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TEACHING
EXPERIENCE
Since 1989 I have been active as a teacher, passing
on my experience and skills in a wholistic and dedicated manner to
individuals and groups in various settings.
In
1994 I was the Teacher's Aid for a class in North Indian music, employed through
the Third Stream Department of New England Conservatory, Boston,
USA.
In 1996 I commenced part-time University lecturing at the Queensland Conservatorium
of Music, Australia, teaching a self-designed ear training course and electric
bass. In the same year I also took on regular employment in St.Josephs
High School's
music department.
In 1997 I commenced full-time employment as Jazz Department
Coordinator at the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University, teaching
ear training, theory, bass, trombone, ensemble, improvisation, Indian music,
songwriting/arranging, performance presentation, and assuming administrative
responsibilities. In 2000
I was tenured into this position. For a list and description of University
music courses that I have designed and delivered, visit my University
Courses page.
In mid-2002 I left the Conservatorium
in order to pursue a diverse range of performing and teaching experiences
overseas. From 2002-5 I was based in Los Angeles, California
and taught at centers such as Bang
a Drum. During this period I also spent 2 months in Tokyo, Japan researching
my bass book and performing. From 2005-6 I was based in Boston, Massachusetts
and taught out of my home studio
and also
at
Brookline
Music
School.
After 4 years overseas I am now based back in Australia, settling in Melbourne
and re-establishing my teaching both privately and at the Box Hill Institute
of TAFE.
TEACHING
PHILOSOPHY
At
the heart of education is the word "educe", which means an
educator's role is to help the student realize
for themselves their true potential wisdom, skill and knowledge and to
bring it forth into the world. Because music is such a creative act, the
education of
music will always be a challenge that I feel passionate about.
How rewarding it is to witness a student bravely come to terms with
his or her
obstacles
and shortcomings, and to assist them with strategies which are
tailored to their situation and their background. Over time, it becomes
apparent that
the student learns how to be their own teacher, and the teacher learns as much
about act of learning as the student!
When I teach, I teach with the whole of music in mind. Theory, notation, improvisation,
composition, ear-training,
memorization, technique, and historical
considerations are a few of the facets that are taken into consideration in
such a wholistic approach.
DISCIPLINES /
AREAS OF TEACHING OFFERED
I am happy
to offer individual lessons, classes, workshops and lectures in the following
areas of music. For more information click the links:
TEACHING MATERIALS
AVAILABLE
There are a number of
articles I have written which may be of help to the music student. Feel free
to download them. All I ask is for acknowledgement if you copy or distribute
them, with
this
web
site referenced as the source. My text book Bass
Riyaz is quite a resource for bassists and non-bassists alike. I also
have a transcription page which may be of interest. Please enjoy the following
articles:
Important Rules for Correct Practice (Maurice Hinson)
Why Incorporate Improvisation Into Teaching?
Introduction to Tabla and North Indian Rhythm
Introduction to the Theory of Time: an Indian/Western comparison
"Switch Blade" (Duke Ellington): a Spectrographic Analysis
Resumes,
Biographies and CV's defined 
LESSON CONDITIONS
If you are
interested in going ahead with a lesson please download my lesson
conditions document.
This article is published in Bass Riyaz
What is Practice?
Ironically, rule number one is this: There are no rules! Nobody can tell you
exactly how to practice, and people will have different views on exactly what
practice “is”. Having said that though, I have found certain fundamentals
to be of importance to many people whom I respect for their achievements in music
and their ongoing dedication to pursuit of excellence. I will outline these fundamentals
below, but first I would like to define practice in the way I see it.
Practice is the act of self-teaching, with the aim of developing oneself.
Practice
applies the sum total of your experiences and your whole Being.
The riyaz perspective of practice recognizes that it draws upon your entire experience
as a musician and a person, and consequently involves your whole Being. This
includes your aural, tactile/physical, visual, and mental senses/skills. The
best practice is a coordinated activity involving mind, emotions, body and spirit.
The self-teaching aspect means that the activation of these parts of your Being
all create sensations which feedback to each other, and in monitoring these,
you are able to direct the activity toward an intended, desirable result.
