In order to achieve success in the field of classical music, you need to know which roads lead to it. Talent and hard work are not a guarantee of success, a successful career and a happy life. Do you want your child to devote his life to music? First, find out the rules of the game and how everything works in this area. Perhaps you will be interested to know how and why the fate of not only celebrities, but everyone else as well. The conductor is the pinnacle. But are all the conductors at the top? The secret becomes apparent.
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company liters.
Part 1. Is it easy to be a musician?
1. A little about the System
There are things that everyone knows but doesn't talk about. There are things that are not spoken about because they do not know about them. Finally, there are things that only a few know about, but do not speak because they do not want to know, see or hear about them, do not want to admit that they are. Because if you think about them and draw conclusions, the world around you becomes somewhat less convenient and comfortable for living. If a person realizes that he belongs to the system that gave him a place in the sun, living space and a piece of bread with something, depending on the position, it is much more convenient to think that the system itself is fair. Someone is more fortunate, someone less, but in principle everything depends on the personal qualities of the person himself. I am taking this place because I deserve it - and, of course, a little bit of luck. Reflections that question the validity of the fundamental principles of the system violate the usual picture of the world, a subtle, vague feeling of solidarity with all the injustices of the system appears, a feeling with which one must live on, and over time it will only grow. Most people don't need this. The problems of which they are a part are not needed. Here is an external enemy, or some obvious corrupt official, or another odious person to whom you can direct your righteous anger - this is what you need, because the negative example of certain personalities only confirms the positive nature of the system itself. By the word "system" we mean in this case any sphere of professional activity that takes up a significant part of a person's life, the sphere with which a person identifies himself, realizes himself as a part of it. For example, there is a system of education, health care, the military is also a system, and art is also.
Of course, if I was an athlete, but injured my health and now I work as a security guard in a kindergarten in order to earn a living, I do not associate myself with a private security system! Most likely, I will continue to consider myself a part of the professional sports system for the rest of my life. After all, what happened to me was originally laid in the foundation of the existence of this system - the risk of injury or loss of health. But since I devoted the best years of my life to sports, it is much more comfortable and psychologically safe for me to block in the bud the thoughts that, perhaps, the system of professional sports is based on the principle of a ruthless attitude towards a person, that the pursuit of a result, a record, changes a person's attitude to oneself and others not for the better, that the system ruthlessly throws waste human material overboard, etc. If I doubted the system, I doubted that my previous life was not in vain, and this is not far from madness. Now, if someone during my childhood, adolescence, could convince me to choose another specialty, would explain all the risks and difficulties that I will face in twenty years, for example, my life would pass in the mainstream of a different system.
But this is all just for example, we are not talking about sports.
Art, traditionally considered the sphere of beauty, is also a system that exists by its own rules. And far from all those involved in the field of art from the very beginning, even during the years of study, knew what these rules were, how everything actually works, what you can really count on. In this sense, it is undoubtedly easier for those whose parents or relatives are part of the system, who, through their own experience, understood some patterns and explained to their children, grandchildren and nephews the basic principles of the system's functioning - something that children and young people who came from parties whose parents work in other fields. They do not recognize until at some stage in their life they face it themselves.
Gradually approaching the object of our reflections, let us turn to music. Academic classical music as a System. What do other people know about her? One could say "ordinary people", but there may be some extraordinary among them. Also, you cannot say "ordinary people" - what if there are some difficult ones among them ...
So, it is common knowledge that some musicians make very good money, while their work schedule is much more humane than most people who work 8 hours 5 days a week. Musicians go on tour, see new cities and countries, the audience applauds them, they get a sea of flowers. At the same time, they are well brought up and educated, their life passes among people like them, creatively gifted, smart, intelligent.
In addition, playing music in childhood develops a personality very much, this is also known to everyone. And then many, fascinated by the magic power of music, want to go further along this path - to creative success, tours, concerts, applause, flowers, and most importantly - to inexhaustible sources of joy from learning and performing new works. There is, of course, other information that is also generally known. Some famous composer went blind, others went deaf, someone went crazy, and this one died from some very suspicious disease. Half of the famous composers ended their lives in poverty, others spent their lives in wanderings, the works of the third were not performed during their lifetime. And what a dark story about a famous violinist who allegedly sold his soul to someone there! And Thomas Mann with his Adrian Leverkühn there too ...
But for some reason this information does not stop anyone, people are sure that nothing like this will happen to them. The fact that the System has existed for a very long time and does not accept everyone, even such great ones as the musicians mentioned above, does not occur to my head. And completely in vain.
