Do We Memorize Music In NWE?

By: Renee Bordner
NWE Music Studio Director

I am often asked if our studio requires all of our students to memorize their music for our informal and formal events.  The answer is always the same for me.  That answer is "it depends".  There is a tremendous value in learning and performing memorized music which is explained very well in this article.  https://mattixmusic.com/why-memorize-music/  However, not all of our students have the ability or desire to perform memorized music.  Students who wish to memorize music on their own are always welcome to do so.  Students who are preparing for adjudication or competition in which the music must be memorized are asked to do so.  For some students memorizing a piece is a long-term goal.  For some students, it is more appropriate to work on performance anxiety while reading music first and then work on performing memorized music.  Wherever the student is at with their music memorization journey, is where our instructors will meet the student.  We will set goals accordingly and celebrate the students' successes.  Thank you to Liszt, Schumann, and Paganini for forging the path of memorized musical paths.