All Debate articles – Page 5
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DebateAre US instrumental teachers failing in their duties by being too nice?
String teachers in America are accentuating the positive at the expense of the negative, argues Stephen Shipps
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DebateBickering over the 'correct' string teaching method helps no one
It's in everyone's interests for string teachers to be generous about each other rather than arguing over whose method is best, argues Laurie Niles
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DebateMore string players of today should listen to singers past and present
The great string players of the past embodied the ‘singing’ style that signifies their relationship with vocalists of the time. Why can’t today’s stars capture the same atmosphere, asks Tully Potter
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DebateTaking a break from music might just make you a better player in the long run
Pauline Harding considers why having a break from music might be the healthiest thing you can do
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DebateHow much does choice of concerto affect a competition result?
In the past year, big, tuneful, Romantic works have dominated violin competition finals, leaving little room for Classical and 20th Century works, writes Charlotte Smith
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DebateTeaching skills are becoming increasingly important to today’s conservatoires
Guildhall School of Music and Drama vice principal and director of academic affairs Helena Gaunt responds to The Strad’s article calling for conservatoires to place greater emphasis on teaching skills
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DebateDoes the quest for perfection discourage creativity at lutherie competitions?
Has the demand for 'high standards' at violin making competitions left any room for individuality and personality, asks Michael Köberling
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DebateConservatoires should place more focus on teaching skills
Most professional musicians will end up teaching in some capacity – so more colleges should offer courses that foster educational skills, say Cornelia Watkins and Laurie Scott
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DebateThere should be greater transparency in the string-manufacturing industry
Thomas Zwieg, vice president and product development manager at Larsen Strings A/S in Denmark, calls for an internationally accepted standard for measuring string tension
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DebateThe motivation to practise should come from the student - not the parent or teacher
Enforcing a regime is never a good idea, says Da Capo Music founder Jane Cutler
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DebateNo sex please - we're classical musicians
Does ‘sexing up’ classical music increase accessibility or is it merely crass exhibitionism? Two well-known string players debate one of the hot topics of the industry in The Strad's March 2006 issue
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DebateAre completist concerts too much of a good thing?
Completist concerts are often criticised for serving up an ‘event’ instead of serving the music. But this kind of programming can reveal narratives in the music that would otherwise be hidden, argues Chloe Cutts
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DebateTechnique - a dangerous concept for musicians
Musicians should never prioritise intellect over feeling and physicality, wrote Herbert Whone in The Strad's 1982 issue
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DebateMusic critics should be more tolerant of individual interpretations
Reviewers with too prescriptive a view on how a piece of music should be played miss a fundamental point: that performers are entitled to their own artistic vision, says Toby Deller
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DebateIs there a 'right' way to play Sibelius?
Sibelius should be performed in a bleak style representative of his native sound world, not with the luscious richness and colour of the Berlin Philharmonic, argues Andrew Mellor
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DebateNew research into the development of violin f-holes is simplistic at best
The theory that the shape of Italian violin f-holes came about by 'accidental fluctuations' ignores a number of well-known facts, argues Stewart Pollens
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DebateThe media was too quick to condemn Kyung Wha Chung's reaction to a coughing audience
Our focus has been wrong all along, argues Toby Deller
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DebateA grounding in music theory can help performance
Far from constricting a player’s response to a new piece, a good grounding in music theory can help them find more possibilities for playing it, as Henning Kraggerud argues
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DebateHow much is an orchestral player worth?
In the face of constant salary reductions and economic gloom, do orchestral musicians have the right to say ‘enough is enough’, asks Charlotte Smith
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DebateThe US ivory ban risks criminalising hard-working musicians
US restrictions on sales of ivory-tipped bows will place unreasonable demands on owners and strip essential music tools of their value, says violin maker and dealer Jay Ifshin