Stephen Weber is currently Assistant Professor at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma, where he teachers studio and class piano, accompanying, piano pedagogy, music fundamentals, and music technology. He maintains an active schedule as a solo and collaborative pianist and workshop clinician. In 1997 and 1998 Dr. Weber received university awards for teaching excellence and for scholarly activity. Dr. Weber was a winning composer in the 1994 National Conference on Piano Pedagogy Composition Competition, for which he also served as panelist for two workshop sessions. He has recorded on the Opus One label and has over 60 published compositions to his credit, nearly half of which are for piano. His publishers include Concordia Publishing House, H.W. Gray Corporation, Permus Publications, Voice of the Rockies, Warner Brothers and Zalo Publications. Weber has received annual awards from ASCAP since 1994.
Stephen Weber
Department of Music
University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma
Chikasha, OK
73018
405.224.3140
facwebers@mercur.usao.edu
The subject of memorization for performance has become a hot issue among pianists and teachers over the last few years, with parties on either side making compelling arguments for or against memorization. The issue continues to cause a stir among pianists and teachers as it is often a featured topic at workshops, conventions, and in periodicals.
This article will not deal with the pros and cons of memorization in performance. The purpose of this article is not to choose sides in the debate. The issue of concern here is "what do psychologists know about memory and how can we apply that information to our discipline?"
Most studies on memory generally agree that memory has three stages or aspects; acquisition, storage, and retrieval. Acquisition is the actual process of learning the information to be recalled later. Storage, the second stage, is the system of organization chosen to file the information for recall. The final stage, retrieval, is often thought of as the "remembering" part of memory.
We all recall "breakthrough" moments in our training as pianists. One of my important breakthroughs came when I was a doctoral student at Texas Tech University where I was studying with artist-in-residence William Westney. The date for my first doctoral recital was fast approaching and for the first time the issue of memorization came up. Dr. Westney asked how I memorized. I explained that memorization was never something I had really had to do; it just happened. I assured him that even though I'd had occasional memory lapses in performance I was always able to keep playing in an appropriate style until I could get back on track. He pressed me for more information about how I actually memorized, implying that memory was an active and specific process. After some research about memory, and with Dr. Westney's help, I came to realize that I didn't really memorize; I was just remembering. There is a difference. During all those years of piano playing I had neglected the acquisition and storage stages, relying only on what I could remember from continuous exposure to the music I was studying. Preparing for that doctoral recital taught me that "knowing" the music is a far more secure place to be than simply "remembering."
It is important to acknowledge that memorization is a process. It is something that is done consciously and with a specific intention. Certainly, exposure to music being studied allows for much information to be stored and recalled, and repetition is one of the key principles of memory. But security in recall hinges on the effectiveness in the acquisition and storage stages. Students often believe that memory lapses are simply caused by their inability to remember the material, when in actuality memory lapses are likely due to ineffectiveness in acquisition and storage of the material.
Acquisition
Acquisition must be first accepted as intentional, not incidental. Memorization must be an active process, as opposed to something that may (or in many cases, may not) happen over a period of time. Acquisition of information to be memorized involves simply studying the material at hand. For pianists, this is often done "on the fly," or as we are playing. This is certainly an accepted practice as it brings together the physical and mental processes. However, there are some problems with this approach. For information to be assimilated physically and processed mentally the matter of adequate attention is a concern. The performance tempo of a piece may not allow for adequate attention to all the details of the score. Retention of material is more effective when done in a deliberate and conscious manner with consideration for the amount of time it takes to process all the details. If memorizing is to take place at the piano it must be done slowly so that nerve "imprinting" and muscle movements are programmed effectively and mental memory traces are established and stored for all the details in the score.
Isn't it puzzling that we might neglect to consider memorizing from the score, away from the piano, as an effective technique? Students learn early in school the need to study their notes, repeat information, and affirm what they know while double-checking their study notes. Yet, our piano students are perplexed at the thought of studying the score away from the piano. The score IS the source of the information to be learned. Away from the piano the student or performer has control over the amount of time it takes to process information, giving complex areas more time for assimilation, if necessary.
