When Did We Stop Enjoying Music?
The music scene is full of some of the most caring, compassionate, and intelligent people in the world. We have some of the largest organizational gatherings with experts in education, performance, industry…you name it! But let’s face it; you have either heard or been involved in one of the biggest pit-falls for a musician…
*Big Music Clinic Performing Ensemble Plays First Tune*
Audience Member #1 – “Ugh, why would he program that!?”
Audience Member #2 – “The ____ was out of tune”
Audience Member #3 – “I don’t think they understand the harmonic shift at M.23, beat 3”.
Audience Member #4 – “Do they even…”
When did this happen? When did we, as individuals, stop appreciating a good performance and become so critical? At the lowest level of our musical experience lives what should be the highest priority in our musical purpose: enjoyment. Maybe it is because a lot of us are on the side of education, and constantly find ourselves critical of our own ensemble’s performance. After all, we should always strive to improve the sound of our groups and those we work with but, when do you turn it off?
I would venture to bet that most large clinic ensembles are pretty top notch. Now, that doesn’t mean that you need to keep your opinions to yourself, but I do think it allows us to take a step back and enjoy what’s happening in front of us. These ensembles have worked extremely hard in order to entertain you.
I challenge you to let yourself be fully engaged with the aesthetic quality of the music you are listening to without being critical of the performance. Go to a concert and try not to judge the ensemble’s articulation, or intonation, or whatever pedagogic point bombards your brain with red sirens. It’s challenging for us as musicians to sit back and just enjoy the music; but I believe it is extremely important to our musical purpose. I spend my entire day being critical of other’s music. When I leave the office, the last thing I want to do is think about music for work. Instead, I make it a point to put my headphones on and jam out to my iPod.
Do yourself, and those around you, a favor the next time you’re in the audience and try to enjoy music for music’s sake. Find all the good you can and elevate the aesthetic quality of music to the highest level of your musical experience. You will appreciate it more!
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Tyler Arcari (b. 1989) is a composer, clinician and teacher whose music is played throughout the United States and abroad. He received his B.A. and M.S. degrees in music education from Troy University where he studied with composer Ralph Ford and Dr. Mark J. Walker. As a teacher, Tyler has taught at both the middle school and high school levels. As a high school director, Mr. Arcari’s bands consistently received superior ratings at contests and festivals. As a composer, Tyler draws on his experience as an educator to craft music that is both sophisticated and geared towards student performance.
His music can currently be found published through Carl Fischer Music and Excelcia Music Publishing, LLC. His original works have been featured on Bandword Magazine’s Top 100, All-State programs as well as numerous state contest lists. As an arranger, Tyler has worked with many high school, university, and community groups. Most recently he has collaborated with the Pensacola Civic Band with commissioned works for Carl Hilding “Doc Severinsen” and vocalist Holly Shelton.
Currently, Tyler serves as the Instrumental Music Editor and exclusive composer with Excelcia Music Publications, LLC; a publishing company based in Lakeland, Florida created by composer Larry Clark. In his spare time Tyler enjoys playing fantasy-world video games and building his own computers. He is an avid animal lover and lives in Lakeland with his 2 rabbits, Maximus and Marshmellow as well as a peach cat named Otis and an old Dog named Walter.