Among strangers, there are many judgments about the world of classical music, among them there are both very accurate and very funny. For example: "music is light bread", or "don't go there, son, they won't let you break through." The first thesis, of course, is rather superficial and easily refuted, but the situation with the second is a little more complicated. Nevertheless, the huge flow of people who want to devote themselves to music does not dry up. Many people from early childhood begin to feel this desire, a lot of musically gifted children are born in the world who, under certain conditions, could become famous and respected soloists, singers or conductors. Yes. We could.
2. Music as a System
What can be said about the field of classical music as a system? There is no reason to believe that it differs from all other systems due to its creative specificity. The levers that set it in motion are the same, and the algorithm for entering the system, surviving in it and moving upward is also similar to all the others. Family clans? Yes, but they also exist in other spheres of activity: artisans, cooks, circus performers, fishermen, and so on. Recommendations, acquaintances, favorites? And where is it not? The fundamental principle of advancement in any system - to be better than others and to have the support of influential persons - works in medicine, and in the office, and in business. Human nature is not diverse, so everything is very similar everywhere. The main difference between the system in art, including music, is the evaluation criteria and the way to achieve the result. It is here that equality of opportunities for all ends - it ends before it even begins, even in a music school, and many people begin to understand this after years and decades. If you are a talented mathematician, athlete, hairdresser or cook, your talent manifests itself clearly and unequivocally: you cook tastier, you run faster, you do your hair better. Therefore, there will always be a demand for such people - after all, you can earn money on them! Or money, or fame, or both. The connection between your skill and your career is quite clear. Of course, if you wish, you can destroy any talent with intrigue, envy and slander. It's all about the proportions, the percentage of realized and unrealized. This determines what is the rule and what is the exception. And the rule is that for many systems to ensure their own life, viability and competitiveness, such a state of affairs is beneficial when the best are at the top. The principle of natural selection, if you will. This increases the efficiency of the system itself, which is some limitation for corruption, which is somehow present everywhere (we have already spoken about human nature).
As for the art of music, here the quality criteria are far from being so obvious, not every person has the ability to distinguish the best from the worst, so people from other spheres of activity are guided by the opinion of “those who understand” in evaluating a musician. If they talk about them in the news, write in the newspapers, their names do not leave the posters of the concert halls, then they are the best. Or some of the best. Our national pride, our creative elite.
But who are they, these people who determine the best and the worst at various stages of a musician's development? If you can answer this question, if you can get in touch with them, if they show interest in you and want to accept you into their circle, then you understand how the System works and you have a good chance to take your place in it. ... A place worthy of you, plus a little luck.
When we talk about vague quality criteria, we certainly do not mean that most people are unable to distinguish professional performance from school or amateur performance. Of course, there are a lot of technical and artistic characteristics that make it possible to evaluate the performance of any musician with a high degree of objectivity. We evaluate the playing of a musical instrument from three main positions: the purity of intonation, the level of technical excellence and the artistic value of the performance, the so-called musicality. Separately, we can highlight the beauty of sound production, timbre richness. All clear? Objectively? Certainly.
Now let's follow the fate of two imaginary musicians, for example, pianists, from the moment they started playing the instrument until the end of the conservatory. Both musicians have the same innate musical abilities, very great abilities - this is a prerequisite for our analysis, the initial equality!
So, two talented (equally) children at the age of five began their piano lessons at the same music school. True, they turned out to be from different teachers. The first child got to a good teacher, calm, benevolent, contact was established between the student and the teacher, everyone is happy. The second student, by prior arrangement of knowledgeable parents, ended up with another teacher, good, calm, benevolent, having weight among the teachers of the school, who has acquaintances among teachers of secondary and higher levels of education, who is on the jury of children's music competitions, who can teach not only to play the instrument well, but also the ability to win, not be afraid of the stage, control emotions and survive in the competition. This teacher can recommend his talented student after graduation to a college teacher, the same respected and honored teacher as himself, who does not take everyone into his class and also has weight and connections at his level. Both students, talented in their own way, graduate from music school with excellent grades and go to college. Entrance exams (especially the first ones in life) are a lot of stress, it is a competition, it is excitement. The first student plays well, but he is very worried, he has no support and hopes for his talent and luck. The second student, who already has the experience of winning a children's competition, who knows that one distinguished professor has already prepared a place for him in his class, also plays well, while all of the above gives him additional freedom and confidence. Therefore, he plays without nerve losses and gets a higher score. Both students go to college, but now the second student immediately finds himself in the position of the favorite, part of the local "elite". Now he is guaranteed the appropriate attitude from the teachers and the administration until the end of the training. And the first student becomes an ordinary first-year student, who at each exam will have to prove his right to high marks and recognition. Suddenly, the opportunity presented itself to play a piano concert with a student orchestra. Who will be recommended as a worthy representative of the piano department? Of course you guessed it. Now the second student has experience of playing with an orchestra. How important this is will be clear later. And the first student for the first time begins to doubt that giftedness and musicality decide everything. However, let's not forget that both students are very capable. During the years of college, both have grown professionally, the first student nevertheless went to his first competition in his life, and maybe several. True, his professor himself does not sit on the jury of any competition and does not have the opportunity to support his student using his influence or friendship. The first student can only count on his talent and hard work, as well as good luck. He already understands that the world of classical music is not as beautiful as the music itself, and not as simple as he previously thought, so his anxiety increases. He receives the third prize - nevertheless, he is talented and better than many, but this competition is not among the prestigious and does not help much in his career. But he gives experience. Now the first student knows what the competition is, who gets the first prizes and why. The chairman of the jury pats him on the shoulder in a friendly way and wishes him success in the next competitions.
