Expression: The Essence of Music: A Guide To Expressive Performance

By Robert C. Musser

Can expressiveness in music be learned, or is it an innate gift, and you either have it or you don't?

Musical expression can be learned! Expression: The Essence of Music is an insight into what distinguishes musical artistry above and beyond excellent craft. This is a guide to expressive performance intended for all musicians (vocal or instrumental), conductors, teachers, and students at any level that may benefit from suggestions as to how they, or their ensemble, or their students, can perform with more musicality and expressiveness.

Robert Musser gives us a fresh look at how to break down expression into elements that can be explained and instructed, both on an individual and class level. The author presents an approach to phrasing and performing that, when learned and followed, will make any performance (solo or ensemble) more musical and expressive. He also looks at the artistic conventions and nuances (not tone quality and technique), which are essential to musical performance but often neglected or performed poorly.

With clear explanations and ample musical examples, he shows how to incorporate these ideas and techniques into one's performance or teaching.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Apr 18, 2021
• ISBN: 9781098360047

Book preview

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Expression: The Essence of Music

Copyright © 2020 by Robert C. Musser

All rights reserved

[e-mail]

www.expressivemusic.com

ISBN: 978-1-09-836004-7

Expression:

The Essence of Music

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

A GUIDE TO EXPRESSIVE PERFORMANCE

IMAGERY OF MOVEMENT

PHRASING

Supermetric Patterns

NOTE GROUPING

Arsis and Thesis

Learning the Method

NUANCES AND CONVENTIONS

TEMPO

Tempo Selection

Accelerando and Ritardando

DYNAMICS

Pianissimo

Attacks

Releases

Crescendo and Diminuendo

Accent and Emphasis

DURATION

Tenuto and Rubato

Legato

Portato (or Legato-Tongue)

Portamento

Length of Notes

CREATIVITY

CONCLUSION

REHEARSING FOR EXPRESSIVE PERFORMANCE

NOTES

BIBLIOGRAPHY

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

INTRODUCTION

Do you play, sing, or conduct expressively? Does your band, orchestra, or choir play/sing musically? What about your students? Are your/their performances inspiring, sensitive, and musical?

This manual is intended for musicians, conductors, teachers, and students, at any level, who may benefit from suggestions as to how they or their ensembles or their students can perform with more musicality and expressiveness.

This is not meant to be a method of playing, singing, or rehearsal techniques. That information is readily available in countless books, professional magazines, and journals, and is taught in classes, private lessons, and clinics. Volumes have been written on music theory, harmony, and analysis, and those classes are taught in every music school. However, little has been written on melodic analysis and how to perform with musicality and expression.

My mission here is to present an approach to phrasing and performing that, when learned and followed, will help make any performance (solo or ensemble) more musical and expressive. I will also look at the artistic conventions and nuances (not tone quality and technique) that are so important to musical performance but often neglected or performed poorly.

During my career, I studied with prominent artist performers and conductors and performed on all the woodwind instruments. I played professionally in orchestras, bands, dance bands, theater orchestras, and other ensembles. I have conducted both amateur and professional orchestras and bands throughout the United States and abroad.

Over my many years of teaching, I taught at every level from public school to college. I adjudicated many band, orchestra, and solo contests at all levels. I will say that most (certainly not all) of those performances, even some of the best ones, lacked many of the nuances of musicality.

These performances were often done with good tone quality, good intonation, and impressive technique but were not musical or expressive. By following the suggestions outlined herein, these performances could have been rendered more musical and more expressive.

Musical and Musicality refer to the knowledge, skill, sensitivity, and good judgment in performing music. There are various techniques, conventions, and nuances that performers and ensembles use to be musical. I will explore the use of these in this manual.

Expression and Expressiveness are terms used to define the elusive element of music that appeals to our feelings and emotions. I will explore a method of phrasing and note grouping that, when learned and employed musically along with