Music Theory for fun ! ? !!

I just want to sing. Why should I study music theory? 

When I got my first teaching job, I had to produce a holiday concert with only three months to prepare. I decided to teach a three part carol since my chorus was all girls. Since no one in this chorus knew how to read music, we had to trudge through each part note by note, learning everything by rote. It took us three months to learn one piece. After I survived that first concert, I became determined to teach music theory along with repertoire. All good music programs include theory instruction along with technical skills as well as learning pieces to perform.

Ragazzi has an amazing theory program, thanks to Carol Panofsky. At a recent alumni party, I heard three stories about the benefits our boys have received. One college freshman, a non-music major, reported that in his choir everyone had to take a theory test. He was the only singer who did well. He said everyone else got perhaps three correct answers. In two other cases, Ragazzi college freshmen, declared music majors, tested out of college-level, first year music theory. In our current Ragazzi Concert Group, the boys can sight read three part music, instantly. These are all testaments to the success or our music theory teaching.

Imagine how much more fun it is to learn music when you no longer have to trudge through the notes – keeping in mind that learning music is much, much more than just getting the right notes. Once you are freed from trudging, you can get right into interpretation, nuance and art. In fact some people get together to sight read music for an evening's entertainment. This was common in the Renaissance among well-educated upper class people. [Listen to Brian Eno’s This I Believe essay (http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=97320958&m=97365616) or read it (http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=97320958).]

During this holiday season it was my privilege to hear my friend's brother play through the Bach Goldberg Variations. While all in the audience appreciated the virtuosity of the keyboard playing and the beauty of the music, I was lucky enough to be able to enjoy the brilliance of Bach's genius as I could appreciate the astounding mathematical structure. During the course of the set of variations, Bach manages to produce nine canons (the technical term for a musical “round,” like Row, Row Your Boat) at every interval of the octave scale. The variations also include fugues, a French Overture and glorious toccatas (which display free flowing technical virtuosity).

Music brings so much joy and as your boy learns the formal, technical language of music, his joy is multiplied. His ability to listen is enhanced, he’s able to sing new music easily, getting to the artistic meat of it much sooner, his sense of camaraderie with fellow musicians is strengthened and… it’s just more fun!  So, as he takes the time to learn the details and “solve the problems,” keep in mind the rewards that will soon accrue to him - the educated and trained musician!

  Joyce Keil edited by David Jones