Reblog → The power of the pause
To paraphrase the question at the heart of Liz Danzico’s thinking on pauses and silence:
What if musicians were more comfortable with the presence of absence?
When I rehearse orchestras or coach young musicians I often find myself emphasizing the importance of silence in music, particularly the many instances in most compositions where sound and soundless meet. Players [perhaps not surprisingly given their total physical involvement in making sound] tend to focus primarily on the start and end of tone, what we think of as articulation and release. I try to keep my attention on the shaping of silence – how pauses begin and the way sound emerges from silence – an approach I believe enlivens the phrasing, pacing and feel of a performance.
Related: A Slate article from last year on notable moments of silence in music that move composer and writer Jan Swafford.
