Say you need a new shelf in your kitchen. You buy the wood, the brackets and the screws. You go into your shed or your garage. You measure. You cut the wood into the length and width you need. You shape it. It looks great! But is it done?
No, because you haven’t yet sanded it or varnished it!
So you do that, and you give the varnish time to dry. Perhaps you even give it another coat, rubbing it down in between. You get a lovely, professional finish! So now is it done?
No, because it’s still in your shed! You need to drill some holes in the kitchen wall (measure carefully!), put in the plugs, then screw the brackets to the wall. Then you can fix your beautifully varnished shelf to the brackets. And now is it done?
YES!!!
You have a lovely new kitchen shelf and you can arrange your pots, or your spices, or your tins of beans on it. Voilà! Job done!
But how about if you’re reading a book? Well, that’s easy! You’re done when you get to the end. Book’s finished; job’s done.
And… if you’re cooking the dinner? You prepare the vegetables and all the ingredients, you cook it on the hob or in the oven for the correct amount of time, and hungry people are sitting around the table. But again, it’s obvious. You’re done when you serve the dinner. Everyone says it’s tasty and delicious. Just like with the kitchen shelf, you feel a sense of achievement. Job done!
Now, how about learning a piece of music? When are you “done”? Is it when you can play all the notes (in the right order!)? Is it when you’ve mastered the pedalling and the dynamics? Is it when you can play it up to speed (whatever that means!) Or is it when you perform the piece in your exam, or a school concert, or at our annual Showcase? Perhaps you’re “done” when I tell you to add the piece to your “Repertoire” list. That usually means we won’t be spending any more lesson time on it.
There’s a school of thought which says you’re never “done” with learning a piece of music; there’s always more. And, even if you think you’ve covered everything, is your interpretation as good as it could be? Can you make the music even more expressive, or give different emphasis to different notes? How close are you to realising the composer’s intentions?
The same is true of many creative arts. Is that painting perfect? Is that dramatic performance everything it could be? Does it matter if your opinion disagrees with mine? Anyway, surely the final result is a messy mixture of the composer’s intentions and the performer’s personality? Can the performer bring something to the music which the composer themselves hadn’t seen or understood?
No two performances are ever the same, even by the same person. Is there a definitive one though? And, if you get to it, are you, finally, “done”?
Answers on a postcard please!
Road closure
If you come to my house for your lessons, you’ll know that you can’t get into Brundall from the roundabout. You have to go through Blofield. Take the Blofield turning off the McDonald’s roundabout and drive down the hill and then up again to the traffic lights with the King’s Head on the corner. Turn right at the traffic lights. Follow the road all the way to the mini-roundabout and then turn right. This will bring you through Brundall. Turn right just past Brundall Church into St Laurence Avenue, and then right again into Brigham Close. Yes, you’ve gone round in a circle, but it’s not too bad once you get used to it!
It’s only the way into Brundall that’s blocked at the McDonald’s roundabout, though. You can go out of Brundall the usual way.
My letter from eSmart Networks (who are “delivering your electrification plans with certainty”) says these works will finish on 20th May. Let’s hope so.
Free Book!
Most of you know that I write historical fiction. I currently have nine books published, both as paperbacks and as ebooks (no audio yet, sadly). From Monday 11th May until Friday 15th May inclusive, the ebook of Book 1 in the series is free on Amazon! Book 1 is called The Box of Death. This ebook would make a good present for yourself or someone else, and you don’t even have to spend any money! The series is called Tales of Castle Rory, and I describe it as a Medieval saga of love, legacy and sacrifice. The books are adult fiction, but suitable for teenagers too. Do give it a go! If you enjoy The Box of Death, there are another eight books waiting for you! I’d love to know what you think of the series.
You can find all my books here.
So now – are you “done”?
No, because you never will be, not where music is concerned. Which means it was a stupid question to ask in the first place. The fact that every performance, every interpretation and every act of creativity is different from any other, means it’s impossible to achieve perfection, or even to define it. Your playing will never be perfect. Isn’t that a huge relief? If it can’t be done, you can stop worrying about it!
Humoresque, however, for this week at least, is – drumroll! – done!
I’d love to know what you think of this Humoresque. You can put a comment in the box below this post, or you can email me directly. I read and respond to everything.
Humoresque is available to anyone who might be interested. You don’t have to be one of my pupils, or even learning music. If you know anyone who might be interested in subscribing to Humoresque, please let me know. I will only need their name and their email address. Thanks.
Humoresque = a whimsical or fanciful piece of music. Be whimsical, be fanciful, but play in time!
This is Humoresque Number 18