At the same time, the second student also participates in competitions, but in others, and at one of them he receives the first prize. Winning this competition gives you the opportunity to give several concerts in different cities. The second student is only 17 years old, but he already feels confident and is optimistic about the future, which promises him many pleasant moments. He has no reason to doubt the fairness of the System, because it gives him what he deserves. He's actually talented!
And then came the next test - the entrance exams to the conservatory. Both students are 19 years old, they managed to achieve a lot, as far as possible to reveal their talent and reach heights. The day of the exam has come. The second student is already waiting for a place in the class of one of the most famous professors in the country, who can give his students the opportunity to start a real career. He takes only the best into his class and only on recommendations (there are too many of the best). Some even had the honor of taking a few lessons from him before the exams, including the second student. The first one also really wanted to appear to this professor, to interest him in his game, but no one introduced him or recommended him - it was just that there was no such person among his acquaintances ... The first student understands that he must act decisively, because the moment of truth is coming, and he catches the professor the corridor of the conservatory, introduces himself and asks him to listen and give advice. The professor replies that he would love to, but, unfortunately, he has no time at all: concerts, students, the jury of international competitions, in a word, he does not have the opportunity, to the greatest regret.
They passed the exams and both students entered the conservatory. The first barely made it to the passing mark and entered the class of another professor who is very good at studying. Yes, he teaches very interestingly, but from his class almost no one wins prestigious competitions and is not spoiled by the number of concerts. The second student, already in the first year, took first prize at one of the most serious international competitions. This gave him many concerts in different countries. The first student also applied for this competition, but he was not even selected to participate. A year later, he applied for another, simpler competition, and passed. In the first round, he plays great - he is talented, and besides, he understands that the next chance may not be presented. It is also in the second round. The last round includes a concert for piano and orchestra. The first student never played with an orchestra, he did not have the opportunity like most other pianists of his age. But his rivals in the final of the competition had experience of playing with an orchestra.
The first student, finding himself for the first time surrounded by orchestral musicians and catching the politely indifferent eye of the conductor, begins to lose self-control, he is seized by excitement and bad forebodings. The performance began. The student did not know how much the accompaniment of the orchestra differs from the second piano - one cannot understand this without personal experience! He cannot hear all the orchestral voices and is lost. He takes the last place among the finalists, receives the strongest mental shock and does not receive any offers to perform in concerts. He returns home and feels that he can no longer fight, he is tired and disappointed. And most importantly, his entire creative path passes before his mind's eye, starting with the music school, a reassessment of values sets in, and he loses faith in his talent.
His studies at the conservatory are coming to an end. The first student understands that he will not be able to become a concert pianist, he has neither a name nor support, which means there will be no concerts either. Meanwhile, adolescence is gradually giving way to maturity, the time comes to make a living. For the first student, the following opportunities open up: a teacher in a music school or college, an accompanist or an orchestra artist (a very rare opportunity). And the second student becomes a star, then a creative elite, and over time has a good chance of getting into the category of "national pride". He was talented and multiplied his talent. He deserves it. It's all fair, isn't it?
We have considered one of the most optimistic scenarios for the first student. Everything could have turned out much worse: he could not have entered the conservatory, not received a single prize at the competition, the feeling of injustice could have driven him to despair and he would have quit music. During the training, some become part of the System, while it discards others. Most often it is polite and with a smile, because musicians are cultured and intelligent people.
For the second student, this scenario is also the most optimistic, after all, not everyone becomes world stars, but the System always has interesting proposals for its chosen ones: professorial departments, director's chairs, posts in the Ministry of Culture, places in theaters and much more.