Music students over the centuries have always enlisted the services of a teacher
to aid them in their improvement. Learning how to practice is learning how to
be your own teacher, which means that a certain level of objectivity is attained
whether you are in the presence of a mentor or not. The best teachers become
guides as the student advances, setting up challenges, setting up discoveries
on their pathway, monitoring progress, and sometimes holding a mirror up to the
student in order to allow for self-realization. In this way, a good teacher is
a truly remarkable mentor who may well admit that the teaching process allows
them to learn almost as much as their advanced students! Practice means striving
to be your own teacher.
If there were a single indispensable ingredient that made good practice or riyaz
for me, it would have to be this: coordination. And the glue that holds the various
faculties together in the learning process is concentration.
The Four Faculties
There are four faculties that are involved in the practice and learning
of music. Quality practice involves a healthy awareness and employment
of each.
1. Kinesthetic faculties.
Motor skills are typically the focus of most people’s practice. They are
also what most people teach, simply because they are more tangible and easier
to see, talk and write about. Physical coordination and dexterity is what most
musicians call “technique” or “chops”. Personally, I
regard technique as a conduit, and think little of musicians who can play very
fast, but have developed nothing or little in the other areas.
2. Intellectual faculties.
I believe the brain processes and remembers all the information which it is
fed. The brain works with patterns, and works to recognize and make sense of
the new
information it gathers. Conscious engagement of the analytical mind in order
to understand new concepts and theories is an important practice skill. Written
and verbal analysis works well in conjunction with listening. Again, the brain
works with patterns, and it is patterns of coordination which ultimately form
good or bad habits in music.
3. Aural faculties.
This is the faculty of primary importance when it comes to learning music.
This is the basic premise of the Third Stream pedagogy. (See Ran Blake’s
article “The
Primacy of the Ear” available on-line here and his book of the same name listed in the Bibliography.)
4. Visual faculties.
The eyes are very useful and are naturally the primary receptors for most people.
The success that blind people have in playing music is testament to the fact
that the ears are actually more important.
How Should I Practice?
The fundamentals of a good practice routine include the following:
a) Goal.
People who work with their sights set on nothing special tend to achieve
just that - nothing special. Practice becomes haphazard without some degree
of preconception
about where you want to be, or what you want to achieve.
Visualization is a useful tool which can be an active part of your practice.
With a creative and positive imagination engaged, try to see in your “mind’s
eye” where you see yourself in 1, 2, 5, or 10 years. It’s not enough
to dream “wouldn’t it be nice if I could play like so-and-so...”.
You must perceive what it is that “so-and-so” has, and then convert
this ultimate state into a manageable series of objectives that are at once realistic
and challenging.
Inextricably linked to this is the quest to know who you are. You must know
yourself in order to be able to set your goals, and to choose and pace your
series of
objectives which lead towards them.
It is important to foster an environment that allows you to believe that
your goals are achievable, and to live in one which works in favor of progress
towards
these goals. Environmental considerations which are in your control may include
the people in your band, the job you hold, the school you attend, the house
and city in which you live, and your partner and family members you regularly
spend
time with.
Time spent working towards your goals in your practice routine should be
balanced with time that is free from preplanning. In this “free time” you
are allowed to “just play” - to go with the spontaneity and the mood
of the time. This is explained below in the fundamental called “structure”.
b) Process.
Process is the means, or the manner in which you practice. The process of
practice is as important as the end result. This seems like a great antithesis
to goal-setting,
but they do go hand-in-hand. Some personality types may so much focus on
the end result that the journey is ruined! Practice, like all music-making,
should
be fun and rewarding! For such end-gainers, I recommend making improvements
in the process without conscious concern for the end result as such. The
process used towards a certain end can differ from person to person and from
situation
to situation.
c) Repetition.
As dull as it may sound, a good proportion of practice involves “routine” work
that you do every day. That’s not to say every day’s practice can’t
have its own unique activity, but improvement of aural skill and all the subtleties
of playing a musical instrument happen gradually over time. Music needs regular
repeated attention, and patience.
