Teaching by Example

One of the maxims from Aesop's fables tells us that example is the best teacher. There is also the rather cynical dictum: "Those who can, do; those who can't, teach." Last fall I had the opportunity to attend a performance of the Webster University Symphony Orchestra, directed by Paul Davis. Afterwards I reflected that this fine ensemble is a vehicle for both doing and teaching.

Although the WUSO was established as an opportunity for student players at Webster University, a sizable percentage of the orchestra's personnel is composed of professionals, some of whom are members of the St. Louis Symphony. To observe and work with seasoned professionals offers an unmatched opportunity for students to learn precisely what it truly means to be a musician. Such learning does not take place in a lecture hall; it occurs during personal conversations before and after rehearsals, or at sectional rehearsals, or in the efforts to match the accomplishments of more experienced performers.

The audiences likewise learn, by hearing professionals and amateurs alike. It is one thing to study the life of a great composer in a book, but it is quite another to actually hear the musical thoughts that streamed from the composer's mind. Those who peruse the program notes are able not only to hear the music, but also learn about the historical, cultural and geographic context in which it was written.

The soloist in the concert I heard was pianist Daniel Schene, performing Chopin's Concerto No. 2 in F Minor, programmed in commemoration of the bicentennial of Chopin's birth in 1810. As artist in residence at Webster University, Schene maintains a busy teaching and performing schedule. By virtue of wearing both hats, he not only instructs students about Chopin, but is able to demonstrate Chopin's music.

Some purists actually decry teaching by example, claiming that it discourages personal creativity in artistic fields and leads to robotic imitation. Thankfully, we don't have similar qualms when it comes to teaching medicine or mathematics. Who would want to be treated by a physician who had never observed medical procedures, or be waited upon by a store clerk who had developed a "creative" approach to computations? For musicians, hearing a demonstration of execution and interpretation provides an aural example of what they should aspire to, and may actually inspire rather than limit personal creativity.

The Webster Symphony is, fortunately, one of many outstanding ensembles sponsored by academic institutions. At a time when standards in American education have been dangerously reduced, they are raising the bar by presenting a polished end-product. This is an example that shows education designed to train doers, not bureaucrats or methodologists.