Let's analyze some of the principles of advancement in the System of Academic Classical Music. At the very beginning of the path, as we have already seen, all young musicians have an equal chance in accordance with their natural abilities. A lot depends on the first teacher. He can turn out to be rude and tough, in his soul cursing his unfortunate fate, which led him to the position of a teacher of a music school, although he dreamed of concert activity. He may turn out to be just a mediocre teacher, being a kind and pleasant person. If he cannot correctly form the child's musical apparatus, for example, "put his hands on," even with extraordinary abilities, there will be no real success. The first teacher may turn out to be a good teacher and a good person (this is already a very great success), but at the same time not have any weight among other teachers in the department, and his students will always receive underestimated grades in exams and, in the end, may lose interest in their studies. And there are teachers who are not only sensitive and attentive, not only literate and loving to work with children, but also have authority in their school, connections and acquaintances in the musical world. Such teachers will unmistakably form the apparatus, help the child to develop his abilities to the maximum, to feel successful, and will be able to instill a love for work, for classes. There are few such teachers, they are well known in the musical environment, children of musicians, artists, creative intelligentsia, children of those who have set themselves the task of providing their child with a worthy place in the System come to study with them.
Teachers are divided according to the same principle at the subsequent stages of training: bad, good and elite (good with additional opportunities).
What else influences the development of musical talent in childhood and adolescence? The opportunity to perform on stage. The skills of behavior on the stage are formed over the years so that there are no losses associated with excitement. Strong nerves help in numerous exams and competitions, where stability becomes a decisive factor. But not only that! The ability not to be afraid of the audience and to concentrate on the performance helps to achieve great heights when performing at a concert. Thus, we smoothly approached one of the most important topics related to a musician career in general for a correct understanding.
One of the main ways to become eligible for concert activity is to successfully participate in international music competitions. Does everyone correctly understand what a competition is and what are its true objectives? Here it is absolutely necessary to clarify some circumstances.
The competition, like any other competition, is inherently aimed at identifying the best. At each stage, the best are selected, who at the next stage compete with each other. It is very similar to sports, world championships and Olympic games. The only difference is in the evaluation criteria. Oh, this is art! If you jumped further, ran faster or scored more goals, the result is obvious to everyone, it is immediately fixed and no one doubts it anymore. Of course, there are so-called referee errors, when a player is unjustly sent off, an honestly scored goal is not counted, a penalty is erroneously assigned. These circumstances can change the course of the game and bring an undeserved victory to one of the teams. However, the judge's decision is final and the winner advances to the next round.
The music competition has the following difference: instead of a judge, the results are evaluated by a jury. The jury is a group of musicians, as a rule, well-known and authoritative, representing the System itself. More precisely, these are the people whom the System trusts to represent itself. The jury evaluates the musicians' performances by secret ballot or meeting and does not give an account to anyone on what was guided in their assessments. We are never talking about any mistakes made by the jury members - let's not forget that the System trusts them. The judge in his decisions relies on the rules of the game, and the results of the speed competition are recorded by video cameras and stopwatches. The jury of the music competition makes a decision based on their impression - whether they liked it or not, or rather, how much they liked it and how much they didn’t like it. These people were invited to the jury because they are trusted: how they decide, so be it. And they decide who is to be accepted into the System and who is not. No one will ever know what the jury members deliberated about behind closed doors, what arguments each of its members gave. In almost every competition, some decisions of the jury cause a storm of indignation from the audience and observers. Many laureates of competitions doubt that they are the best, however, having received their awards, they get a pass to the world of great art, managers and directors of orchestras are interested in them, their further creative life can be considered arranged. Many musicians sit on the jury in several competitions and are familiar with most of their colleagues who also sit in several competitions. Moreover, most of them have their own students. In the absence of strict evaluation criteria, it is possible to lead almost any participant to victory.
End of introductory snippet.
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The given introductory fragment of the book Classical music as a system and what it's like to be a conductor. The musical world without illusions (Yuri Sobolev) provided by our book partner -
Everyone, without exception, likes creative guys. It's never boring with them. But dating is one thing, and living together is quite another. If your musician boyfriend proposed to you, we'll tell you what to prepare for!
He will make jealousy your constant friend.
It doesn't matter if the guy is playing in a super-cool band that is shown on TV, or just playing acoustic concerts twice a week in a beer bar around the corner, get used to the idea that you have to be jealous. There is always a crowd of fans around creative people: and it does not matter whether they are drunken aunts celebrating a birthday in the institution where he gives concerts, or young fans who bombard every photo of your boyfriend with comments. Even if the guy himself does not give reasons for jealousy, and you are sure of his feelings, anyway some arrogant young lady will sooner or later piss you off. Get ready for this!
