondering whether this is rather abstract… there will be plenty of examples of useful and quick exercises for players to wake up and get attention flying…for all instruments, including erhu and ukele…)

From New England Conservatorium of Music, Armidale, NSW

Free Attendance for AUSTA Members on Zoom

To access your FREE AUSTA MEMBER LIVE STREAM access to these workshops, visit the MEMBERS ONLY SECTION HERE.