Riyaz in Indian music is synonymous with this methodology. I have found that
repetition tends to feature more prominently in their routines than in Western
music. Furthermore, musicians of any level more readily repeat elementary
material in the full knowledge that mastery of the fundamentals further deepen
their
awareness and skill.
Improvement is usually proportional to the amount of time spent practicing
and experiencing in the medium- and long-terms. It is therefore fruitless
and inadvisable
to “cram” practice through extreme repetition in the short-term as
this can lead to negative results such as poor habits, fatigue and physical ailments.
Giving your ears a series of chances to absorb material via repetition will
allow yourself to appreciate deeper and deeper aspects of the music being
practiced. You will realize how much music is contained in just one note!
By focusing
on
the same repeated aspects of music every day, you also avoid the feeling
of being overwhelmed by the universe of music. Exactly what to repeat in
your
daily practice
routine, and how much, varies from individual to individual and from circumstance
to circumstance. See the next fundamental “structure”. The critical
mindset to maintain during repetitive practice is one of focus. Be aware of the
danger of “zoning out” and losing concentration.
d) Structure.
This is a personal choice that varies with differing circumstances. A one-hour
practice routine will tend to have a different structure to a three-hour
practice routine. Some people find it helpful to actually write down a plan.
Honour
this and don’t judge its effectiveness until you’ve given it several attempts.
It might take months of “tweaking” until it suits you. I have found
that the following general structure works well, as it incorporates basic ingredients
which I believe should be part of every day’s practice routine. These ingredients
can be covered in little more than an hour per day.
1. Warm up material.
A warm up should function well for the mind and body. Generally it starts
slowly, and increases tempo and density with larger stretches and quicker
movements.
2. Technical material. Drill parameters such as rhythm, timbre, dynamics
and pitch. Include exercises that drill scales and chords, articulation,
velocity/agility,
stamina, motor memory, flexibility, rhythm/time etc.
3. Repertoire. Work on pieces you are currently rehearsing or performing
with others. Use repertoire to apply technical and improvisational concepts.
4. Reading. Include sight-reading of chord progressions and notated lines.
5. Improvisation. This needn’t be in a jazz context. Improvisation can
include inventing variations on exercises in this or other books, or rearranging
repertoire.
6. Listening. Actively listen to a recording, perhaps focussing on a particular
part (such as a bass line). This can be followed by interaction, transcription,
improvisation, imitation and/or memorization.
e) Attitude.
All things achieved physically start in the mind, so your attitude to practice
is most important. Don’t be in a hurry to achieve results. A cluttered
mind will undermine good practice, so try to empty yourself of unrelated, chaotic
thoughts by the end of your warm-up.
Consider what you do prior to your warm-up. Try a few minutes of peaceful
contemplation prior to your practice session - it can make practice time
quality time. Consider
programming your practice routine at different times of the day, to discover
what works best for you. Our daily body cycles are effected by meals, sleep,
lighting etc. and make a difference to physical and mental performance. If
however you find that 9am is the best time for your practice, don’t always practice
at this time - vary it. If you’ve got an important performance taking place
at 11pm, it’s good to get used to having to play at this time, too.
As I mentioned, concentration is the glue that holds the various faculties
together in the learning process, and this is achieved with the right mental
state.
The right attitude is a positive attitude, that loves what you’re doing,
even when it sounds bad! It is an ego-less attitude. It is a competition-free
attitude. Remember that you’re on your own path, and other people’s
levels are irrelevant to you. Your practice attitude should not be concerned
with image, money or anything but the love of good music. By far the most common
attitude problem is that, in learning to be our own teacher in our practice,
we become the harshest critics and punishers of ourselves. Don’t let your
desire to achieve become a torturous experience! Music should be uplifting and
enjoyable!
f) Monitor.
At the start of this chapter I mentioned that the art of self-teaching means
that the various parts of your Being are activated and create sensations
which feedback to each other. Observing this feedback with maximum awareness
is necessary
for improvements to be made. Monitoring means keeping an “eye” on
your practice routine.
There are several tools for monitoring. Use a log book to plan the specific
aspects of your practice structure. This can be used for reflection away
from the practice
room also. Tape record portions of your routine, and listen to them later.
