MENC: The National Association for Music Education

A Path to the Elusive Aesthetic Experience

Author(s): Joseph Bassin
Source: Music Educators Journal, Vol. 77, No. 6 (Feb., 1991), pp. 38-40
Published by: Sage Publications, Inc. on behalf of MENC: The National Association for
Music Education
Stable URL: https://www.jstor.org/stable/3398212
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 A Path to the Elusive
Aesthetic Experience

.. i;- by Joseph Bassin

How can music educators

share the essence of mu-
sic-the aesthetic experi-
ence-with their students?
Joseph Bassin offers some
ideas for encouraging deeper
understanding in music
classrooms.
tograph by Linda Rutledge

O ne of the challenges that mu- to lead a student to the enrichment between the art object and specta-
sic educators face is the difficult offered by the study of aesthetics. tor. One of the most significant
task of transmitting aesthetic expe- Rather than embrace technical in- concepts we can teach our students
riences to young musicians. Much formation and terminologies, we is that music is neither haphazard
as we would like to lead our stu- must filter out excessive complex- nor casual; therefore, it must never
dents to the beauty and magic of ities and uncertainties. In doing so, be taken lightly. Music as art must
music as art, the complexity of we find that there is one basic never be used as background for
traditional aesthetics is far beyond principle that, if properly under- other activities or events, nor
the scope of most students. Even stood and pursued, will enable stu- mixed and matched in a potpourri
professional musicians and teach- dents to experience the beauty of of educational activities. Experi-
ers can be overwhelmed by the music. In a sense, we push aside encing a piece of art involves more
various positions taken by aesthet- the distracting complexities in fa- than merely becoming aware of it.
ic theoreticians, which are often vor of one enlightening essential There must be a significant encoun-
disguised in barely comprehensible that will bring the mysterious art ter between the art object and a
terminology and distinctions that experience within our students' spectator. What a student must do
are extremely complex or even grasp. And this simple and vital to experience meaning in a piece of
contradictory. These theories are principle of the aesthetic encounter music is to focus on this encounter
inappropriate as the focus of atten- can be both taught and practiced in the most basic way: he or she
tion for the average public school easily and effectively, opening a must actively listen. Alert, aggres-
music class. world of musical meaning and aes- sive, open-minded listening, where
There is, however, a simple way thetic understanding to many stu- the student consciously pursues
dents. the music, is the key; no piece of
art can exist as art if not actively
Joseph Bassin is chairman of the music
theory department at New York's Man-Encountering music perceived by an attentive specta-
hattan School of Music, Preparatory The key to the aesthetic experi- tor.
Division, and teaches music in Chat- ence is this: there must be a rela- As teachers, we have opportuni-
ham, New Jersey. tionship-an actual interaction- ties to enlighten students every

38 MEJ/February '91

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day. Any lesson, ensemble re- softly and listen to the featured There is a point, however, when
hearsal, or performance class is a "solo," they are gaining listening the art object rises above this
perfect forum. Basically, we must sensitivity-hearing new lines, col- "thingliness" to become more than
direct the students' attention to- ors, and relationships. They will the color, or the wood, or the
ward encountering the music rather experience an increased musical stone, or the metal, just as sounds
than diverting their attention by perspective, hearing and concen- become more than simply the vi-
concentrating solely on technique. trating on parts of which they were brations of an oboe-a tone, a cre-
Discuss the effect of a particular not previously aware. The idea is scendo, or an allegro. This is the
crescendo that has been rehearsed. to develop the ability to concen- moment when aesthetic meaning
Have the musicians listen closely trate on listening. occurs, where the splotches of
and feel its power. A held common paint becomes art, the organized
tone can be the cement of harmonic Substance and spirit sound becomes music, the carved
movement in a musical work. Point One of the classic aesthetic ques- stone becomes sculpture. That
this out and let students focus on tions is "What happens to the artis- point occurs when the art object is
the weaving harmonies. tic meaning of a painting in a muse- perceived-looked at or listened
One excellent exercise is this: in um at night in an unlit gallery, to-by an attentive spectator who
rehearsal, omit something from the when no one looks at it, or when it is actively seeking the aesthetic
original score, then add it back. In is dusted or inventoried by work- experience.
a band class, omit the sustained A single tone or a symphony of
ers?" Consider the examples of a
middle harmonies in the trom- pedestrian shuffling past Madison tones are just physical vibrations
bones, for example, and have stu- Avenue galleries, barely noticing until they are received and translat-
dents listen to the altered passage.
masterworks staring out the front ed. It is through attention to the
Now add back the original part and windows, or Beethoven quartets components of the composition
have them listen again. Ask stu- being played to a crowd of shop- that one seeks the aesthetic experi-
dents which version they think is pers as they meander through a ence. The one aspect that will
better. Omit a crescendo, then add mall. Are these unnoticed paintings"make it music" for the listener is
it back. Omit accents, legato phras- and pieces of music still "art," or his or her focused cognition. The
ings, cymbal crashes, bass lines. are they merely collections of ma- responsibility is clearly the specta-
Add them back and play the seg- terials or vibrations-paints, wood, tors'.
ment again. Ask students which canvas, chemicals, or sounds-that
version is more powerful, cleaner, are waiting to be perceived and Some specific activities
more effective, or more graceful, recognized as art? The interesting Any general music or music his-
and see that students experience aesthetic questions are "When do tory, theory, or appreciation class
and understand the differences. Of the splotches of color on a canvas represents a perfect opportunity
course, it doesn't matter what yourbecome a painting?" or "When do for such absorption. Here are two
young musicians absorb about mu- organized sounds become music?" specific exercises you can use.
sical meaning, and there are no Martin Heidegger talks about the Play different recordings of the
right or wrong answers. All that "thingly character" that all works same work or of some of its main
matters is that students are actively have-that all art is made of sub- passages. Have the class listen
perceiving. You are teaching them stances. He notes that there is carefully. Ask the students ques-
to listen. This is very effective in a "something stoney in a work of tions such as: Which is more ener-
woodwind- or brass-ensemble re- architecture, wooden in a carving, getic? In which one do the winds
hearsal, where the small size of the colored in a painting, and... sound cleaner? Where are the brass
group creates a productive listen- sonorous in a musical composi- more brilliant? How about the
ing environment. tion." Pictures hang on a wall "like shaping of a phrase, or the purity o
You can also have an elementary a rifle or a hat." Works of art are a soloist's tone? In which version is
instrumentalist gain listening sensi- shipped from one exhibition to an- the tension-relaxation quality more
tivity to the pulse of 2, for example, other "like coal," and Beethoven's pronounced? Pose questions that
by accenting the first beat in each quartets at one time "lie in the require your students to listen to
measure in the song "Twinkle, storerooms of the publishing house something specific. Never inhibit
Twinkle, Little Star." Now omit like potatoes in a cellar."' their listening by giving reading or
the accents. Do the students notice Susanne Langer notes that artis- writing tasks while a piece is being
any difference? tic images are created out of things played.
Another beneficial band activity "that are not imaginal, but quite A second exercise is to draw
is to have a volunteer musician, realistic-canvas or paper, and students' attention to new parts of
perhaps on second trumpet, stand paints or carbon or ink."2 The ba-a familiar piece. Play a recording of
and play his or her regular part withsic "thingliness" is that all art and a work, such as a pop song, that the
the band as if he or she were the music is made of substance and students have heard many times.
soloist. As the other students play sound (or the absence of sound). Many songs are beautifully pro-