He will teach you not to make plans
Living with a musician will help you understand that nothing can be planned in advance. Any scheduled event, be it a meeting with friends, a trip out of town, or a trip to visit your parents, can easily be canceled if your boyfriend is suddenly called to perform, rehearse, or meet a cool concert organizer.
He won't give you affectionate nicknames
Most of the musicians are not sentimental at all. You will have to get used to the fact that the address “my girl” will not refer to you, but to his new guitar, and the word “beloved” will be used much more often in the context of the music he likes, and not at all relationships.
He will teach you to wait long
Rehearsals, recording an album, concerts and touring other cities will take up a lot of his time. Therefore, you will have to get used to dining alone, spending weekends separately, changing your plans at the last moment and missing several days, and sometimes weeks, while the guy is on tour.
He will not always be happy with your gifts.
Don't expect your boyfriend to be genuinely excited about a new tie, a set of cool socks, or a DIY postcard. Musicians live in their own special world, so a set of strings, a pick or a fancy tuner will rather please him.
He will broaden your horizons
He will be completely unsuitable for life.
He will never know where his socks, TV remote and cat food are, but if you wake him up in the middle of the night, he will recite the sequence of notes of his new song to you by heart.
He will always talk more about himself than about you.
Having connected your life with a musician, you will have to get used to the fact that in any company he will always first of all talk about himself. He has such an interesting life: rehearsals, concerts, recording an album and proposals from the organizers! It's so much cooler than your stories about a hugely discounted skirt from a fashion designer's new collection, your best friend's pregnancy, and your story of a funny dog you met while walking in the park.
He doesn't know what the family budget is.
He can easily spend the money you set aside for vacation on a cool guitar that someone decided to sell a little cheaper than it costs, because this is such a unique opportunity! And reproach you for too expensive a dress.
You will always be in second place for him
And the honorable first place will always be occupied by his work. He will devote much more time to him than to you, but this does not mean that he will not love you. It's just such a feature of creative people.
Despite all the difficulties, life with a musician is very rich and interesting. And if you are not afraid of the disadvantages listed above, and you are ready to put up with them, you will make a great couple, and your marriage will be happy and strong.
Do musicians live well? We are not talking about celebrities from the world of pop, our reflections on the world of rock and roll.
Before a person becomes a musician, he needs to work hard. You need to study for a long time, learning boring scales, keep the musical notation in your head, and try not to forget it. The musician does all this in order to one day become famous. A person can become famous, but will he be happy about it?
There is a lot of good in the life of a musician, but there is also a lot that prevents him from living.
Only the musician who makes money with the help of music can be happy. Not many are so lucky. If a musician has to go to work, at the same time attend rehearsals, and receive nothing for it, sooner or later he begins to get bored with music. He made bets on it, but he cannot earn with it. This test makes many people forget that they can play musical instruments.
Girls like musicians, they rarely have problems finding people of the opposite sex. Most often the problem is different - they cannot stop, they cannot make a choice. Some guys are looking for the ideal all their lives, while others are constantly changing women.
If a musician cannot become famous, he suffers. He is confident that he will be able to achieve success and recognition, he does not want to look at the bad experiences of other musicians. He is very self-confident, and knows that soon he will live in a completely different way, and all his acquaintances will be very jealous of him. Time passes and nothing changes. He does not become a star, but only grows old. It's always sad to look at such musicians. The man does not understand that he no longer looks like a handsome man, after whom crowds of fans will run. As a rule, such a man dresses brightly and ridiculously. He can wear a jacket with rivets, leather gloves with spikes, rough boots. He dyes his hair so that no gray hair is visible.
If a musician has become famous, this does not mean that he has become happy. He can have a lot of attention problems. He will have to attend different parties, communicate with many people. This also happens when a person needs solitude.
The musician is obliged to look after his appearance, and no one cares if he has money for this. He must have an expensive haircut, perfect teeth, branded clothes. If all this is not there, the musician loses popularity.
Team play brings a lot of unpleasant moments. A musician can always be kicked out if he does not play perfectly. Thinking that you will be replaced at any time is not very pleasant.
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A musician is not a profession. This is a form of existence ... if only because the musician differs from other representatives of the Homa Sapiens species even in childhood ... No, no, do not look at the unfortunate youngsters, who mothers and dads convinced of the genius of their offspring, they are driven to the instrument with a stick - and who make up the majority in any average music school, bringing teachers to a heart attack - these are not musicians and never will be.
A real musician himself will reach for the instrument - to try to extract from it what he already knows ... but he knows one simple truth: everything in the world has a “voice” - remember the hero of G. Senkevich, for whom “the wind played the pitchfork”? Have you ever heard the stars ring on a frosty night? And to which instrument is such and such a literary hero closer - to the violin or to the organ? If you can answer such questions, it means that you definitely have something of a musician in you.
