JAVS Spring 2022

The key to performing this poem is understanding the phrasing. One can recite the poem line-by-line without any difference in timing or dynamic, but it would not be true to the poem and would simply be impossible to understand, especially given the lack of punctuation. I like to compare this poem to the Bach Cello Suites, most of which have very long phrases with little to no rests or dynamics. These sorts of pieces, both Bach and Dickinson, are very ambiguous and require a skilled interpreter to communicate their true meaning. Most performers experience anxiety at some point during their careers. Are there similarities in how anxiety manifests itself in recitation and viola performance, and do the same strategies work for addressing both types of performance anxiety? MM: When performing on viola, it is common to experience an increased heart rate, sweating, forgetfulness, nervousness, and many other anxiety symptoms: poetry performance is not exempt from this. We have all experienced performance anxiety in one way or another—either before, during, or after a performance. Lowering anxiety during a performance is yet another transferable skill that can be shared between poetry and musical performance. In a sense, performance anxiety has the potential to be more detrimental in poetry performance because there is nothing to hide behind; there is no instrument, no notes, no ensemble to cover up any mistakes or anxiety symptoms. If one’s voice is shaking while performing poetry, it is almost impossible to hide, whereas a shaky bow in viola performance may not be quite as noticeable. Now that you can perform on the viola again, would you recommend reciting poetry as a learning tool for other violists to grow their performance skills away from the instrument? MM: Yes, I would! Of course, practicing poetry has its limits as a substitute for viola practice, so I would never recommend reciting poetry as a replacement, but it does have its benefits when added to your routine. For example, I mentioned that I still take a moment to speak into my practice room before beginning my repertoire. It helps me understand how I sound in the room and focuses in on a mindset of listening. Additionally, poetry and music both require us to be actors, a feat that is easier when you are doing something as natural as speaking, which again puts us into that mindset before playing. It also is just a good hobby to have. We as musicians,

especially those of us who are still in school, tend to forgo our outside lives, so I would recommend poetry to anyone as a simple hobby, its obvious musical benefits a positive bonus. Musical Considerations How, then, can we fully utilize the different musical aspects of poetry in our performances? By returning to the key metrics of a constructed poem, we can assess their significance in other performance areas: • Dynamics/Loud vs Soft • Tempo/Speed of Speech • Meter/Inflection • P hrasing Grouping of notes or words to indicate meaning The relationship of articulations, dynamics, and tempo between music and poetry are beautifully similar. Let us take the first line in Dickenson’s poem as an example: “Tell all the truth but tell it slant.” 4 The word “slant” can be interpreted in several ways. First, as the description of a slope, something angular. This directive can indicate the style of the recitation to the performer—much how expressive markings influence a performer’s choice. When considering an angular speech pattern versus a rounded speech pattern, this influences not only shape of the recitation, but the warmth, color, and overall delivery of the piece. Additionally, “slant” foreshadows metaphors of light throughout the poem— “too bright … Lightning … must dazzle …” 5 The “slant” of light must be a consideration from a reader, just as an early presentation of a theme or a motif in a piece must be a consideration for the musician. Additionally, the first two lines set up rhythmic expectations for a reader: “Tell all the truth but tell it slant –/Success in Circuit lies.” 6 This alteration between iambic tetrameter and iambic trimeter is known as common meter in poetry. 7 The first line is written in iambic tetrameter: • Articulation/Diction • Intonation

Tell all | the truth | but tell | it slant – Suc- cess | in Cir | cuit lies

The words are broken into each iamb with bold emphasizing the stressed syllables. This manifestation

Journal of the American Viola Society / Vol. 38, No. 1, Spring 2022

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