hello my name is Ethan and I’m a recovering violinist we talk about music
recovering violinist we talk about music
recovering violinist we talk about music as a form of artistic expression it’s a
as a form of artistic expression it’s a
as a form of artistic expression it’s a creative impulse and emotional release
creative impulse and emotional release
creative impulse and emotional release but the way that we teach music to
but the way that we teach music to
but the way that we teach music to children is actually quite rigid I began
children is actually quite rigid I began
children is actually quite rigid I began my classical violin lessons when I was 6
my classical violin lessons when I was 6
my classical violin lessons when I was 6 years old and my experience was typical
years old and my experience was typical
years old and my experience was typical I was taught to recognize notes that
I was taught to recognize notes that
I was taught to recognize notes that were written on a page and play them
were written on a page and play them
were written on a page and play them accurately on my instrument ultimately
accurately on my instrument ultimately
accurately on my instrument ultimately the goal was not to create my own music
the goal was not to create my own music
the goal was not to create my own music but to reproduce music that had been
but to reproduce music that had been
but to reproduce music that had been conceived by someone else it was a
conceived by someone else it was a
conceived by someone else it was a decade before I started to make my own
decade before I started to make my own
decade before I started to make my own music when we do teach kids to improvise
music when we do teach kids to improvise
music when we do teach kids to improvise it’s almost always through jazz and that
it’s almost always through jazz and that
it’s almost always through jazz and that was my introduction to improvising as
was my introduction to improvising as
was my introduction to improvising as well now jazz instruction is available
well now jazz instruction is available
well now jazz instruction is available if you play the trumpet or the piano but
if you play the trumpet or the piano but
if you play the trumpet or the piano but as a violinist it was almost impossible
as a violinist it was almost impossible
as a violinist it was almost impossible to find a jazz teacher I ended up taking
to find a jazz teacher I ended up taking
to find a jazz teacher I ended up taking lessons from a bassist who had played
lessons from a bassist who had played
lessons from a bassist who had played classical violin when he was in high
classical violin when he was in high
classical violin when he was in high school and I learned a lot from him but
school and I learned a lot from him but
school and I learned a lot from him but what I found is that jazz is also
what I found is that jazz is also
what I found is that jazz is also extremely regimented you’re presented
extremely regimented you’re presented
extremely regimented you’re presented with a pre-existing harmonic structure
with a pre-existing harmonic structure
with a pre-existing harmonic structure and taught to navigate it so as a
and taught to navigate it so as a
and taught to navigate it so as a student you’re not so much drawing as
student you’re not so much drawing as
student you’re not so much drawing as you are coloring inside the lines what I
you are coloring inside the lines what I
you are coloring inside the lines what I do now is that the complete opposite end
do now is that the complete opposite end
do now is that the complete opposite end of the spectrum after years of playing
of the spectrum after years of playing
of the spectrum after years of playing in different bands and learning
in different bands and learning
in different bands and learning different styles trying to find
different styles trying to find
different styles trying to find something that felt right for me I now
something that felt right for me I now
something that felt right for me I now play completely improvised music
play completely improvised music
play completely improvised music basically I make it all up as I go along
basically I make it all up as I go along
basically I make it all up as I go along but that doesn’t mean that what I play
but that doesn’t mean that what I play
but that doesn’t mean that what I play springs into existence without a
springs into existence without a
springs into existence without a foundation every piece of music that
foundation every piece of music that
foundation every piece of music that I’ve ever learned every album I’ve
I’ve ever learned every album I’ve
I’ve ever learned every album I’ve listened
listened
listened to every other musician I’ve played with
to every other musician I’ve played with
to every other musician I’ve played with is a part of my improvisation if I can
is a part of my improvisation if I can
is a part of my improvisation if I can achieve the right kind of clarity and
achieve the right kind of clarity and
achieve the right kind of clarity and focus a big if the pieces of my musical
focus a big if the pieces of my musical
focus a big if the pieces of my musical biography start to surface as they’re
biography start to surface as they’re
biography start to surface as they’re needed and merge into an organic and
needed and merge into an organic and
needed and merge into an organic and evolving whole as I play more than
evolving whole as I play more than
evolving whole as I play more than anything else I do improvise music
anything else I do improvise music
anything else I do improvise music reflects Who I am where I’ve been and
reflects Who I am where I’ve been and
reflects Who I am where I’ve been and what I know I’m not saying this to bash
what I know I’m not saying this to bash
what I know I’m not saying this to bash classical music or jazz I still love
classical music or jazz I still love
classical music or jazz I still love both and I still play both when I have
both and I still play both when I have
both and I still play both when I have the chance nor am I saying that we
the chance nor am I saying that we
the chance nor am I saying that we should do away with music literacy and
should do away with music literacy and
should do away with music literacy and it’s still important to know what a
it’s still important to know what a
it’s still important to know what a quarter note is but wouldn’t it be nice
quarter note is but wouldn’t it be nice
quarter note is but wouldn’t it be nice to teach children that sometimes it’s
to teach children that sometimes it’s
to teach children that sometimes it’s okay to make it up as you go along
okay to make it up as you go along
okay to make it up as you go along wouldn’t it be nice to allow young
wouldn’t it be nice to allow young
wouldn’t it be nice to allow young musicians to take what they’ve learned
musicians to take what they’ve learned
musicians to take what they’ve learned and use it as a springboard for the
and use it as a springboard for the
and use it as a springboard for the authentic expression of self now I’m
authentic expression of self now I’m
authentic expression of self now I’m gonna play a bit for you
gonna play a bit for you
gonna play a bit for you so you can hear what my self sounds like
so you can hear what my self sounds like
so you can hear what my self sounds like and I’m gonna have a friend come and
and I’m gonna have a friend come and
and I’m gonna have a friend come and help me please welcome John Pollock on
help me please welcome John Pollock on
help me please welcome John Pollock on the clarinet
the clarinet
the clarinet [Applause]
[Applause]
[Applause] so what we’re about to do is completely
so what we’re about to do is completely
so what we’re about to do is completely unplanned and unrehearsed
unplanned and unrehearsed
unplanned and unrehearsed we have never played it before and we
we have never played it before and we
we have never played it before and we couldn’t repeat it if we wanted to
[Music]
[Music] [Applause]
”
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