What does it take to be a Master ....

[cygnusdei]

... as in giving masterclasses?

How much further experience would a DMA typically need in order to pull it off? Of course having a firm standard repertoire is required, but wouldn't you also need to be an excellent sight reader (in case someone comes up with an unfamiliar piece)?

On a different note, my opinion is that masterclasses are only useful as far as giving you resume padding. Unless it is more than one session, in which case it's called 'coaching'?

[maxy]

Old school people would say a master is someone that has 20+ years of experience in performance and 20+ years of experience in teaching.

It seems nowadays that anyone that animates a lesson in public is presenting a master class.

Very often, a masterclass is all about showing off the "master" and letting the students get some resume padding. 

[slobone]

Don't the students usually submit the names of several pieces in advance, so you can pick the one you're the most familiar with? I don't think people usually play oddball stuff at these things.

And definitely, there are master classes and master classes. I've been at master classes conducted by famous performers who basically provided no useful feedback whatsoever, just listened to the student and then complimented them.

It seems to me if you want to lead a serious master class you need to be a superstar teacher, the kind who students fight for the chance to study with.

[m]

Old school people would say a master is someone that has 20+ years of experience in performance and 20+ years of experience in teaching.

mmmm. I'd respectfully disagree...

You see, old school people did not keep in mind that some kind of a looser with 20+ experience could just as well be called a "master looser".

Best, M

[cygnusdei]

mmmm. I'd respectfully disagree...

You see, old school people did not keep in mind that some kind of a looser with 20+ experience could just as well be called a "master looser".

Best, M

I'm sorry but I don't understand ... ?

[Bob]

Anyone can do a masterclass.  I've seen many college kids doing masterclasses for grade school, junior high, and high school students.

Yes, for the resume and for the experience.

I would kind of guess for a young, new DMA they might be giving a masterclass to the incoming freshman, the lower level undergrads.  I think there has to be that difference in ability between the masterclass teacher and the students. 

And masterclasses tend to be some new, unfamiliar person.  Maybe a DMA student doing a masterclass at the university next door would work out well. 

It kind of spoiled it though when I found out most of those people have a preset plan they follow.  Four or five different speeches they have on hand, that it's not so spontaneous.  They just pick a different topic to focus on with each student.  It has to be entertaining and productive for the audience too.

[Bob]

I've even seen high school students does a "masterclass" for beginners.  Same idea.

I think it's just a difference in level and the element of newness in having a different teacher pop in.

[gerry]

My experience is that the most productive "master class" is one in which the "master" has the ability to identify that aspect of the performer's technique or interpretive approach that is the most universally applicable, remark on it, attempt to guide the student to see his point, and correct it - the operative word here is "universal" so that all attending can learn and grow from the commentary. This is as opposed to narrowing in on something that would only apply to that one student.

[lostinidlewonder]

A "master class" does not require  a lifetime of experience to host. Neither does lecturing music in a school, I have met many young musical professors and young performers who give master classes. Master classes are usually only looking through small windows of music since it is impossible to cover everything in a single class. I have been to master classes of world famous performers and found it quite empty of content, then I have been to little known local music teachers and discovered a lot.

I have been to master classes where they are only interested to discuss particular issues of music, I have been to some where the host simply listens to people who want to play and uses these as the basis of the class. There is no rule really as to how you host these classes.

I think the term MASTER in master class has been used too flippantly these days. Because you certainly do not need to be a master of everything musical to host these occasions. I believe however the important factor of giving master classes is to be able to take someone from the audience and demonstrate how to apply knowledge through them. This does require that you have good teaching sense which not everyone, even if they are masters of the piano, can do.

[m]

I'm sorry but I don't understand ... ?

Lets put it this way, there are people who have much less than 20+ years experience, but they are masters.
There are people who have much more than 20+ experience, and they are... well let's say, not masters.
Hopefully it is less confusing.

Best, M

[thalbergmad]

True.

I have 40 years experience and could not play a Chopin Etude to save my life.

Thal

[dinosaurtales]

wow.  I have considerable less experience, and I also cannot play a Chopin etude to save my life!   

[m]

I have only 28 years piano experience and it seems very soon already won't be able playing Chopin etudes to save my life 

[cygnusdei]

You don't actually have to play them. Just tell the student to repeat the first 2 bars over and over until time's up.

[gerry]

You don't actually have to play them. Just tell the student to repeat the first 2 bars over and over until time's up.

Frighteningly enough, there are or have been "teachers" like that. I remember as a child, a friend's mother insisted he take lessons even though he had not the slightest interest. She sent him to a lady who used to stay in her kitchen doing dishes while he was stumbling through his piece - she would occasionally yell out "stop searching for the notes!" One time I asked him what he did that day for his lesson and he said, she had to go shopping so she took me along. TRUE

[gyzzzmo]

I gues somebody is a 'master' if people with a conservatory degree are interested in his lessons.

gyzzz

[m19834]

And definitely, there are master classes and master classes. I've been at master classes conducted by famous performers who basically provided no useful feedback whatsoever, just listened to the student and then complimented them.

It seems to me if you want to lead a serious master class you need to be a superstar teacher, the kind who students fight for the chance to study with.

This is a good point.  There are some performers whom probably haven't the first idea on how to actually "teach" a student, yet the world looks at the performer for playing tips that are magically supposed to be given in one session and change the student (for the better) forever !  hee hee ... I think that's comical.

It's obviously very possible for one session to make a world of difference to the student (and perhaps to the auditors and otherwise onlookers), but it will be always dependent on how good the master is at actually teaching, and how receptive the student participants are to the teaching.  Some performers have actually no idea how they do what they do, yet they must pretend as though they do or else by other people they would not be considered a master.  Imagine a particular education venue hiring a fancy performer to give a concert, but the ("stuffy") performer is unwilling to share his/her expertise and work with the students there ?  Whether performer knows how to work with students or not, performer will not decline giving a masterclass because it can appear to be a personality fault when in fact it may not be exactly as it appears.  What an expectation !

Some of the more productive masterclasses that I have been to are ones in which a the class is structured around a specific subject within the field, and the particular master is truly a master teacher in that specific subject.  Then again, the original topic here really seemed to have nothing to do with whether or not the class is actually productive .