Chamber Music Madness

Jamala Henderson
03/21/2006

Picture This: You're A Professional Musician, And You've Just Landed A Gig, Tonight. If You're Unfamiliar With The Music, Getting Through The Performance Could Rest On How Well You Play The Notes And Rhythms, With Very Little Practice. It’s Called Sight Reading. In Seattle There’s A Workshop Teaching Young String Players The Skills To Do Just That. Chamber Music Madness Is Holding Its Its 6th Annual Anti Contest/Concert Next Sunday Night. Kuow’s Jamala Henderson Visited The Program And Has This Report.

TRANSCRIPT

FORGET ABOUT MARCH MADNESS, IN SEATTLE THERE’S CHAMBER MUSIC MADNESS. IT’S LAID BACK, NON-COMPETITIVE, AND FOR PROGRAM FOUNDER KAREN IGLITZIN A LITTLE CHAOTIC AT TIMES.

Iglitzin: "Alright so, I’m going to hit two groups this hour. "

SEVERAL TIMES A MONTH SHE GATHERS KIDS AT WEDGWOOD’S COMMUNITY CHURCH TO PLAY CLASSICAL MUSIC THEY'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE. MUSIC RANGING FROM MOZART…(MUSIC) TO SHOSTAKOVICH.   (MUSIC)

Iglitzin: "I think this is quite rare, and I was actually in fear of being arrested by the music police.

IN THE BEGINNING, IGLITZIN WAS SKEPTICAL A WORKSHOP DEVOTED TO SIGHT READING WOULD ACTUALLY WORK.

Iglitzin: "Because, I mean who ever heard of a classical music program without a concert?   It’s just weird and it kinda took people a while to get their heads around it.

BUT KAREN SAYS CHAMBER MUSIC MADNESS ISN’T ABOUT POLISHING AND REFINING FOR PERFORMANCE. SHE WANTED TO INSPIRE MUSICAL CREATIVITY IN YOUNG STRING PLAYERS, AND TEACH WHAT SHE CALLS, THE 'SURVIVAL SKILLS' NEEDED TO TACKLE ANY MUSIC THROWN THEIR WAY.

Iglizin: "okay let’s start from beginning and try to get the Mozart's spirit into the room, its not about you guys trying to sound good." Fades

MOST STUDENTS DISCOVER THE PROGRAM THROUGH WORD OF MOUTH, AND AUDITIONS TAKE PLACE WHENEVER SOMEONE WANTS TO JOIN. THE ONLY REQUIREMENTS; ABOUT TWO YEARS OF PLAYING EXPERIENCE, AND THE ABILITY TO READ MUSIC.

SOME KIDS, AND THEIR PARENTS, DRIVE FOR HOURS TO PARTICIPATE. THEY COME FROM BELLINGHAM, OLYMPIA, PORT TOWNSEND, FERNDALE AND BEYOND. 17 YEAR-OLD VIOLINIST LISA KIM HAS BEEN WITH PROGRAM SO LONG, SHE BEGAN TEACHING KAREN'S MADNESS PHILOSOPHY TO ENTRY LEVEL PLAYERS.

Kim: "She really wants to just bring the joy out of playing chamber music, as opposed to like being competitive, and like you know get exactly every note. And Karen's just, you all the coaches, Karen, Irv and Leslie, they're just wonderful coaches, you know they bring new ideas and I'm like oh, yeah, I get it, and it just sticks to you for a long time. And I just try to give the same kind of feed back to the younger kids."

SO, JUST HOW DOES A YOUNG MUSICIAN 'SURVIVE' WHILE PLAYING A PIECE OF MUSIC THEY'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE?

Iglitzin: "one of the skills that we emphasis is eye contact. Even when they're sight reading, at the madness and so, what you want me to look up from my music, I just got my music. Well yeah, you better get used to it, because you're playing with a group and you wanna communicate."

OTHER TOOLS INCLUDE PAYING ATTENTION TO MUSICAL MARKINGS LIKE FAST SLOW, SOFT OR LOUD, AND WAYS TO KEEP THE GROUP FROM FALLING APART. ALL THAT MUSICAL MULTITASKING COULD LEAVE ONE'S HEAD SPINNING BUT THE KIDS SEEM TO TAKE IT IN STRIDE. 16 YEAR OLD KATIE WILLIAMS HAS PLAYED VIOLIN AND VIOLA IN THE PROGRAM.  SHE SAYS BEFORE MADNESS, SHE HAD TROUBLE COUNTING AND DECIPHERING RHYTHMS WHILE PLAYING.

Williams: "Yeah and I played in my local symphony too and it was like, you know I could never be concert master because they couldn't count on me to do my rhythms, but after that it was like, you know, it helped because I could be more of a leader, instead of just a follower."

THAT'S KATIE'S GROUP PLAYING THROUGH A SLOW MOVEMENT OF A STRING QUARTET BY EDVARD GRIEG. AT THE END OF EACH MADNESS SESSION, THE PARENTS ARE TREATED TO A SIGHT-READING DEMONSTRATION.  THE KIDS GET ONE HOUR TO LOOK AT THE MUSIC, THEN IT’S SHOWTIME. AGAIN, KATIE WILLIAMS.

Williams: "I've seen that you can just have a lot of fun with music, especially while you're performing. It just, has really helped me loosen up while I'm performing, and get rid of my stage nerves so I have fun while I'm performing, and I can convey that to the audience."

IN ADDITION TO PASSING ALONG CONFIDENCE AND A LOVE OF PERFORMING, KAREN IGLITZIN ALSO HOPES HER STUDENTS WILL CONTINUE TO APPRECIATE THEIR CRAFT WELL INTO THEIR ADULT YEARS, REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY BECOME PROFESSIONALS. SHE IMAGINES A WORLD POPULATED WITH EDUCATED, INSPIRED MUSICIANS.

Karen:   "Musicians who are not just attending concerts but are playing and having fun, as bad as they can sound or ass good as  they can sound. Just continuing to delve into the music at whatever age, have the friendship and community that just enriches the whole experience."

Jamala Henderson KUOW news © Copyright 2006, KUOW.