How would you summarize your project?

The title of the program is “Say What?: Reimagining our Rehearsal Dialogue.” I am working with a dear friend and colleague, Dr. J Nick Smith. We are presenting on ways for band directors and music educators to elevate their dialogue in a rehearsal setting. When we are presenting, we'll have an ensemble of players with us. We'll do a little bit of demonstrating and it'll be an interactive sixty minute session, which we will do at the state conferences in Alabama, Michigan, Illinois, and Minnesota.

Part of our job is to go work with high schools and middle school bands. Nick and I recognized that when we would go to work with bands, there’s a lot of commonality between directors we were working with. We started questioning whether our students really understood what we were trying to get them to do. You know, I can think back to my own studies as a high school student, and there were certain things that conductors would say or do, and I had no idea what they're talking about. Because it was just assumed that we were able to process and do what the conductor or band director was saying, without really teaching it.

So for example, there's a thing that a lot of conductors will do where they will just hold their ear. So while you're rehearsing, they'll sort of pull on their ear. But it's never talked about what it actually means. If you put a number of conductors in the room, we will tell you that that means that we want students to concentrate more on pitch and intonation, or tuning. Some people even call that a universal sign. But we question then, when is that taught to students? When did we formally say, ‘When we pull on our ear, this is what it means’?

I tell my students all the time that as a high school student, I remember sitting in my high school band and my director would say the term ‘intonation.’ And I leaned over to my friend, and I said, ‘I have no idea what that means. What does intonation mean?’ And he leaned back over and said, ‘I have no idea.’ So here we were in a tiered ensemble and two tuba players in the back row had no idea what intonation meant, yet it was being referenced over and over. And I was too afraid to ask what it was. So we are working on how you teach students what they’re supposed to be listening for.

What change do you hope to see based on your project?

I like to think that we are working toward a more engaged rehearsal for students. I hope that that will foster a love of music sooner. And then a deeper love of music for students, even at a young age.

We want conductors to feel like they are having the most productive, efficient, and musically engaging rehearsal. I think there's ways that we as conductors can minimize actually what we say, we can just do more. The goal is to get students actively involved in the music making process. Instead of just performing notes and rhythms, we want students to be part of the music making process.

What are the ethical implications of your work?

Music is universal. It's one of the universal languages on this planet. Music is the same, I mean, at least the Western, you know, tradition of notation. And reading of music is universal.

Music has a lot of meaning and impact culturally. People take pride in their own musical style and traditions. And we have a lot to learn from other cultures, traditions. So both as a musician and just as a person, I think there's a lot that you can learn from listening to music of another culture, how they approach music, what type of music is important, particular cultures.

Music is another way for us as people to express, to emote, and to tell stories. It challenges the brain in a different way. And I think that that's, that's good. We should always be challenged in our brain and in different ways.

In some schools, people might ask why students are learning music when they could be learning math, science, or social studies. I would argue that music is getting a different part of the brain active. It's also a part of the day where a student is not sitting in a traditional classroom and where students are up, active, and moving around. And when you start getting into choir and orchestra or band, they're starting to learn an instrument or the practice of producing this sound on their voice. They're learning about themselves as people as individuals; they're learning a new craft. Something that many of them will grow deeply passionate about.

What advice would you give to people interested in pursuing music?

Widen that lens. That is going to be my new catch phrase. Take a step back and widen that lens. Think about the big picture.

As for music specific advice, I would tell students to listen to as much music as possible. Listen to music that is not your specialty. As a tuba player, it would be very easy for me to only listen to tuba music. Don't do that. Go listen to the violin concerti, go to a jazz performance, go hear a choir, go to an opera, go to a contemporary ensemble. Don't just focus on your area.

Be a sponge and listen to everything and go to as many live performances as possible. Obviously there are some constraints there as that is expensive and not everybody has the money to do that. Also geographically, in Decorah we do have opportunities but not as many as if we were, say, in San Francisco. I recognize that but as much as you can when they are offered, hear them. And I can't stress this enough, listen to music that is not your specialty.

As an example, I had no idea that I like Mozart until late or post-undergrad. The tuba, my instrument, did not exist when Mozart was alive so there is no tuba music by Mozart unless you are stealing from another instrument. I had no idea that I liked Mozart. I didn't know that I enjoyed Beethoven or that I liked Baroque music. I didn't give myself a chance to know if I appreciated that type of music. If I could go back that is something that I would definitely do differently. So be an advocate for all music, not just what is your specialty. And that is speaking at the cultural level as well. There is a lot of music out there and there is a lot of music we don't know. It's impossible for us to know it all but it's not impossible for us to explore.

Upcoming research projects

Next, Cory plans to focus on warm-up fundamentals. He would like to study and provide recommendations for what makes a good and effective warm up routine, particularly for beginning students.

To learn more about Dr. Cory Near visit his faculty profile.

Published on: Nov. 21, 2022

By: Dominique Stringer