MEJ/February '91 39

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^O ne of the most significant
concepts we can teach
our students is that music
is neither haphazard
nor casual; it must
never be taken lightly.
duced and contain interesting musi-
cal parts and backgrounds that
most youngsters overlook. Point
out a particular background, per-
haps a vocal harmony or a string
obbligato that the students have
probably not paid attention to be-
fore. When they listen again and
focus on that part, they will be
developing concentration and lis-
tening skills.
The major caveat is this: never
divert the students' attention from
the music-always direct it specifi-
cally at the piece. Don't have the
students read a magazine or ency-
clopedia article about Mozart while
you play the overture to Don Gio-
vanni in class; and certainly don't
ask them to answer a set of ques-
tions about the article during, for
example, a soprano aria. A better
lesson plan is this: Rather than
handing out the article and ques-
tion sheet at the beginning of class,
have the students clear their work
areas. Direct them to listen to the
overture or part of the overture.
Then perhaps, after one listening,
draw their attention to a particular
bass line, a gorgeous melodic line,
or an exciting crescendo. Now re-
listen to that part. Ask questions
that can only be answered by care-
ful listening. Was it fast, smooth,
choppy, or agitated? Who had the
melody after the flutes? Did the musical experiences are being sub- 46.
timpani play with the winds or the jected to a dire educational injus- 3. Langer,
brass? Of course, students will
have some correct and some incor-
rect responses, but answers don't
count-active listening does. Fo-
40 MEJ/February '91
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cus their attention, don't divert it. peated listening. . . . You get
Then assign the article for home- struck again, and deeper the sec-
work; it will have added meaning ond time than the first."5 With a
and value. piece of music, we don't judge or
relish or classify or decide. We
A special occasion don't paint to it, draw to it, read,
A piece of art or music is never a relax, or do homework to it. We
thing; it is always an dccasion. It listen, experience, and actively
must never be casual; it must al- concentrate by focused attention
ways be considered-never inci- on those aspects of the music that
dental, always intentional. Above are within our grasp. The goal is
all, it is an opportunity for the never anything less than to get
highest kind of object-spectator in-struck deeper at each encounter by
teraction. experiencing each encounter.
Langer argues that the structures
of music bear close resemblance to Focusing on the music
feelings and should be more a re- In that respect, the quality of the
flection of emotion than simple listener's musical experience de-
stimulation. Music is not supposed pends on the quality of the listen-
to just soothe our senses, ease our er's desire and ability to focus on
nerves, or be tuneful, catchy, or the music. The listener must hunt
otherwise be "pleasing [to] our for the awakening and actively pur-
ears as well-combined foods please sue the encounter. The answer to
our palates."3 If mere stimulation perhaps the most perplexing and
were the essence of the musical elusive of all musical questions, the
experience, music "might be high- one regarding the search for mean-
ly popular, but never culturally im- ing and aesthetic realization, be-
portant. Its historic development gins with the simplest, most obvi-
would be too trivial a subject to ous, most basic of all musical im-
engage many people in its lifelong peratives. Listen-just plain listen.
study ... music conservatories
would be properly rated exactly Notes
like cooking schools."4 1. Martin Heidegger, Poetry, Language,
Students who are misled into be- Thought, trans. Albert Hofstadter (New
York: Harper and Row, 1975), 17-20.
lieving that casual, nonpurposeful
2. Susanne K. Langer, Feeling and Form: A
encounters with music are actual Theory of Art (New York: Scribner, 1953),
28.
tice. "Good music," notes com- 4. Langer, 28.
5. Cole Gagne and Tracy Caras, Sound-
poser and conductor Lukas Foss, pieces: Interviews with Americat, Compos-
"is based on the idea that you can ers (Metuchen, NJ: Scarecrow Press, 1982),
find something new in it upon re- 200. a
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