We hadn't really gotten around to learning the names of the presidents yet, so this was probably news to me. I remember asking her why, and she said that some people think a woman might not make a good President. She also said "I think Hilary Clinton would make a wonderful President. It's too bad she would never get elected." That was in 1993, and last month Hilary announced her presidential run. I don't agree with all of her policies, or course, but it makes me very excited at the possibility that there could be a woman President in my lifetime.
I've been thinking a bit about gender lately. This year, it seems there have been a lot more stories about sexism cropping up in mainstream and social media from the campus rape problem to the lack of girls in STEM to the Women on 20's campaign. I don't ever remember there being more attention paid to women.
Relating this all back to viola, at a recent orchestra service I ended up talking to a few of my fellow violists who also have large teaching studios. This was around Solo Ensemble time and we all remarked on how our female middle school students tended to play too quietly, be more nervous and shy and play worse under pressure than in their lessons. I haven't observed the same level of this issue in my boy students, and I have very rarely encountered a girl student who didn't have this problem. In my experience, the girls tend to play out and are as confident as the boys until around the middle school years. Since I haven't been teaching for very long in the same location, I am hopeful that the students I started as small children will develop into more confident and self-assured players than my transfer students currently are, but in the meantime, I'm developing some strategies:
1. No "upspeak" in lessons and no mumbling. When you answer a question, answer it.
You know those people? Whose voices dip upward? Whenever they say anything? And it makes you wonder if they really believe what they are saying?
Even some grown women do this a lot and it tends to undermine their message. Part of music performance is learning to present yourself with at least the impression of ease and confidence and I think speaking with authority, even if you are unsure, is a part of that.
2. Learn to accept compliments graciously.
This is another thing I'm a stickler about. After a play-through, I generally give a specific praise, such as "your intonation is very consistent" or "you're really getting a hang of the bow distribution we talked about", then I follow with a specific area for improvement. Many of the girls I teach will not accept the compliment, and instead explain about how they aren't very good at X, Y, and Z. I believe that the first step to improving is to know what you are already good at and owning it, and if a student starts self-deprecating, I immediately make them say a positive, specific thing about their performance. This also develops listening skills.
3. Dynamics are not helpful suggestions, they are mandatory.
If it says forte, you must play forte. Some of this is related to tone production issues, but much is psychological.
4. A dynamic of piano does not mean you disappear.
I'm gonna just lay this out: one of my biggest pet peeves is when orchestra directors insist that the only way to play soft dynamics is to move the bow closer to the fingerboard. This works OK if there are 8 violists in a section, but isn't acceptable in most solo playing. Letting the bow slide over to the soft, fuzzy place on the string gives students an excuse not to play out, so I generally forbid it except for special occasions.
5. I try to refrain from commenting on a girl's appearance, since I rarely comment on a boy's appearance. Basically, I want the lesson time and the performance time to be focused on the music. I've seen often that parents and other adults will extravagantly compliment a little girl's dress and who can blame them? These kids are darn cute and there are shoes available for sale that are made exclusively of glitter. The issue I see is, if you mostly compliment a girl on her looks and not her tenacity or accomplishments or brains, it tells her "the most important thing we value about you is that you are cute". I will make a lone exception for raving about those new LED light-up shoes.
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| I mean, have you seen these? So much more game than the single-color-light-ups from my childhood. |
On a side note, I strangely had the same experience of comments on our wedding. I liked my dress, yes, but would have appreciated less comments about how I looked pretty and more on, for example, the way we had designed our programs or the readings and music my husband and I had found so special or the entertainment value of our reception (we had a pinata and a live polka performance, for starters).
I get frustrated when my students don't seem to be reaching their full potential because they refuse to take chances or play out. Playing loudly and with confidence is putting oneself on the line, and for many girls (and boys!) this is very hard. I remember being there. I was one of those people who never played loud for a long time. I hope my encouragement can help my students have a bit more confidence in viola and perhaps in life. In the end, I don't actively discuss confidence directly very often, but I insist on actions which will hopefully lead to confident behaviors. It's hard to play small if you give a large and clear cue, or play only in the middle contact point with a consistently straight bow, or use ample arm weight. I think in many ways that confidence is a "fake it 'til you make it" skill, and performing on the viola provides a unique outlet into learning how to fake it, projecting an imitation of confidence until one day the mind forgets to be nervous. That is how it has been for me at least.
