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More than a piece of furniture: it is sometimes as if these old pianos have souls

While restructuring a collection of historical keyboard instruments at the ANU School of Music, I’ve been led to ponder the mysterious significance that pianos can have in the human psyche. Due to limitations of space and funds for maintenance, a decision was made to limit the university’s collection to the most valuable instruments. “Value” was considered on the basis of an instrument’s historical uniqueness, its practical utility for research and overall condition. Yet “value”, as we know, can be understood in different ways. <h2>Vehicles for musical expression</h2> Pianos still proliferate in music schools, despite predictions about the decline of acoustic music. Instruments that are used day-to-day need to be relatively new and in excellent working order. Given the rate at which they are played in busy schools, they are typically replaced every 10 to 15 years. Many pianists view pianos like tools, as vehicles for musical expression. Like a driver searching for a faster car, less responsive models can be dispensed with little thought. Unlike an immaculately handcrafted violin from the 17th century, the sound of a piano typically does not improve with age. Yet there is much that a piano student can learn from older instruments. Our collection includes a French piano built around 1770, and it can still sing if gently coaxed. As my fingers negotiate the uneven and primitive collection of levers, shafts and felts that comprise its inner action, I wonder how many musicians long-departed have listened to its voice. It is a sad fact, though, that homes can be hard to find for old pianos, especially uprights. While grand pianos still signify status, and square pianos have a curiosity value (also doubling as small tables), upright pianos of the Victorian era are now unloved. According to a local piano removal company, two to three upright pianos from this period can be delivered to landfill in any week. Partly, this is due to their ubiquity in earlier generations. It used to be the case that every home had an old piano, often passed down through family lines. Frequently of German origin and built on massive solid frames, these instruments are not timeless. Their mechanisms wear out, their felts become infested and their tuning blocks lose structural integrity. They can no longer hold their tune. If you paid to restore one, the sum would be greater than the cheap new instrument which would always outperform it. The worst thing to do would be to buy a dilapidated piano for a budding student, who might presume the clunking responses to be a sign of talent-less activity. Yet it is sometimes as if these old pianos have souls. It tugs at the heartstrings to see an instrument that has weathered over a century of faithful service get carted to the tip, or “piano heaven” as insiders say. Often there are rich memories, such as when grandma played and the family gathered around in song. <h2>Members of the family</h2> The inner connections people make with musical instruments are widely known. Indeed, pianos can seem like members of a family to some. How do we account for this unusual anthropomorphism? I was recently touched by a story of an elderly lady, an exceptionally fine pianist and teacher in her day. She had purchased a large grand piano of Viennese design, a concert instrument of the highest order, but was now at the point of moving to residential care. Of all the considerations that beset her family at this difficult time, finding a “home” for the instrument was of the highest concern. It was more than just a piano: it was a living part of her life. In another instance, I was asked to help rehouse an upright piano. Shiny, relatively new and still receptive to many hours of rigorous playing, the piano’s owner was happy to give it away. But not to just anyone – it needed to be the right person. “I will always be grateful for the beautiful black piano that became a vehicle not only for my lifetime wish to learn to play, but also to make music with my son”, she wrote. “My longing to make music with him was fulfilled before he finished school and left home.” It’s easy to see why pianos are often more than a piece of furniture. They can embody the dreams and memories that propel us through life, sanctifying the moments in which we are united through beauty and art. In a world which seems increasingly weighted toward the quantifiable, the measured, and the physically real, music still can catch us in its sway. Through the process of reordering our collection, one instrument has remained. In all respects, it is neither unique nor outwardly special. Yet it carried a plaque, in loving memory of someone’s mother. Perhaps it’s because her song still resonates within, I’ve made no plan to remove it. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/more-than-a-piece-of-furniture-it-is-sometimes-as-if-these-old-pianos-have-souls-185777" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Music

Excelling as a musician takes practice and requires opportunities – not just lucky genes