But a musician not only "hears" the world - he can also "say" something about it ... of course, if there is a "transmission mechanism" - what is called a performing technique (at this stage, many who have hearing "break" ... Sometimes they say that the performing apparatus is the hands, but this is not entirely true: the performing apparatus is the entire body of the musician, in fact, it becomes an integral part of the instrument ... and for this to happen, it is not enough to master some movements - you need to transform your whole being.
And here we come to one of the most burning questions: the fact is that such a "transmutation" is absolutely incompatible with modern pedagogical doctrine. The modern teacher (in any case, his theoretical ideal model) is a cross between a psychotherapist with an entertainment program, and if he is something teach- then this is a miracle (and if he does not teach, it means that he is to blame for everything). A music teacher is comparable to a priest of ancient initiation rites - a cruel one who throws a student into hell: you are no longer you, you are part of the instrument, yours is the structure of a musical phrase, your movements are the steps of harmony ...
And, of course, such a teacher cannot, has no right to “create a situation of success” (another expression that has set the teeth on edge from pedagogical literature of later times!) - a musician is always dissatisfied with his own (if you said to yourself: “I have achieved”, you are dead), a musician lives in Through the Looking Glass, where, as you know, "you have to run quickly in order to stay in one place, and to be in another, you need to twice as fast." The professional skills of a musician are based on "body memory" - and it is very unreliable, this is the very matter that collapses, having lost the spirit: if you loosen your grip, the reflex arcs have disintegrated, the technique is lost, and therefore there is no greater trouble for a musician than at least a day pick up an instrument ... However, the musician is afraid of this not only because fears lose shape (although this is also why - here musicians are comparable to athletes): an instrument is a living creature, his beloved friend, we will be brother to him - like a sword for ancient warrior... Therefore, do not be offended by the musician when he does not let you try to extract a couple of chords from his instrument - he knows that the instrument will not like it (you can just as well “lend” your wife to someone).
But no matter how much time the musician spends in the rehearsal room - in the end, this is done for the sake of the stage. The scene requires everything - if only because mistakes are not forgiven there: one small mistake can nullify the whole impression (especially at the beginning of the piece - then even the subsequent brilliant performance will not correct anything). This is the moment of the highest tension both physically and emotionally ... but it is also something like a "drug" that causes "addiction". This is "living blood", having drunk of which you will no longer be able to "feed on carrion."
And of course, a physically weak person will not be able to withstand such stress - there is no place for people with weakness in music. Musicians also have their own professional harm - sitting for many hours in one position (often unnatural), so they are practically guaranteed - unless, of course, ... and this is also part of a “different form of existence” that requires everything.
Perhaps it is difficult to understand such a creature ... perhaps it sometimes annoys: neighbors - endless scales, relatives - a penny salary, the government - the need to pay this salary, and everyone - immersion in their art ... but they are all neighbors, and relatives, and even members of the government do not stop going to concerts ... because without this one cannot remain human. This is the only way to remember that the world in which we live is just a not quite successful copy of the Divine plan ...
And therefore, gentlemen, be condescending to the musicians: they are creatures from another Universe, it is not easy for them in your world, which simultaneously needs them and rejects them.
Speaking about music education in Russia, one should recall modern realities and even delve a little into history. The 90s of the twentieth century became a turning point for our country. And this is not even about ideology. Western consumer goods poured into Russia through the leaky Iron Curtain and the collapsed censorship: technology, food, drink, clothing and, of course, music.
And then a funny thing happened: Western music changes from year to year - rhythms arise, currents mix and disappear; more and more new names appear. Russian music, trying to change along with Western music, instead of doing something of its own, but in line with the time, sculpts a parody, often without having either taste, hearing or voice. Rare units represent, if not an exhibition, export version, then at least something that can be listened to without experiencing aesthetic torment.
All this has an extremely negative effect on music education as well. A huge amount of musical surrogate, which surrounds a child from birth, fundamentally spoils his hearing. It becomes extremely difficult to find a musician in a child spoiled by noisy, non-melodic and often extremely primitive pop music. The musical taste, which is known to be formed over the years, is absent in the child.
And the ability to play any instrument more and more fades into the background due to technical progress. If in the old days an evening was unthinkable without singing and dancing to a live accompaniment on the piano, and in later times the gatherings did not work out if the guitarist was absent, today even almost any mobile phone is both an accompanist and a singer. From this narrowly practical point of view, what is the point for a child to go and learn to play a musical instrument? They thought the same and in most cases they think in school. But there is a goal: studying music thoroughly develops memory and motor skills, not to mention hearing in all senses - both musical and not. Be that as it may, children come to children's music schools every day, although their number is decreasing from year to year.
