Fake It 'Til You Make It: A Robot's Guide to Feeling the Music

We musicians are first and foremost performers. Our job is to provide a service for an audience, and if we strive to have repeat listeners, to provide an excellent service that keeps them coming back for more.

But what makes a good performance? What makes anything "good"? Can a concept as nebulous as "good" be defined with any degree of objectivity? What are the ramifications of defining the "good/bad" dynamic, or denying the idea of an objective good? Such topics are of profound philosophical and theological importance, of which I cannot pretend to say I'm qualified to answer on my very first blog post, but I will try to apply this grandiose topic into the little corner of the world I call my career as a musician.

Whether we like it or not, perception is reality for the listener. There isn’t any inherent connection between performer and audience that is solely telepathic (save for an immediate family member); we perceive emotions based off of body language, speech patterns, phrasing, and more. The uneducated audience that does not know the minutiae of how the tuba works can’t tell what you’re thinking or feeling, and they don’t care.

They can't care.

It's obviously not out of some mean-spirited feeling. An audience can only perceive what you tell them. If music is to be considered "the universal language", it can be manipulated accordingly. The same can be said with oral and written communication.

The reason humanity engages with the arts and culture as a whole is to find meaning. In written language, meaning can be divided into two categories: Denotation and Connotation. Denotation is the literal, objective, concrete definition of a word. Connotation refers to the cultural, emotional, or otherwise implied associations one may have with a particular word. Musicians can draw parallels to this binary regarding our technical preparation and expressive sensibilities. Denotation in music looks like our sense of time, rhythm, intonation, note accuracy, and staying true to what is written on the page. Musical connotation would be analogous to intent, expressive character, direction, and an overall sense of showmanship. Both have to be present and accurate for a convincing musical performance that leaves a lasting impression. A novel with wonderful ideas that is full of spelling mistakes, run-on sentences, and other grammatical errors is impossible to take seriously because it comes across as childish and immature. Likewise, I have no interest in a grammatically spotless article if it was clearly written by generative AI. Why should I take your "writing" seriously if the person behind the screen didn't want to bother actually writing?

An example I have used to clarify the difference between the two goes as follows: I'll ask rhetorically, "If I see a woman I find attractive at the bar, would I walk right up to her, stand 6 inches from her face, and loudly blurt, 'HIYOULOOKVERYNICETODAYIWOULDLIKETOBUYYOUADRINK'? Of course not!" Even though I may be saying the right words, the manner of presentation is arguably more important. I'll continue with, "Likewise, if I go up to another lady and mean super well but I'm stumbling over my words and I've got a mysterious stain on my shirt, I'll get just as far as the first example."

We can go about becoming more complete performers in 3 steps. These aren't necessarily sequential, you can and should work on all three concurrently. Everyone is different, and each musician has different strengths that can be nurtured, as well as weaknesses that should be addressed.

1. Perfect your craft

   This is quite simply the most concrete and non-negotiable step. Step 1 can be the most restrictive in terms of what is right and wrong, but it is arguably the most freeing because once you learn what to listen for, subpar playing becomes so easily identifiable. The goal should be operation of the instrument that is consistent with itself and with what you intend to create. Nothing should be an accident. Due to the physical demands of the instrument and the low expectations set upon us by teachers and other musicians alike, tuba players are oftentimes guilty of setting low standards for themselves, going "if I can get all the notes, that will separate me from the crowd." Note accuracy is the bare minimum, as is a great sound, spotless time, correct intonation, clear articulations, and all of the other aspects of playing that make someone a great operator of the instrument. But all of that is just the beginning. Great technique will get you out of the first round of an audition or competition because the jury is looking for any way to cut you and streamline the horde of 100+ candidates to 15. Everyone in the later rounds, whether it be the Chicago Symphony Orchestra or the Tchaikovsky Competition, can operate their instrument. Technical facility without direction leads to sounding like concrete; stable and solid, but brutalist and unrefined.

2. Learn what your audience wants, and tell the audience what they want to hear

   I am fully aware this can be interpreted in multiple different ways. Telling someone what they want to hear should NEVER come from a place of insecurity, uncertainty, or selfish gain, whether in your musical pursuits or your personal life. Rather, learning what your audience wants should come from a selfless pursuit of "I have something to give you, and I am 100% convinced you'll love it." Musicality is about exploring the relationship between consistency and variation. Consistency will grab someone's attention, but variation will keep it engaged throughout the entirety of the performance. You have to be entirely bought in to the idea that what YOU have to offer is exactly what your audience wants, and that you have the ability to back it up. The way sound waves and their organizations are structured creates concepts of harmony, dissonance, conflict, and resolution. Start simple- phrasing and musicality can be experimented with just crescendos and decrescendo, or V-I resolutions. Theory and aural skills taught in college courses can inform how you approach a piece, and are not just "necessary evils" to slog through, despite the fact that it may feel like it at 8am on a Monday. Using these skills, we quickly realize the balancing act of taking informed risks. Curiosity, trial and error, and finding where your limits are should be done in the practice room and in lessons with your primary teacher who knows you and has your best interests in mind. Uninformed risks should not be done onstage or with a screen in front of you. The trick should be to make it seem to your audience that you're taking a musical chance, when you know full well that it is a planned choice.

3. Present yourself as best as you can

   Very few listeners want to admit this, but they listen with their eyes just as much as they listen with their ears. We have all seen examples of attractive people getting away with things they shouldn't, and negative character traits being ascribed to somebody who hasn't been given a proper chance to get their foot in the door. We as tuba players need to be honest with ourselves and admit that the stereotypes exist for a reason. When you have the horn in your lap, take yourself just as seriously as your violin and piano colleagues do. You'll find that once the horn is back in the case, the willingness to sweat the small stuff will creep into all aspects of your life. The good news is that stage presence isn't a binary "either you have it or you don't" scenario; you can learn how to craft and mold yourself in order to show your best self to the audience. The bad news is that doing so requires meticulous hard work, self-awareness, and a willingness to move on from what was previously comfortable. Make sure you clean up well and get presentable. Interact with your accompanist or your fellow chamber musicians. There's no need to waggle your eyebrows so much that the audience is uncomfortable, but appear enthusiastic while maintaining the control you've developed in the practice room.

If you've made it to the end, thank you for reading! I don't have a set schedule for how regularly I'll put these out, but I will be sure to continue writing as long as people are willing to read these.