The End and The Means (John Adams)

"In music, as in any creative endeavor, technique is only a means to an end, right? Well, just answering that in the affirmative does not necessarily solve any musical problems related to technique. Mere lip-service to this idea won't cut it. First of all, you could believe that whole-heartedly, and still be self-absorbed with technical concerns, due to feeling like you don't have enough technique for the music that you are playing. Those concerns may come from lack of experience, lack of training, lack of familiarity with the style or genre being played, lack of maintenance of one's technique (having your "chops down"), or even lack of rest. There may even be equipment problems related to technique, such as having the wrong equipment for the situation, or a bad "set-up" on your instrument. Even the acoustics and/or amplification of the situation may affect the musicians' ability to play comfortably.

What may be less obvious, but is, in my opinion, just as common with young players and students, is that you could answer that opening question with a resounding "yes," and still be self-absorbed with technical concerns, but in the opposite direction. Too put it bluntly, some players have lots of chops but no soul. Aside from "show-off," musicians have other terms for this, and if most of them are new to you, take notice, people might be saying them behind your back: "over-playing", "Show-Boater", "B__ S__ Artist" "chop-fest", "bull-in-china-shop," etc. One that should make every horn player reading this article stop and think is the not too seldom used term "horn-playeritis" or "horn-player-syndrome." A musician can wind up in that state by forgetting, or maybe not yet learning, what the correct "end" is that technique is a "means" to. In other words, why play?

Before proceeding, I should mention three important things: First, for the purposes of this discussion I am using the term "technique" in a broad sense to include the theoretical and intellectual as well as the physical skills related to making music. Secondly, I do not intend to discourage the development of good and thorough technique, but merely want to point out the dangers of undue emphasis on it. Part of becoming a total musician involves lots of time devoted to good technique, but it is only part of the picture. And thirdly, that in reality many fine musicians and students are guilty in this area occasionally, but are not at either of the extremes cited above all of the time. Even mature players may have an "off-night" or be "in a slump," and find themselves overly concerned with their technique, or be "over-playing." Some fluctuation in this area is bound to happen due to the efforts of development and/or normal human frailties. Nevertheless, even those in that situation may find that a reminder of the concepts discussed here can help snap them out of it. The fact is though, that in the music world there are many players that are guilty of imbalanced technical concerns, who have either never been challenged to think otherwise (to approach music differently), or have not paid attention to the challenges they have been given along the way. Generally those two elements go hand-in-hand, since someone who feels compelled to "over-play" is probably not paying attention to the things they could learn about musicality from more experienced players around them, or from recordings.

Isn't it strange that we have a term describing someone's playing (or writing) as "musical." The implication is that it is possible to make music that is "unmusical!" I would venture to state that there is not a single aspect of musicality or musicianship that isn't related at some level to these issues of balancing technique and sensitivity. The answer to the question, "what is the end that technique is to be the means to?" is that music is about communication, not demonstration. And I believe that when music is done well, the communication takes place in many different directions. Let's analyze those directions and draw some applications from them.

First, there is the communication from the writer to the group-leader, or in the case of a recording or show, from writer to producer. Then the communication from the leader or producer to the player(s). In the case of a solo-piece, the communication could be straight from writer to player. Then there is the communication from player to player in an ensemble. Then there is the communication from player(s) to audience. Then from audience back to player(s), and even from audience-member to audience-member. The last one may not seem obvious but is very real. Consider your own memories of attending concerts. The more incredible one was, the more difficult it probably was for you to contain yourself, and to even feel compelled to speak about it to someone that you may have attended with. At the very least, any audience is aware to some extent of how well a performance is being received by the rest of the audience in general (we often use the term "atmosphere" to describe this). Even the event of an audience member "shushing" another member that was talking loudly or being distracting is a form of this communication.

The main point which the applications for a musician will stem from is that at any moment at which you are concentrating on technique, you will be missing out on or even interrupting, one or more of those directions of communication. Think of what can happen in a performance when all of those lines of communication are open? Think of what you and/or the group might be missing by blocking one or more of those communication directions?

When was the last time in a performance you stopped to ask yourself, "What is the drummer playing on the bridge?" "Where am I performing and for whom; is it Carnegie Hall, or is it a background music gig at an Auto Show?" "What might the leader want me to play here?" If playing an amplified instrument you might ask "what could I do with my amplifier control settings and even the positioning of the amp that would help improve this awful acoustical situation?" "What could I play that might make the soloist feel inspired to take another chorus; or what might make him feel like stopping at the end of this chorus?" "What is this great tune trying to 'tell' me?" Good communication within an ensemble really begins with each member asking himself the right questions.

Some caution is advised when it comes to considering audience-to-band, and audience-to-audience communication. Being aware of what is the right approach to the musical situation you are in is important, but too much concern with what the audience thinks takes you right back to the problem of showing off or feeling intimidated. In general, even for background music gigs, people respond best to a group that seems to be having a good time playing together, but is not ignoring the audience.

One of the most important applications of all this is that the process of making great music has it's own leveling-out effect on technique. Someone who tends to overplay, if he begins to be more open to the communications listed above, will begin to find his technique "edited" by the music itself. He should be asking "What does this tune call for at this point?" instead of constantly asking "Which one of my cool licks (or grooves) can I play here?" And the same effect may come about from listening more carefully to the other musicians in the group.

On the other hand someone who feels technically inadequate for the tune he is playing, may find himself borne along by the music itself as he begins to focus on the beauty of the harmony, melody, the rhythmic pulse, etc. and considers how to fit in with the other players. Playing one thing clearly and with conviction will add more to the group's communication than a constant barrage of timid or meandering ideas. One time a musician friend told me an interesting observation he had made. He said that he noticed the musicians that seemed to be the best at playing in a very small group (2-4 players), were the same ones he could have a decent conversation with on the breaks, and the ones that were difficult to talk to were often less enjoyable to play in a small-group with. A lot of people play the way they talk. I don't think this is a hard-and-fast rule, but as it relates to the idea of music as communication, it is very noteworthy.

To draw from an old adage, "don't lose the forest for the trees." A beautiful forest consists of a collection of beautiful trees. Do your part, bring as much as you can to each situation, but once you are there, stop and look and most of all LISTEN!"

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