Take your tape recorder and log book to your lessons with your teacher, and
listen
back to the tapes and write down the important points afterwards. Tape record
or video all of your performances, be they informal or formal performances,
and critique them later. Ask peers and musicians to give you feedback on
your recent
performance or recording. Make sure they realize you don’t want them to
just tell you how good you sound! Anything that helps you monitor your progress
will help you refine your practice.
Even after having refined your practice routine, you should occasionally
question even aspects that seem to be going well. Don’t stop exploring
the possibilities!
Concluding
Thoughts
You owe it to yourself not to waste time. Always try to create as best
as you can in any given situation. Be flexible and forgiving enough to
understand
that not all situations are ideal. Part of being a performer is to be able
to create
in adverse conditions, rising above the difficulties you may be experiencing.
Develop an approach inspired by the masters - one which aims high, is unique
and honest. Your unique "voice" will then develop and be recognized
and respected by other artists and audiences.
Advancement in music always involves a change in perception, so practice
objectivity, awareness, and a willingness to change.
This is a 2-page article by Maurice Hinson, given to me while in my early stages of trombone practice by my teacher. Page 1. Page 2.
This article is published in Bass Riyaz
The element of flow is critical and yet seems rarely articulated in the normal
development and practice of music. Flow is particularly important in music
which incorporates improvisation or that calls on long-term memory. So what
is flow?
Flow is a dynamic state of hyperawareness which is in touch with the progress
of actions, emotions and energies during every moment, and is able to coordinate
and control them without impeding them.
“Going with the flow” ultimately means operating creatively and harmoniously
in the present moment. Problems such as asyncronization within an ensemble, memory
blocks, performance anxiety and contrived improvisation are indicators that the
flow is impeded! Fear is one of flow’s biggest enemies, as it distracts
you from the moment by impressing the importance of the past or future.
I have attempted here to articulate ways I think flow can be improved:
* Put group above self. Your focus should not be self-centred, but rather aware
of the other people in the group, and of the overall group sound.
* Flow is more important than speed. The technical demands of speed require
flow, but speed is not as important as flow itself. Though you must practice
technical
facility, you must also practice flow. Try practicing it in contexts where
you must aim for and achieve predetermined structural/rhythmic destinations
in a
relaxed and free manner. Try also practicing it in contexts where you can be
free-flowing without specific goals apart from the flow itself. (Here, you
must suspend judgment on how you sound.) If the freedom is not there, slow
down and
consider other points made here.
* Consider your posture. Stand sure-footed. Like flow itself, posture should
not be rigid, but should be an elastic, organic stance. Neck, shoulder and
mouth tensions typically indicate “trying” too much, which is an unconnected,
self-centred action.
* Visualize good flow without your instrument. Maintain that positive feeling
when you pick up your instrument. If the feeling disappears, put down the instrument,
return to this positive “space” and try again. When visualizing,
you can move your limbs freely like a child might if she/he were trying to play
your instrument - without technical facility but with innocent freedom. Do not
be concerned with the outcome (i.e. how you sound) but rather just enjoy the
process.
* Move your focus. While maintaining a group-centred awareness, gently self-refer
to monitor yourself and practice getting back into the flow when you sense
it is lost. This should be done while the rest of the music flows along - you
should
not need to cease the music to get back “on board”.
* Record yourself. Use recordings and video to relive the feeling of the flow
and recognize how it sounds when it is broken.
* Get back to nature. Take time out to experience flow in the natural order.
* Quieten the mind. A busy mind will never maintain the flow. Practice sitting
still and meditating. The more familiar you are with stillness of self, the
easier it will be to access this “space” when playing music.
* See the masters. Respected creative artists - particularly ones that improvise
or spontaneously create in public - are all masters of flow.
* Exercise. A fit body knows how to flow. Physical fitness boosts confidence
and self-esteem - good traits to attain. I recommend swimming, yoga, dancing
and martial arts. All sports are good stress-reliefs.
* Breathe. Be aware of how you are breathing. A short or shallow breath is
at odds with flow. Good breathing habits are assisted by regular exercise,
and are
symbolic of the circular, dynamic and uninterrupted nature of flow.
This article
was published in late 2000 in the magazine 'ASMessages'.