What makes talented musicians so good at what they do? There’s plenty of evidence that people can be born that way. Research findings suggest that about <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/jmg.2007.056366">half of musical ability is inherited</a>. Even if that’s true, it doesn’t mean you must have musical talent in your genes to excel on the bass, oboe or drums. And even if you’re fortunate enough to belong to a family that includes musicians, you would still need to study, practice and get expert guidance to play well. As a <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=34DZlUIAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao">music professor and conductor</a>, I’ve seen the role that practice and experience play in propelling musicians toward mastery and success. There are some factors that help a musician get started – and heredity could be one of them. But musical skill is ultimately a complex interplay between <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0022429416680096">lots of practice and high-quality instruction</a>. <h2>The role genes can play</h2> Of course many great musicians, including some who are world famous, are related to other musical stars. Liza Minnelli, the famed actress, singer and dancer, is one of the late entertainer <a href="https://hollywoodlife.com/feature/judy-garland-kids-4728886/">Judy Garland’s three children</a>. <a href="https://people.com/music/jon-batiste-everything-to-know">Jon Batiste</a> – “The Late Show” bandleader, pianist and composer who has won Emmy, Oscar and Golden Globe awards – has at least 25 musicians in his family. Saxophonist Branford, trumpeter Wynton, trombonist Delfeayo and drummer Jason Marsalis are the <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/04/02/825717204/ellis-marsalis-patriarch-of-new-orleans-most-famous-musical-family-has-died">sons of pianist Ellis Marsalis</a>. Singer and pianist <a href="https://www.notablebiographies.com/news/Ge-La/Jones-Norah.html">Norah Jones</a> is the daughter of Indian sitar player <a href="https://www.vogue.in/culture-and-living/content/norah-jones-on-her-relationship-with-pandit-ravi-shankar-september-2020-cover-interview-hope">Ravi Shankar</a>, though Jones had little contact with her renowned father while growing up. Absolute pitch, also known as perfect pitch, is the ability to recognize and name any note you hear anywhere. Researchers have found that it <a href="https://doi.org/10.1086/301704">may be hereditary</a>. But do you need it to be a great musician? Not really. <h2>Most people are born with some musical ability</h2> I define musical ability as the possession of talent or potential – the means to achieve something musical. Then there’s skill, which I define as what you attain by working at it. You need at least some basic musical ability to acquire musical skills. Unless you can hear and discern pitches and rhythms, you can’t reproduce them. But people may overestimate the role of genetics because, with very rare exceptions, <a href="https://www.apa.org/monitor/feb05/absolute">almost everyone can perceive pitches</a> and rhythms. My research regarding children’s musicality suggests measures of singing skills are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/0022429416666054">normally distributed</a> in the population. That is, pitch ability follows a <a href="https://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/bell-curve.asp">bell curve</a>: Most people are average singers. Not many are way below average or excellent. My team’s most recent research suggests that this distribution is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/00224294211032160">true for rhythm</a> in addition to pitch. Not surprisingly, some musical skills are correlated. The more training you have on specific musical skills, the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/00224294211011962">better you’ll test on certain others</a>. This is probably because musical experience enhances other musical abilities. To sum it up, an emerging body of research indicates that practice doesn’t make perfect. But for most people, it helps a lot. <h2>Lessons and practice are essential</h2> What about people who say they they can’t keep a beat? It turns out that they almost always can track a steady beat to music. They just haven’t done it enough. Indeed, the last time I gave a nonbeliever our lab’s test for rhythm perception, she performed excellently. For that and for singing, some people just need <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/21/magazine/how-to-sing-in-tune.html">a little help</a> to move past assumptions they lack talent: You can’t say you’re incapable of something if you haven’t spent time trying. Some researchers and <a href="https://strategiesforinfluence.com/malcolm-gladwell-10000-hour-rule/">journalists have promoted</a> the idea it takes <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.100.3.363">10,000 hours of practice or training to master</a> a new skill. Innate ability puts people at different starting lines toward musical mastery. But once you’ve started to study an instrument or singing style, skill development depends on many other factors. Getting lessons, practicing often and being in a musical family may make those more likely. For example, Lizzo, a hip-hop superstar and classically trained flute player, had the luck to <a href="https://www.thefamouspeople.com/profiles/lizzo-44986.php">grow up in family of music lovers</a>. They all had their own taste in music. Her success is a microcosm of why a well-rounded musical education for young people matters. The singers in the choir I lead at Penn State have a range of experience, from a little to a lot. Yet soon after they join it, they develop the ability to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/87551233211040726">pick a good key and starting pitch</a> as they get to know their own voices. Practicing more doesn’t change your baseline potential, it just changes what you can presently do. That is, if you practice a specific song over and over again, eventually you’re going to get better at it. Jonathon Heyward, the Baltimore Symphony’s new conductor, who has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/21/arts/music/jonathon-heyward-baltimore-symphony-orchestra.html">no musicians in his family</a>, has worked really hard to excel. He started taking cello lessons at age 10 and hasn’t stopped since, playing and practicing and studying. <h2>Privilege can play a role</h2> Socioeconomic factors can also enter the equation. While conducting research, I’ve seen high-income college students from high-income families, with more years of musical experience, perform better than their classmates who have lower-income backgrounds and had fewer opportunities. Genes can give someone a head start. At the same time, having a quiet space where you can practice on an acoustic instrument or a digital workstation might make a more decisive difference for the musical prospects of most children. The same goes for having money for private lessons or access to free classes. Even so, many of the best musicians, including jazz greats <a href="https://www.louisarmstronghouse.org/biography/">Louis Armstrong</a> and <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/billie-holiday-about-the-singer/68/">Billie Holiday</a>, grew up facing many hardships. With the right conditions for practice and gaining experience, who knows where the next Liza or Lizzo will come from. Image credits: Getty Images This article originally appeared on <a href="https://theconversation.com/excelling-as-a-musician-takes-practice-and-requires-opportunities-not-just-lucky-genes-186693" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Conversation</a>.

