Coaching Renaissance musical instruments

Coaching Renaissance musical instruments

Grant:
Instructional Development Fund (IDF)
Academic Year:
2012 - 2013 (June 1, 2012 through May 31, 2013)
Funding Requested:
$500.00
Project Dates:
-
Applicant(s):
smeng
Overview of the Project:
I am currently teaching a seminar on "Renaissance Instrumental Music," open to undergraduate seniors and graduate students of the School of Music, Theatre, and Dance. Four DMA students and two undergraduate seniors are enrolled. The class meets on Mondays and Wednesdays from 8:30 to 10:00 in the Moore building of the School of Music, Theatre and Dance.There are both an academic and a performance component to the class. The primary academic goal is to lead students to acquire familiarity with the musical instruments and with the repertory in vogue in Europe in the period ca. 1470-1600. On the side of musical performance, students are expected to acquire some familiarity with one or more instruments that were common in that period. Our institution is blessed with the rich collection of the Stearns Collection of Musical Instruments, which includes many copies of original Renaissance instruments that once belonged to the Collegium Musicum specializing in early music. My students were able to check out these instruments from Stearns (recorders, crumhorns, sackbut, cornetto, and viola da gambas), and have been practicing on them for several weeks. If the level of performance achieved by the end of the semester will prove adequate, we will offer a short recital at Hatcher Gallery.I am applying for an IDF of $500 that would allow me to hire two Ann-Arbor residents for the purpose of coaching five classes during regular class time. Beth Gilford is an accomplished performer of recorders and crumhorns, and Kiri Tollaksen has a long experience as a cornetto player and as a member of early brass ensembles. Both of them have preliminarily agreed to visit our seminar (on dates to be confirmed) and to instruct the students respectively on issues of playing technique on recorders and crumhorns (Gilford), and on shawms, sackbut, and cornetto (Tollaksen).Please note: I was awarded an IDF grant of $500 for the same course in Winter 2010.
Final Report Fields
Project Objectives:
The main objective was to provide students with an opportunity to learn the rudiments of Renaissance playing techniques directly from local professional players. The grant covered for the cost of five coaching sessions taught by Dr. Beth Gilford (recorders), Dr. Kiri Tollaksen (cornetto/shawms), and Dr. Enid Sutherland (viols).
Project Achievements:
Students learned the fundamentals of performance on their chosen instruments and received individual feedback from the instructors. As a result of these sessions they learned how to address technical difficulties in performance and how to adjust their performance against the other players in the group. As an instructor, I learned useful teaching strategies, playing techniques, and exercises that will be helpful in future versions of this seminar. The project results also contribute to the larger mission of School of Music, Theatre and Dance, as the study of historical performance practices, ideally pursued through direct handling of early-modern instruments, is becoming more central to its curriculum.
Continuation:
No
Dissemination:
The students’ principal instructors (winds, brass, and string teachers), were informed of these activities all along. SMTD teachers are aware that the seminar on Renaissance instrumental music offers students a unique opportunity to practice historical instruments under the initial supervision of professional players. The seminar is currently the primary venue for utilizing the instruments of the Stearns Collection in the classroom. Both Stearns and SMTD are aware of the pedagogical significance of this initiative.
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