How would you describe your best music teacher?
Uri Caine, interviewed on 'In Tune' yesterday, was commenting on one of his teachers - the still-very-much-alive George Crumb. The 'maverick' American composer, as the interviewer described him. Various thoughts flashed through my prejudiced mind at the word 'maverick', but Caine's description was enlightening, and unexpected. 'He was a very nice teacher...a very gentle and giving, generous teacher, who also really could play the piano very well...so a lot of my lessons we just played 4-hands music and really had a good time.'
In a nutshell, that description captures Crumb's attitude and mien, his instrumental skill, his engagement with a student through making music together, therefore teaching by musical osmosis as well as by words, and his expanding the repertoire for exploration beyond solo pieces, resulting in enjoyment for both of them. Win-win. That's a pretty impressive list of positive attributes.
Thinking back to my own teachers who had the same skills, the extra feature they had in common was a superb sense of timing. Now I don't mean pulse and rhythm, though they had those as well - but the ability instinctively to know when to demand and push, and when to go easy and wait a bit, almost like a personally tailored, guiding rubato while in charge of a young musician's growth and journey. And they all knew when to let go, with words to the effect of, 'I've done what I can for you, time for someone else now'; or even, 'Now you're on your own; you're ready.'
I guess we unconsciously embody the best bits of all our teachers, avoiding the worst, and adding our own personality to the brew. It's hard to evaluate one's own teaching, and perhaps better not to try too hard, lest one become too focused on oneself rather than on the music and the pupil.
But a glowing testimonial such as Caine's for George Crumb is one to consider, and a benchmark for measurement. I won't dwell on it, though. Just pass me the duets...