“Imitate. Assimilate. Innovate.” (Clark Terry - jazz trumpeter)
Almost every classroom music teacher probably consciously incorporates
the first two aspects of imitation and assimilation into their teaching
methodology. The
speed at which children are able to imitate their elders is commonly recognized,
with awe. Their mastery over this aspect is one which makes it all-important
to provide good models - i.e. teachers who masterfully “practise what they
preach”. Assimilation takes mimicry and adds the ability for the student
to not only recognize but produce by their own free will material in a context
that demonstrates understanding of the material.
But is this the height of learning or is it even music? Probably not: In Third
Stream Methodology the advanced student tends to spend more and more time focusing
on the Development of his/her Personal Style, over the more technical aspects
of music practise. Ran Blake, one of my teachers and Co-founder of the Third
Stream Studies Department at New England Conservatory, Boston, spoke of ‘individuation’ during
this focus, and used it in much the way I think Clark Terry used the term ‘innovation’.
One of the things that I think scares the teacher of groups is the possibility
of loss of control or out-of-handedness that may arise if the individuals get
too innovative! “How could I honour a set curriculum, remain on schedule
or provide so much individual attention as would be necessary under a methodology
that freely encouraged innovation?!” Having only Lectured for 3 1/2 years,
I don’t profess to have all the answers. Indeed I suspect the impossibility
of maintaining the necessary individual attention in an economic climate that
is requiring us to run larger classes with fewer contact hours. However I am
optimistic in my views that a teaching methodology that honours spontaneous individual
creative input is possible in a group situation. My teaching experience so far
supports this belief. Inspired by the Third Stream Methodology, I have run classes
whose curriculum allows for individual choice, taste, and different backgrounds,
and whose assessment rather than testing a sample from the prescribed material,
asks the student to put the core material into a real-life situation as informed
by their imagination and addressing criteria which they think is relevant. This
puts more meaning into the grade as a performance indicator. My teaching philosophy
also recognizes the necessary balance between Action (production and perception)
and Reflection - which can lead on to inform/guide future action. This balance,
even at Tertiary level, seems to be toward the former.
All of this may seem as a divergence from the topic of improvisation but if
you believe that improvisation is at the apex of musical skill-building then
it is
a necessary support. {Dowload
my Skill-Building Pyramid for Ear Training}
To recapitulate: To imitate is to regurgitate; To assimilate is to elucidate;
But to improvise is to penetrate to the essence of the music itself. To improvise
means to be able to demonstrate understanding of the material to such a depth
that one is creating new material with the language at hand.
Like learning anything of complexity, the important thing is to take one step
at a time, and improvisation can be incorporated at every phase of learning
- not just as the final step. I have found the reductionist approach applied
to
learning to improvise to be the most successful particularly for beginners
or strangers to the art form. It reduces the overwhelming sensation/misbelief
that
in improvisation there is a universe of possibilities because “anything
goes”, and allows specific targets to be aimed for and met - boosting confidence
at the critical early stages.
It is important to note (and be clear with your students) that improvisation
need not be from a jazz tradition. Or any other tradition. That is not to say
we should not familiarize ourselves with all the great traditions and artists
whom have featured improvisation in their music around the world. Follows is
a list of some parameters which I think improvisation can be reduced to, and
may be applied to all improvised musics:
1) Pacing. Density of notes. Playing and resting.
2) Phrase Lengths.
3) Sense of Time. Swing. Rock. “Feel”. Pushing and dragging.
4) Rhythm. Additive and divisive. Subdivision. Beat. Cycle. Meter. Tempo. Polyrhythm.
Tempo and metric modulation. Clavé. Ostinato. Syncopation.
5) Melodic and rhythmic embellishment. Pitch effects. Slides. Microtones.
6) Chords and chord sequences. Chord-scales. Guide-tones. Modes and scales.
Scale patterns.
7) Dynamics. Volume contrast.
8) Motivic Development. Variation. Extension. Fragmentation. Rhythmic displacement.
Augmentation and diminution.
9) Mood. Emotional response.
This is just an introductory article on a topic that deserves - and requires
- a lot more attention and detailed discussion. Thank you for this opportunity
to share my initial thoughts on the topic and I look forward to further dialogue.
