Knowledge, experience, insights, tips and tricks are some of the things the best teachers impart to their students. In the case of classical music, as in many other fields, there is always an emphasis on technique and practice, but there are so many less doctrinaire things that the best teachers give, making their advice more compelling and useful. Some are sticklers about interpretation, insisting on adherence to a composer’s intent as delineated in what is written in the music, such as tempo, dynamics etc., and those things are essential for a serious student to master. But, often the most valuable information imparted has to do with the things that make a performance more musical and engaging, how to use techniques in ways that create something which brings to mind what inspired the composer to write the piece, adding color and context, airiness or heaviness, whatever grabs a listener and makes them pay attention and get more out of a performance. In a UCSB Arts & Lectures and Department of Music sponsored masterclass, Greek violinist Leonidas Kavakos did just that, using humor and artistry to make students really think about what they are doing, combining technical advice with probing questions and suggestions, all with the intent of drawing out a more nuanced and striking rendition of a classical work.
