Angela Barlow and Dr. Steven Ricks, Associate Professor, BYU School of Music

I will never forget hearing the first few notes of Symphonie Fantastique played by the Orchestre de Paris during my music study abroad stay in Paris. However, it isn’t just the first few notes of the Symphonie that I will always remember, it is the all-encompassing feeling of musical expression that will never leave me, and which consequently had me crying for the duration of the piece; 55 minutes long. As I listened, not once, but twice, to the Orchestre de Paris perform, it became evident that the musical expression I was hearing was what I had searched and listened for my entire life as a musician. I had initially planned to study and analyze the music of the French composer Bernard Andres, and use it as a springboard into an investigation of the pedagogical differences between European and American harp pedagogy programs in Europe and the United States of America. However, I was so moved by the Orchestre de Paris’ performances that I craved to understand the underline passion that all composers and musicians had in Paris and how this related to my search for pedagogical differences. My mentor Dr. Ricks, a current composer in residence at BYU, was exceptionally helpful in directing my education and experiences while in France to help me complete my project. Dr. Ricks also allowed me to present a demonstration lecture/recital in Paris at the completion of my research. I presented this lecture/recital in a public recital in France in April and again in the United States in December of 2010. Through observation, understanding and direct application, I was able to understand the different musical and pedagogical harp techniques between France and the United States of America.

As a music study abroad student in Paris, Dr. Ricks made sure I had frequent opportunities to attend several informative musical lectures and concerts that spanned the distance between classical and modern. In addition to the Orchestre de Paris, I observed several performances, from street musicians and conservatory student recitals, to a world premier by Pierre Boulez. I observed that although the professional level of each group was drastically different, they each performed with great feeling. Each of the performers seemed to be intricately connected to the expression of their music and the sharing of this expression or feeling seemed to be their highest priority. These observations lead me to inquire about the learning process that the musicians went through. As with any great musical performance, whether by professionals or amateurs, it first starts with several hours and sometimes months of preparation and learning. This learning process is the basis of any performance, and so I decided to take the opportunity while I was in France to experiment upon this observation and apply the concepts to my own harp playing. I contacted Isabelle Perrin, a world-renowned harpist who is also a professor of harp at a prominent conservatory in Paris, to help me understand the pedagogical differences between harp pedagogy programs in France and the United States of America and thereby understand the mysteries of the deep musical passion that composers and musicians had in Paris.

I met with Ms. Perrin for five private harp lessons during a four-month period. After a couple of lessons it was apparent that Parisians indeed learned how to perform music differently than Americans. Ms. Perrin explained that when students in Paris are beginning to learn a piece of music, they look at everything on the page and apply all the skills at the same time, like reading a book. In comparison, American students tend to learn the notes first and then later apply dynamics and other nuances of the piece. I remember Ms. Perrin stating, “How can you play a piece of music if you do not know what is on the page”. This was my first experience in understanding the difference between the French and American way of teaching.

While interviewing Ms. Perrin, I asked her opinion as to the differences between French and American harp pedagogies. Ms. Perrin explained that a long time ago there were three or four prominent harp teachers in Europe that had differing opinions regarding pedagogical techniques. The differences between these harp teachers’ techniques eventually became a dividing dispute among several of their students. This separation of beliefs and techniques helped to form different harp schools of thought among many American students. As a result, many students in America still conform to their individual harp teacher’s beliefs and techniques, instead of employing all of the pedagogical techniques from long ago. This conformity actually limits the harpist’s ability to use all of the techniques that were once, and in France still are, utilized to achieve certain emotional expression in music. In addition to all of the techniques still utilized today, the French learn all of the dynamics in a piece early on in their learning instead of waiting, like the Americans, until the notes are learned. By utilizing dynamics and several techniques, the French harpists and musicians are quickly and efficiently able to learn and convey certain emotions and feelings in their music. The use of techniques and dynamics go hand in hand, as the musician uses both to perform music of the highest quality.

I decided to apply these new techniques as well as increase of dynamics to my own harp playing throughout my stay in Paris and I was happy to discover a complete change in my playing abilities. I found that not only did my memory improved by applying more dynamics, but I was also able to achieve much more musical expression and feeling than ever before through the use of my new found techniques. I was able to successfully present this concept and show the differences between the styles of pedagogical thoughts between France and America through public recitals in France and the United States.

While providing public lecture/recitals in both France and the United States, I have also found a need to teach young harp students to use the certain techniques and dynamics that I learned about in France. As I have presented these techniques and concepts to my own harp students, I feel that they are becoming much better musicians.

Through this ORCA grant, I have been able to witness the improvement of musical expression and confidence not only in the playing of my students, but within my own performing as well. This project has helped me to observe another way of understanding the compositional structures of French music and pedagogical methods on the harp. Through observation, understanding, and personal application, I was able to understand effectively the different musical and pedagogical harp techniques between France and the United States of America. This project not only has changed my life as a musician, but also is allowing me to change the lives of many others as well, thereby serving others through my knowledge.