Jim -- As a classical pianist and piano teacher, who also studied viola for several years as a kid (including many years of playing with the local Youth Orchestra) and gave that up at 15 to play the guitar (by ear and by watching friends -- no lessons but highly motivated as a lover of both rock and folk genres), I'll describe my "debut" performing with a group of folk musicians -- what it was like and how I felt.

A friend had taken me to a local coffeehouse where folk and blues musicians had an open stage. There was an excellent blues musician - Wayne Buttery - on site that night. My friend, much to my dismay, kept telling everyone that I was some sort of excellent piano player until Wayne called me up on stage to "jam" with him and his backup band. I was a bit terrified, because although I love the blues I'd never jammed with anyone before, least of all on stage. But I'd been trained by many years of performing at exams and recitals and festivals to come through under pressure, so I valiantly went up there and sat at the keyboard, my hands shaking and my heart pounding.

Wayne looked at me and said "okay, 12-bar blues in E". I had no idea what he meant by "12-bar blues", but I was too nervous to let on. From practicing technique (scales, chords etc) and studying theory, at least I knew the key of E (and every other key too) and which chords are related to it (that's called harmony). They started playing, and I started 'jamming' along, very simply at first, following the chord progressions by ear, just loving the rhythm.

After a minute, I was thinking "Hey, I know this pattern -- everyone knows this pattern! A million songs have it, even one of my own compositions! So this is what's called the 12-bar blues??? Cool ..." I got more confident, started experimenting with the chords, adding 7ths and 9ths (as I'd learned them from theory and practicing technique).

Then Wayne gave me a nod, and said "take it away". I realized this meant I was to do a "solo" -- egads!! I clutched a bit at first, but loosened up after a few seconds. I was figuring "okay, a solo. That means something to show off your technique, I guess". So I ran through the chord changes, using bits of scales and broken chords and arpeggios , adding a few more 7ths and 9ths and a few "weird" notes for good measure. (Those "weird" notes are why they call it the blues, I was thinking). I bet it was the most "classical" sounding blues jam heard in that coffeehouse to date, but the audience seemed to like it, anyway.

I know I did -- although I was very much relieved when the song ended and I was out the spotlight. So I found out what 12-bar-blue meant that night, even did a passable job of "jamming" along with professional blues musicians on stage, no less! When I told my friend what I'd learned up there, he couldn't believe I really had no idea what "12-bar blues" was at first. If it hadn't been for my classical training in technique, my knowledge of theory and harmony, my well-trained ear, and many years of being trained as a performer, I'd have been sunk, that's for sure!! I wouldn't have had the confidence to even try ....

Regarding "everyone bowing in the same direction" in an orchestra, I belonged to a Youth Orchestra for many years, and I don't recall anyone ever working with us to get us "bowing the same direction". As long as everyone's playing their parts correctly -- with the proper rhythm and articulation (phrasing, legato or staccato touch etc) -- and following the written music (the up and down strokes are clearly marked on the score, at least where they vary from what's standard for the rhythm and phrasing) -- then everyone DOES bow in the same direction, without any special "regimentation".

For a professional orchestra, it's probably vital to have someone (the concert-master) make sure everyone's playing their parts correctly - no bowing mistakes!! -- because it LOOKS better to the audience than to have all those "sticks" flailing around in any old direction. We were not a professional orchestra -- yet. We had no concert-master, but the conductor would take us aside and work with us privately if we were having trouble playing (or bowing) our parts as written on the score.

Please pardon me for going on so long, but I'd also like to share this success story about one of my 9 yr old piano students. He phoned me last night, just ecstatic -- he got 89% (First Class Honours) on his Grade One piano exam at the RCM!! I'm VERY pleased, and he's VERY proud! Average marks at the Conservatory, for all grade levels, are in the 70's.

By preparing for that classical exam, he got a very well-balanced musical education this year. This is what he was required to do --

* Perform from memory four different pieces of contrasting styles. He chose a little Baroque Minuet, an imaginative "tone-painting" called "The Snake", the "Beaver Boogie" (a cute little riff by a Canadian composer in 12-bar blues) and a traditional English piece called "Hunting Horns".

* Perform from memory a half dozen different major and harmonic minor scales and triads (chords), to demonstrate technical ability and basic knowledge of keys.

* Perform with accurate notes, rhythm and dynamics, a very simple 4-bar phrase he'd never seen before, to demonstrate his ability to read music (sight-reading)

* Clap back a rhythm he'd never heard before, after hearing it played twice by the examiner; and play back a very short melody based on the the first three notes of the scale, after being told the key and hearing (not watching!) the examiner play it twice. This is called ear training.

That's a lot of preparation for a 9-year old! This kid just loves it though and works very hard. Of all my students taking exams this spring, he was the best prepared, had his pieces memorized the longest.

Now he wants a few summer lessons -- so he can learn the themes from Star Wars and Superman in his new pops book (a reward from his Mom for taking the exam), and we can do more "jamming", improvising and composing in rock/blues styles. He just loves this aspect of his lessons, but we had to let it go for a few months to prepare for the exam. You can only cover so much in a half-hour lesson once a week!

Anyway, that's an example of what classical training is all about, at least the way I teach it. It's definitely not "harming" him in any way -- to the contrary, it's giving him a very well-rounded and fun musical education.

Thanks for the opportunity to share this success story!

daylia