As a member of an up and coming saxophone quartet at my college, I have learned a lot about collaborating with other musicians. Chamber ensembles differ greatly from large ensembles. In order for a chamber ensemble to be successful, each member needs to understand everything, both on a musical and personal level, about each and every other member. The lifespan of the average chamber ensemble is quite short (usually just a few years). This is for a number of reasons. Most college chamber ensembles split up after the members have graduated, or members move, relocate, and logistically it becomes impossible to maintain the ensemble in its original formation. Others break up because the members do not meld well. Here are a few key points to remember when trying to keep your chamber ensemble on the right track:
1) Respect and Open Communication: In order for a chamber ensemble to succeed, an overall respect for each other's personalities and musical interpretations must be present. Nothing kills off a group of friends and colleagues more than when one or more of the members of said group goes behind the others' backs and talks negatively about them ("She isn't matching our note length on that tenuto!" or "He's playing too loudly again!"). Being able to share those thoughts with that person is essential not only to maintain a healthy relationship with them, but also creates a more effective and coherent ensemble.
2) Setting Goals: One thing that really helps chamber ensembles especially is to have shared goals and to also be aware of what they are. For example, a college chamber ensemble unfortunately does not often survive past the college years. Some students go on to more education, others move far away, and the younger students are left behind while the others graduate. Consider making a list of goals together at the very beginning of the ensemble's creation (and keep updating it every few months or so!). These are the goals for the ensemble and each member needs to give it a stamp of approval.
3) Do things together! Your time spent together doesn't have to be limited to being in a windowless practice room. One thing to remember is that musicians often forget that one's opinion of another, as a person, is much different from their opinion of that person as a musician. The two should not be linked. By doing fun things together (go out to dinner, take a road-trip unrelated to a music tour, etc.), you'll learn so much more about the other members of your ensemble.
4) Have an Exit Strategy: Sounds like a business plan, eh? A chamber ensemble is kind of like a business in that respect. There's nothing worse than being at the end of a business' life and then trying to figure out how to make the break up as cleanly as possible. Who takes charge of certain aspects of the break up (money, clients, etc.)? These are important details that if dealt with when there are no hard feelings will make the split much less painful later. But that's not going to happen anyways, right?
For anyone interested in seeing how one famous string quartet managed to stay together for over 30 years in its original configuration, I highly recommend "Indivisible by Four: A String Quartet in Pursuit of Harmony" by Arnold Steinhardt. It tells the story of the Guarneri String Quartet and all of its ups and downs and how even so they still persevered. It's a great read for everyone who has to work with anyone, not just musicians. It proves that teamwork can go a long way.
1) Respect and Open Communication: In order for a chamber ensemble to succeed, an overall respect for each other's personalities and musical interpretations must be present. Nothing kills off a group of friends and colleagues more than when one or more of the members of said group goes behind the others' backs and talks negatively about them ("She isn't matching our note length on that tenuto!" or "He's playing too loudly again!"). Being able to share those thoughts with that person is essential not only to maintain a healthy relationship with them, but also creates a more effective and coherent ensemble.
2) Setting Goals: One thing that really helps chamber ensembles especially is to have shared goals and to also be aware of what they are. For example, a college chamber ensemble unfortunately does not often survive past the college years. Some students go on to more education, others move far away, and the younger students are left behind while the others graduate. Consider making a list of goals together at the very beginning of the ensemble's creation (and keep updating it every few months or so!). These are the goals for the ensemble and each member needs to give it a stamp of approval.
3) Do things together! Your time spent together doesn't have to be limited to being in a windowless practice room. One thing to remember is that musicians often forget that one's opinion of another, as a person, is much different from their opinion of that person as a musician. The two should not be linked. By doing fun things together (go out to dinner, take a road-trip unrelated to a music tour, etc.), you'll learn so much more about the other members of your ensemble.
4) Have an Exit Strategy: Sounds like a business plan, eh? A chamber ensemble is kind of like a business in that respect. There's nothing worse than being at the end of a business' life and then trying to figure out how to make the break up as cleanly as possible. Who takes charge of certain aspects of the break up (money, clients, etc.)? These are important details that if dealt with when there are no hard feelings will make the split much less painful later. But that's not going to happen anyways, right?
For anyone interested in seeing how one famous string quartet managed to stay together for over 30 years in its original configuration, I highly recommend "Indivisible by Four: A String Quartet in Pursuit of Harmony" by Arnold Steinhardt. It tells the story of the Guarneri String Quartet and all of its ups and downs and how even so they still persevered. It's a great read for everyone who has to work with anyone, not just musicians. It proves that teamwork can go a long way.
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