Culminating Project: Symphony No. 9 by Ludwig Van Beethoven
As a Music Education major, I spent my undergraduate career studying advanced music theory, music history, instrumentation, and how to play each of the standard instruments I would encounter in my years as an instrumental educator. This culminated in my senior showcase, in which I created and performed a unique score reduction of the fourth movement of Ludwig Van Beethoven's Symphony No. 9. I chose four instruments to showcase--bassoon, clarinet, alto saxophone, and french horn--in addition to my primary instrument, the flute. Each section of the piece features a different instrument, accompanied by piano and occasionally a second flute.
This experience challenged me to think about how music is created and expressed, both in written and in aural form. The opportunity to interact so personally with this piece of music influenced the way I interpret and teach instrumental music. When I'm working with my students on a piece, I have to be conscious of the music theory that makes up the piece, and the history about the composer and the time period. All of those elements, including instrumentation, are crucial to understanding the entire performance of every piece of music.
Not only did this project challenge me to experience music on a new academic level, it also forced me to interact with instruments I had not considered learning before that I would need to know when teaching band. Prior to performing this arrangement, I knew the theory of how to play brass instruments, but I did not feel confident in my ability to play and teach brass. Now, after all the countless hours spent in the practice room working to play this piece well, I feel very confident in my ability to play and teach not only french horn, but clarinet, alto sax, and bassoon as well.
