Listening to your playing.

[Treestump]

Is it the case that the majority of the amateur musicians in the UK who want to play in concerts don't listen to themselves when they are playing?

Is this due to the fact that they started playing as children and they got praise for playing even when it sounded really bad, to give encouragement to them because it was clear that they found playing difficult, and so therefore they have never been trained to really listen properly?

Does this explain why they often don't go to listen to concerts including professional orchestra concerts?

I am puzzled as to what these players get out of playing in an amateur group, as they are likely to be unaware of the sounds around them?

The answer to these questions could be quite useful in terms of audience building for professional groups.

[naan]

Hi Treestump,

Listening to one's own playing is a skill and many amateurs struggle with notes/technique/other too much to 'spare' any attention to the sound. However, it all boils down to proper training: good input from a teacher is needed, prompting the pupil to listen and helping them to develop this vital and musical skill.

Not sure whether the inability to listen explains why amateur musicians don't go to concerts much - it might be that live music is undervalued nowadays. Many amateurs I've known listen to recordings at home (but often without concentrating on the music/doing other things etc.).

[Treestump]

Originally Posted by naan

Hi Treestump,

Listening to one's own playing is a skill and many amateurs struggle with notes/technique/other too much to 'spare' any attention to the sound. However, it all boils down to proper training: good input from a teacher is needed, prompting the pupil to listen and helping them to develop this vital and musical skill.

Not sure whether the inability to listen explains why amateur musicians don't go to concerts much - it might be that live music is undervalued nowadays. Many amateurs I've known listen to recordings at home (but often without concentrating on the music/doing other things etc.).

I don't understand why many amateur musicians don't realise that if they play in a concert, they are expecting someone else to do the listening. If they themselves are only interested in listening to recorded music while doing something else, what makes them think that others will want to listen to music played by them?

Professional orchestra concerts can be like a lesson in how to play orchestral music, as well as hearing a very good interpretation, but many amateur musicians don't go to hear them. On the other hand they expect people to listen to them doing a not very good interpretation. I find this attitude to music odd. It makes me think that actually amateur musicians are not interested in music, but just in the doing of the playing the notes of music, if added to that they don't listen to what they are playing, would most of them be better to find another hobby? There is one orchestra near where I live that does 5 concerts a year. The interpretations of the music that they play are always very poor. Why do they do so many concerts? What makes them think that anyone wants to listen to so many poor interpretations?

[naan]

I think they do treat playing in an orchestra as a hobby, and a prestigious hobby at that! Giving a good interpretation is somewhere low down the priority list in that case. (Sorry if I'm sounding cynical here.)
I'm wondering whether they could perhaps be inspired/persuaded/challenged by their conductor? It would be good for them anyway! I mean, stagnation is awful in music, every musician needs to constantly develop, don't you think?