LESSONS FROM BOBBY MCFERRIN

Bobby McFerrin, a virtual orchestra in one supremely talented individual, recently graced McNally Smith College of Music with his amazing vocal abilities and his unassuming, charming personality. His improvisations covered the range from bass to soprano, creating the illusion that several voices were present performing in impeccable ensemble. For good measure, he throws in bass and snare drum accompaniment produced on his chest.

Cool as that was, what was most enjoyable about the workshop was his practical wisdom and unpretentious manner as he took dozens of questions from our students. He spoke at length about the difference between performing and simply singing, and how he does everything he can to keep himself in the latter mode whether he’s on stage at Orchestra Hall or in the shower.

He explained that his concept of improvisation is rooted in one thing: motion. Start singing and keep going. Keep it moving and stay focused. Forget the audience, your technique, everything else, and just sing.

He explained that from the time he realized he was a singer, an awareness that came in his late 20’s, it took him six years of intense practice to hone the technique that would separate him from all other vocal artists.

He did the necessary work to build his technique, then created an amazingly unique sound that is unmistakably his own. Clarity, discipline, focus…and now he just sings.

Students seeking a music career, whether in performance, composition, music production, or music business, would do well to follow Bobby McFerrin’s model: become clear on who you are; spend the time it takes to develop the necessary skills; then start down the path of your dreams and, above all, keep moving.

Compress and Accelerate

“Compress and Accelerate” is a phrase I first heard from Mike Scott, a music teacher and friend back in Boston who is also a creative writer of great skill and insight.

In helping me with a writing project awhile back, he explained that you keep your story moving and heighten intensity and impact by using fewer words – Compress! Mike could always find overblown prose and extraneous words and he crossed them out mercilessly, always achieving an improved result.

He urged me to find and maintain the delicate balance between providing essential depth and detail while keeping the story vibrant, alive, and charging ahead – Accelerate! If you build momentum and forward motion in your story, you maintain the enthusiastic attention of your audience. It is much easier to lose momentum than maintain it.

What is true in writing fiction is also true in writing lyrics, spoken word, and in writing music itself. It is also true in writing proposals, promo copy, liner notes, resumes, articles, or dissertations, not to mention speeches and oral presentations. In short, these concepts are relevant to most things you do for your art and your career.

Students come to McNally Smith College of Music to advance their knowledge of music business, music production, and to improve their skills in performance, technology, and composition. There is much that the experienced professional educators in our college can offer students seeking careers. The core of music education today must be to provide students with the business skills, the technical savvy, and the artistry to succeed.