Music

Cry-olin: musical instruments convey human emotion by mimicking speech

<div> <div class="copy"> Singers can convey a lot of emotion in the tone of their voices: a trembling sound might denote sadness, and a voice can also “smile”. But new research shows that non-vocal instruments can also use these tricks to convey emotion. Described in a paper <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rstb.2020.0396" target="_blank">published</a> in Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, a team of French researchers have identified three different vocal manipulations that convey similar emotions in instrumental music. The researchers, who are based at Sorbonne Université, France, used computer models to simulate three different vocal inflections that are associated with emotions. These manipulations were: <ol type="1"> <li>Smiling, which “modifies the shape and length of the vocal tract, shifting its resonating frequencies” according to the researchers’ paper</li> <li>Vocal tremor, which is associated with anxiety and negative emotions, and</li> <li>Vocal roughness, which is associated with screams</li> </ol> The researchers then digitally applied these inflections to music tracks that contained either solo singing, singing with a musical accompaniment, or violin with a musical accompaniment. They played these tracks to 60 people (29 of whom were musicians and 31 of whom had no formal musical practice), and asked them to rate the emotional intensity of each sound. Both the musician and non-musician participants identified the emotions the researchers were hoping to convey, in both the vocal and non-vocal tracks. “Even violins can cry, or at least sound more positive and aroused when smiling, more negative and less aroused when trembling, and more negative when screaming,” write the researchers in their paper. They add that this study adds further evidence to the idea that music can trigger emotional reactions by copying expressive voice inflections. However, the researchers also stress that this isn’t necessarily the only way that people read the feelings of music, saying there are likely other cognitive and cultural factors at play. “It is now important to understand how these mechanisms interact with each other to shape our emotional musical experiences,” write the authors. Image credits: Shutterstock  <img id="cosmos-post-tracker" style="opacity: 0; height: 1px!important; width: 1px!important; border: 0!important; position: absolute!important; z-index: -1!important;" src="https://syndication.cosmosmagazine.com/?id=171340&title=Cry-olin%3A+musical+instruments+convey+human+emotion+by+mimicking+speech" alt="" width="1" height="1" />  </div> <div id="contributors"> This article was originally published on <a rel="noopener" href="https://cosmosmagazine.com/people/social-sciences/musical-instruments-can-mimic-speech/" target="_blank">cosmosmagazine.com</a> and was written by Ellen Phiddian. </div> </div>

Music

Why teaching music in schools is so instrumental

A variety of campaigns have highlighted the importance that musical education has in learning. The powerful 2018 ABC documentary called Don’t Stop The Music followed one school’s journey as it introduced a large scale school band with the help of the Salvation Army. However, the most compelling body of research comes from a seminal study that was conducted by Professor Brian Caldwell and Dr Tanya Caughan. They found that student engagement, learning outcomes and social wellbeing are all improved by the introduction of teaching artists in schools. Anthony Mackay AM is deputy chancellor of Swinburne University and chair of The Song Room. He has a few suggestions as to how music can remain important within society. “One practical solution involves sending specialist music teachers into classrooms to help generalist teachers. This enables teachers to blend professional learning into their daily schedule rather than having to find time outside classroom hours,” he told <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/education/music-education-neglected-but-instrumental-20190308-p512q4.html">The Daily Telegraph</a>. “Providing greater access to arts learning resources such as videos, lesson plans and instructions is another effective way of helping teachers. When these resources are designed to be adapted to particular skill levels, it enables teachers to build their capabilities with confidence. “Encouragingly, a number of government authorities have recently committed funding to music education, recognising it is as an effective way to help students academically and socially.” Mackay also highlighted the organisation that he chairs, which is The Song Room, and how it’s working with the Victorian Department of Education and Training to alleviate the lack of music in schools. The Song Room is providing music education mentoring programs in 80 government schools over this semester alone.

Music

You have to hear this orchestra using vegetables as instruments

Carrot, capsicum, zucchini, pumpkin… No, we’re not listing stir-fry ingredients, but rather instruments! Yes, there’s an actual orchestra whose members sell out shows performing music with humble veg. Das erste Wiener Gemüseorchester, or The First Vienna Vegetable Orchestra to us non-German speakers, is an Austrian group of musicians, artists, writers and sound poets founded in 1998. They use everything from artichoke to zucchini to create some of the most unique instruments you’ll ever hear – and you might be surprised to find out just how good they sound. “A pumpkin works very well on its own as a bass drum, and you can make all sorts of instruments – like flutes, recorders and xylophones – from carrots,” orchestra member Jörg Piringer told <a href="https://www.citylab.com/life/2016/09/vegetable-orchestra/502256/" target="_blank">CityLab</a>. “Rub two leeks together like they were a violin and a bow, and you get a sort of squeak that can be really very loud. Onion skins rubbed together also make a nice maraca-like rustle.” See how they find the right veggies and have a listen to the final product below! <iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/hpfYt7vRHuY" frameborder="0" gesture="media" allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen=""></iframe> Image credit: The Vegetable Orchestra/Facebook.

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More than a piece of furniture: it is sometimes as if these old pianos have souls

Excelling as a musician takes practice and requires opportunities – not just lucky genes

Cry-olin: musical instruments convey human emotion by mimicking speech

Why teaching music in schools is so instrumental

You have to hear this orchestra using vegetables as instruments

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