If a child is a genius and cannot imagine life without playing a musical instrument or singing, then he has a direct road to a music school. If you can't imagine life without your child becoming a brilliant musician - too. There are two types of music schools. The first is children's music schools and children's art schools. As a rule, they are combined with studies in a regular general education school. The second type of such schools is schools at music universities. In Moscow, this is a school at the famous Gnesinka - the Gnessin Russian Academy of Music (Gnessin Russian Academy of Music), at the Moscow State P.I. Tchaikovsky and the Moscow State Institute of Music named after A.G. Schnittke (MGIM).
These schools provide specialized secondary education. That is, a child, coming to them in the first grade, not only learns to sing, play and cultivate a genius in himself, but also receive a general secondary education in Russian, literature, mathematics, and so on. Education in such institutions is carried out both on a paid basis, with full reimbursement, and at the expense of the budget. Upon admission to them, of course, they pass exams. Moreover, if you wish, you can prepare: at schools of this type, there are paid preparatory courses for children from 4-5 years old.
The next stage is the College of Music. There are 16 of them in Moscow and the Moscow region, not counting branches. Some, like schools, are attached to music universities - there are colleges at Gnesinka, the Tchaikovsky Conservatory, the Ippolitov-Ivanov State Music and Pedagogical Institute (GMPI) and the A.G. Schnittke (MGIM). Other colleges are self-sustaining.
The crown of education is a music university. There are nine of them in Moscow. This is the Russian Academy of Music. Gnesins, Moscow State Conservatory named after P.I. Tchaikovsky, Moscow State Institute of Music. A.G. Schnittke and six other equally well-known names.
The world knows many Russian pianists, musicians and composers. Until now, our musical education (like the ballet school) is at a very high level. Due to this, universities survive: every year a large number of foreign paid students enter them, who, having finished their studies, in the overwhelming majority of cases will go home to amaze their own - American, Korean, Chinese, French, and so on - spectators. And they will receive a lot of money for this, I must say.
But at the same time, it is clear that not all Russian graduates of music universities have the chance and opportunity to become new Rachmaninoffs and Spivakovs. Moreover, not everyone has a chance to get into Russian and foreign leading chamber orchestras or work in Russian pop groups. Here are many graduates and get a job as teachers of music schools, universities and colleges, musicologists and directors of houses of culture. And, as you know, you don’t make too much of a fuss about a teacher’s salary, although it’s clear that anyone always hopes for the best.
The laws that, as their creators claim, are aimed at improving education as a whole, add fuel to the fire that is destroying Russian creative education. In particular, Russia signed the Bologna Agreement, which provides for a two-tier higher education - bachelor's and master's. But it is not yet clear to what extent such a system is acceptable for music universities. Experts from the highland world of music argue that the Bologna process will destroy creative universities in Russia. According to them, then not vocalists, for example, but semi-professional entertainers will come out of the walls of universities. In particular, Alexander Tchaikovsky, rector of the St. Petersburg Conservatory, believes that sometimes young people without musical education enter the vocal departments. “For almost the first three years, they learn the basics,” he said. - And give them a bachelor's degree? It's like giving a diploma to a third-grader. ”
And this is not counting the new Law "On Education in the Russian Federation", which not only leaves one hour of music a week at school, but you can still put up with it. But its creators also considered that accepting a child from an early age to a music school is to inflict moral harm on him and violate his rights.
Time will tell what will happen to Russian education in general and music education in particular. As long as education is alive. Well, tomorrow it may no longer be needed by a modernized society: the computer will play. And he can also sing.
Elena Muravyova
It is not necessary to get a musical education in Moscow
According to Tatyana Sidneva, vice-rector for research work of the Nizhny Novgorod State Conservatory named after M. Glinka, professor, honored worker of the higher school of the Russian Federation, music education in the region has been and remains at its best:
- The Nizhny Novgorod Conservatory is not just one of the universities, it is the largest cultural center of the Volga region. Concerts of prominent performers and orchestras are held here almost daily. NNGK named after Glinka consistently occupies leading positions in the ratings of specialized universities. Among the four best music universities in the country, she was awarded additional state financial support, determined by a decree of the Government of the Russian Federation for a period of three years. The quality of training of professional musicians has been highly appreciated at many international competitions.
The conservatory has six faculties, the enrollment for which is not reduced. Moreover, in recent years we have opened new specialties and areas of training, consonant with the requirements of the time: "Musical sound engineering", "Acting art", "Art education". Developed and introduced into the educational process unparalleled two-year professional retraining programs "Music Lecturer" and "Music critic-journalist, editor of the media: TV, radio". Every year, the conservatory hosts a fair of graduates of all specialties, to which representatives of cultural and art institutions from different regions of the country come in search of new talents.
