Week 11 - Synergy Collaborations Case Study 2

According to Klickstein, 'Musical synergy ignites when collaborating musicians spark a creative fire that they could never kindle separately'. Early on in the module, Tom did mention that the whole point of the project (and in order to score well) is to create a project that you wouldn't be able to create yourself. In other words, there needs to be evidence that the project outcome is greater than the sum of its parts.

Klickstein splits synergy into five sections - each one I will analyse to what extent I agree with his reasoning and reflect on how it matches or differs with the current progression of the project.

1. Set Reachable Goals

'When you and your collegues are driven to accomplish definite, near-term tasks, your rehearsals will crackle with intensity'

Whilst I do appreciate that having short-term goals are important to build up flow and motivation within the group - there have probably been more instances in this collaboration and previous ones where either having a longer term goal to work towards or in-fact no goal creates a positive synergy in the group.

Having an unattainable goal, for collegues who are highly motivated, can force them into murky waters where they may have to problem solve to get close to the solution. As previously mentioned with BHAGs, it's not about whether the target is met but it's more about the journey, as that is where new skills and realisations tend to happen. On the other hand, no-goal sessions are equally as useful - such as last weeks session as that allows many doors of opportunity to be kept open or discovered. The moment there is a goal, it can in fact narrowly focus the collaboration and it's less likely that collaborators will take notice of the potentially useful surroundings around the goal in question.

2. Begin Rehearsals with Communal Material

'Getting under way with easy, commual material enables you and your partners to warm up'

To me, this is especially true when I am conducting larger ensembles. Members of an eglatarian group enjoy having gratification, and offering smaller doses of such gratification early on in a collaboration will build up confidence in players to take risks in their playing later on with more challenging passages.

This model can easily be adapted to our smaller group project. Starting off collaborations with free-improvisation can be a great way of building up trust between peers. Marrying this with positive gratification like saying 'This sounds good' or 'can you keep that going so I can improvise off it' is not only building up stronger relationships but can sometimes lead to instant ideas that might be useful for later on.

3. Balance leading with accompanying

'Immersing yourself in such musical interplay is an indescribable pleasure, and is a cornerstone of synergy'

This is a really good point - the most enjoyable collaborations have happened when my part feels good for the other musicians to play with in a group. That doesn't mean it should always be dominating and that accompanying is equally as important. 

This is something I'm going to raise with the group at our next meeting - looking back at the video, everyone was playing at the same time (almost as if we were all leading each other). Sometimes taking a step back (ie by accompanying or staying silent) can give a rehearsal a new breath of fresh air and allow players to start to notice the musical interplay easier.

4. Connect with a Director

'When working under a group leader, your duty isn't merely to obey directions. Dynamic leader-run ensembles breathe life into music because the performers absorb a composition's content together with the director's interpretation'.

This can be related to the idea of composer/performer interactions where Klickstein suggests that synergy comes from interactive interactions where there is more 'direct negotiation' with musicians. 

From our non-lead group's perspective, this could be applied to a situation where the leader may be someone with more competancy in a certain field. For example, Peer B might be seen as a leader in technological composition but if myself and Peer A were to just simply obey what he says then there wouldn't be much synergy. Instead, in our first session we have asked questions (so what? why? how?), challenged his ideas (in a reflective manner) and mixed in our own competancies to form fusions of new ideas and these are positive first steps in how we will develop further as a group and as musicians. 

5. Transmit positive energy

'If you become a beacon of creative strength, you can dispel negativity and uplift your colleagues'

'If you can laugh together, you can work together' - Robert Orben (Comedy Writer)

This is something that I'm particularly strong at (likely due to my extrovert character) - so far with both collaborative groups (in first year and masters level) we have been able to go through the collaborative process with laughter and not taking the whole situation too seriously. 

It also links back to a realisation I made at the start of this project about 'valuing everything, especially things that are least unacceptable'. Use the so called unacceptable moments (like tardiness or forgetfullness) as an opportunity for humour - finding value in such negative situations is a skill I hope to continue to develop not only in my musical career but my teaching one too.

I mean the evidence in this group for humour is rather clear as day...

...River why havn't you done your blog yet... - just you wait :)