Two other key concepts deserve mention in the acquisition process. The first of these, association, is considered by psychologists to be one of the most significant factors in successful recall of information. The more associations we can make with a single idea the greater the chance for recall. The second concept, encoding or registration, is the process whereby information is acquired and stored and will be discussed below.
Storage
The brain has an incredible capacity for storage of information. Memorized material is stored in various parts of the brain as memory "traces". The more traces stored regarding a singular idea the greater the chance for recall. Bits of information, the traces, come to a central processing center and the specific item is then effectively recalled.
The key to effective storage of information is establishing a process or system of organization. We are all familiar with different approaches to memorization: aural memory, harmonic memory, tactile memory, etc. All of these certainly have some merit as they present an organized approach to memorization.
On a more comprehensive level, however, the memorization process involves establishing specific mental files for information regarding each note to be memorized. Each note may have a file for its fingering, dynamic level, articulation, and timbre. Mental files may also be set up for what comes before and after each note so that traces are linked sequentially in the brain. Recall is further strengthened when emotional or visual attributes are tied to information. Thus, it may be helpful to establish files for the myriad of places in the music where we are seeking to communicate a particular emotion or adjective, paint a picture, or tell a story. Psychologists refer to this process of learning and storing information as encoding; giving each item consideration and attention and establishing a memory trace for it. In so doing, a single idea has numerous associations and related information to increase the odds of successful recall.
Retrieval
This stage is often the first to get the blame when memory problems arise, though the pitfalls here are relatively few. The most common reason information cannot be retrieved is that there are inadequate traces acquired and stored, i.e., the person doing the memorizing has not been complete or effective in the first two stages. Hopefully, it is now apparent how important the acquisition and storage phases are in memorization.
There are, however, other factors that can impede retrieval of memorized information. Many of these are external factors or disruptions in the retrieval process that make it difficult to recall information. Crowd noise, room temperature, and performance environment can be disruptions in remembering. Even the instrument on which the pianist performs can be a disruptive factor. In these cases we may not have much control, but the pianist must maintain a positive attitude and have confidence in the work he or she has done in the memorization process, knowing that a strong performance is still possible despite the external conditions. It is also helpful to give students adequate time for adjustment to a difficult performance environment; have them play numerous times under the anticipated less-than-ideal setting so that the body and mind can become acclimated to the situation.
One of the most significant disruptions in the retrieval stage is performance anxiety. Nervousness, tension, and stage fright strongly inhibit the brain's ability to process information for recall. A substantial percentage of performance anxiety cases are due to apprehension about memory. Imagine how much less performance anxiety students might feel if they were completely confident regarding the memorization of their pieces. Again, this affirms the importance of the work that needs to be done in the acquisition and storage phases, something over which the student does have control.
Another important aspect of the retrieval stages is affirmation. This is often neglected by performers. Affirmation simply involves the mental recall of all information that has been acquired and stored. This will single out problem areas where there is inadequate information and give the student the opportunity to encode more information, and to establish and strengthen existing memory traces. We commonly check for affirmation "live" in lessons and in performances. Certainly, this is one of the best ways to assess the effectiveness of the memorization process. Affirmation, like acquisition or encoding, might also be done mentally away from the piano. The student should be able to account for every detail in the score by mentally "playing the piece in their head" in super-slow motion, affirming all the available stored memory traces.
Finally, many writings on memory suggest that attitude is a significant factor in acquisition and retention of material. It is important that we have a positive perception of what we are trying to achieve as we memorize. Rather than considering memorization a time-consuming and risky necessity that has been handed down as a tradition, we might think of it as an opportunity to be freed from the written page. In the end, we might be able to make the confident claim that we truly know the music; that it is a part of us.
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