Along with all this, we are strengthening contacts with foreign universities, we regularly exchange creative visits. The conservatory has created all the conditions for the training of foreign citizens - at present, students, postgraduates and trainees from China, Korea, Syria, Jamaica, Japan, Austria are trained here.
Meanwhile ...
There is also another opinion, which testifies to the real state of affairs. It was voiced independently by three graduates of the Nizhny Novgorod Conservatory of different years, which is directly related to musical education, both secondary and higher (one of them is a vocal teacher, the second is a piano, the third is a soloist of a string instrument ensemble). For obvious reasons, they asked not to give their names: in Nizhny Novgorod, almost all musicians know each other by sight and by name - it is easy for those who tell the bitter truth about the alma mater to become persona non grata at the conservatory.
According to my interlocutors, today the conservatory largely lives at the expense of foreign students, who willingly bring their money here, since music education of such a high level in their countries is much more expensive. Our applicants are not very eager to enter here, since the salary of graduates of the conservatory who find work in their specialty in the public sector is so small that it is difficult to make ends meet. The competition, small in comparison with previous years, remains only for the piano and vocal departments, not only theoretical, composer and musicological specialties, but also the departments of wind and folk instruments are not in demand (last year there was a shortage of this specialty, this year it was decided do not gain a course). And it's not a lack of interest in music. The reason is the decline in the prestige of the profession, caused by a more than modest material estimate of the huge labor costs. As a rule, if there are two musicians in a family, then one has to sacrifice what he loves and retrain to ensure even the minimum material prosperity - otherwise the family is doomed to a miserable existence. Only a few are out in the stars - touring soloists, but even those prefer to settle abroad and not depend on local philharmonic prices. As a result, Nizhny Novgorod musicians who professionally play violins, flutes, guitars, accordions and xylophones with a hat or a cardboard box turned upside down can be found not only in the underpass near the Moscow railway station in Nizhny, but also in the same passages in Moscow, St. cities of near and far abroad. Virtuoso performers are rescued only by odd jobs or one-time engagements, many professionals are forced to say goodbye to the career of performers and go to tutoring. Thank God, there are always amateurs, both children and adults, who want to master the instrument (of course, keyboardists, vocalists and guitarists are in a better position).
When I asked my interlocutors if they advise their children and talented students to enter the conservatory, all three, without saying a word, unanimously answered: “God forbid! In no case!"
Vera Kostrova recorded the official response of the NNGC representative and the independent opinions of the musicians
Photo by Vera Kostrova
Musicians need producers and sponsors in love with music, respecting work and talent
Anna Babushkina, artistic director of the early music ensemble "Galliarda":
"It's just happiness that there is a person who needs music and who is ready to disinterestedly invest his time and energy in musicians!"
- At one time I graduated from the composition and musicology faculty of the Glinka NNGK. With my diploma, I could count on a place as a solfeggio teacher at a music school or a music school. At the time of my leaving the conservatory, there were no vacancies. Attempts to find a job corresponding to their education were unsuccessful. Thanks to my non-musician husband, our family could live relatively tolerably even without my salary (everyone knows how small it is for music school teachers), but of course I wanted to somehow professionally realize myself. Maybe I would have limited myself to studying with my son and playing music at home, if a lucky chance had not brought me together with Marianna Sharonova, who is now the director of our ensemble. Her energy and phenomenal organizational skills helped me and many other aspiring musicians, students of the conservatory and music school to develop creatively. For almost fifteen years we have had the opportunity to play wonderful Baroque and Renaissance music, give concerts, participate in festivals, including foreign ones. Of course, every time you go somewhere outside the region is associated with an intense search for money. After all, travel to the place of all festivals today is paid for by the participants themselves, it's good that the inviting party often takes over the accommodation. But this is not the only expense of the ensemble. We rehearse at home, we do not need premises, neither of us requires a salary, but tailoring the costumes of the era, authentic instruments - all this requires funds, and considerable ones. About 8-10 years ago, under the predecessor of the current governor, we felt substantial support from the authorities, but now all hope is only for sponsors. If it were not for Marianna with her charm and acquaintances with many influential persons of the Nizhny Novgorod business, we would not have been able to get a dime. It's just happiness that there was a person who needs music and who is ready to disinterestedly invest his time and energy in musicians. Marianne has her own work, not related to music, our ensemble is a hobby for her. It was also born almost by accident. At one time her son studied at a music school and played the flute (at that time Galliarda was born), then her son grew up and left music, but Marianne did not leave us. There would be more people like that.
Photo by Vera Kostrova