BIBLIOGRAPHY/FURTHER READING:
CROOK, Hal. How to Improvise. Advance Music, 1991.
NACHMANOVITCH, Stephen. Free Play: Improvisation in Life and Art. Jeremy
P.Tarcher, 1990.
The following article was written for laymen and musicians as an introduction to the concept of Magic Squares. This article is a work in progress, and aims to put a musical slant on these fascinating mathematical constructs. I do not declare to be a mathematician myself! I just enjoy numbers and music!
The following
article was written for DrumPRO Magazine in the Fall of 2003. It is the first
edition of their World Issue, and is available via the CDI Publications
web site.
Go
to DrumPRO web site
Direct Download Drumpro (tabla) edition
The following article was written for my tabla class in late 2003.
Here's a basic overview of the Theory of Western musical time
and how it relates to Indian time as I teach it in my tabla lessons. More can
be found in numerous music theory books.
The 'rhythm tree' taught in classroom music illustrates the divisive nature
of Western musical time. That is, we start with 1 whole note, which is then
divided into the following:
1 whole note
2 half notes
4 quarter notes
8 eighth notes
16 sixteenth notes
32 thirty-second notes
etc.
We also have :
3 half-note triplets
6 quarter-note triplets
12 eighth-note triplets
Note that these all sum to make the same total value, being 4 beats (4 quarter
notes).
These divisions cover what we normally use, at least in the first several months
of learning tabla.
Again, all of these divisions fit into one bar of 4/4 time. A bar is a group
of beats, and a beat is usually the quarter note. So you can see that this
approach to learning rhythm is not only divisive but also very 4/4-based, and
furthermore the subdivisions of the quarter note beat (i.e. eights, sixteenths
etc) are usually related by a division of 2 (i.e. a factor of 0.5). Occassionally
a division of 3 is used - to get triplets (which mean "three in the time
of two of the same value".)
So to refresh;
There is a hierarchy in musical time, which starts from the large and progresses
to the small. Imagine it as a clock face, which has hours, broken down into
minutes and then seconds. The hours can be said to be the bars, which are groups
of beats. Then the minutes are the beats themselves, and each beat is "ticked
out" by the second hand which is the subdivision. You might often end
up with a musical clock that has 4 hours, 16 minutes and 32 seconds on the
clock face!
Actually, the hierarchy continues in the macro perspective, as the hours can
be grouped into days, which musically speaking are groups of bars. Bars are
grouped because musical phrases or lines can (and usually) span multiples of
bars. 4-bar phrasing is very common.
I am sometimes asked: "how do you keep track of all this?!". Well,
with awareness and right practice. And with repetition. It is not uncommon
for a person to be aware of when an hour has passed, or when it's 6am, or whether
a tune is slowing down or speeding up a little. We can refine and develop this
ability with practice.
Indian music is built upon an additive system, whereby the smallest unit of
time (which I call the "pulse" or, to use a word from the Western
system, "subdivision") acts like an atom. An atom is the smallest
building block, and groups of atoms are glued together or "grouped" to
form longer durations.
Using this system we can create all the attributes of divisive rhythm, and
then some!
Some new words with their western similes:
Matra = the beat
Vibhag = the bar (written on the same line on the page)
Avartana = the group of vibhags which form the overall cycle length
I often mention pulses or subdivisions in my teaching, which divide up the
matra into 2, 3, 4, or more parts. These parts are often subsequently grouped,
and you need to develop a knack for counting out the pulses and grouping them,
while keeping track of the beats, bars, and where you are in the rhythmic cycle!
Certainly, you need to practice slowly and methodically to also keep your technique
effective. In the end, time-counting becomes second-nature, and you'll feel
it in your body, and the subconscious will actually be taking care of everything
while you enjoy the sound and the feeling!
Keep practising,
It only gets better - promise!
Dha-na Dha-na Dha!
Download
the Analysis (29MB).
This anaylsis grew out of a study for the 'Time Feel' chapter of my bass
book, Bass
Riyaz. It is inspired by studies in theory and spectrographic analysis
with Robert Cogan, in Boston.