February 2016 President’s Message
Hello DAMTA members,
With the passing of David Bowie and Glenn Frey I am reminded of the strange relationship music has with time.
On the one hand, music happens in time. Music needs time to be experienced. As musicians our ability to perform accurately in time is essential. I think it’s fair to say that one of the hallmarks of a great musician is a great sense of time. So music more than any other art form is interwoven with time.
Music also can define an era. The big band era, the baroque era, the romantic era, the ragtime era. The music of those times expressed so much more than a passing musical style. It expressed the emotional context of the society during those eras. All great art is an expression of emotion. I think that’s why we grow so close to the musicians who create music we love. It’s because they are singing our hearts out, and we are grateful for their ability to do so.
Finally, the greatest music is timeless. From Bach and Beethoven to Led Zepplin and Elton John, I’m always amazed how young people are drawn to music created before they were even born. Sure some music can get embarrassingly outdated, but the best music transcends its era and speaks across generations.
It’s easy to lose sight of music’s power when we are trying to get an eight-year-old to play quarter notes correctly. But as music teachers we are sharing the secrets of an incredibly powerful art form. And sharing our love and passion for music is I think equally important as sharing the nuts and bolts of technique and theory.
Playing and listening to music one truly loves is one of those things that really makes life worth living. Spread the joy!
Vince Madison
DAMTA President

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