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Making A Musical Life
The Practice, The Profession, The Joy
by Tom Heimberg

Foreword by Lincoln Mayorga
129 pages, soft bound
Published by String Letter Publishing, 2007
ISBN 978-1-890490-59-1

Reviewed by Dwight Pounds

Sometime in 1972, Luciano Pavarotti, in a private conversation with Tom Heimberg, apparently remarked “It all begins in the brain!” The great tenor’s impromptu remark, perhaps more than the evening's best aria, impressed itself in Heimberg’s mind. However, anyone who reads this book must entertain the thought that Heimberg’s Making a Musical Life is written not for the acquisition of technique per se as one might expect, but as pedagogy for the mind. 

Tom Heimberg (1937-2006) was a string pedagogue with numerous contributions to Strings Magazine, San Francisco Classical Voice, and the oral history collection of the San Francisco Performing Arts and Library. The majority of his on-stage (or off-stage) career was as a violist and personnel manager with the San Francisco Opera Orchestra. Anyone familiar with the 2005 ASTA-NSOA publication, Playing and Teaching the Viola, may recall Heimberg’s contribution, “Practicing the Viola: Thought Before Action.” As author of some fourteen articles on practice and professional development and authority on both, selection as the “practice” contributor to this project was almost a foregone conclusion. (See JAVS Vol. 22, No. 1, p. 37 for a review of Playing and Teaching the Viola.) There is redundancy in Making a Music Life and Playing and Teaching the Viola and indeed much of “Practicing the Viola” appears to be a slightly updated version extracted from “The Mind in Practice” and other essays in this book. I counted eleven sections from the new book which had been incorporated in part or whole in Playing and Teaching the Viola. This begs the question, “What will this book provide that is not in the ASTA-NSOA publication?” The answer is quite a bit—Making a Musical Life is a compilation of Heimberg’s Strings publications apparently with later work, some of which is very specific, i.e., “Vibrato,” “Tremolo,” “Pizzicato: The Other Way to Play,” “Bow Explorations,” and “Tools for Better Technique.” As a compilation it also places in the readers’ hands thirty-some articles in a single volume which otherwise would be available in almost as many separate publications. A violist should not expect this book to be viola-specific—most of Heimberg’s observations are as appropriate to the violin, cello, and double bass as the viola and he even feels free to draw upon the experiences of clarinetists, bassoonists, and trumpeters. His approach to a specific subject tends to be quite general—the quality and types of vibrato, for instance, are more important to him than the subtle differences in violin and viola vibrato which he does not even address. Although some of the essays and references date to the 1990s and the book has a dated quality about it, much—even most—of the content is timeless.

“The Practice, the Profession, the Joy,” Heimberg’s subtitle for Making a Music Life, suggests his view of the book’s whole. It likewise is divided into three parts: part one being “Practice,” part two “Counsel and Guidance,” and part three “Views From the Musical Life.” Fourteen concise chapter-essays on practice (which comprise 54 of the book’s 129 pages and constitute its heart and soul) share a lifetime of insights on how, when, and under what physical and mental circumstances to practice. It is a book of tips, recommendations, and admonishments to student, teacher, and stand partner alike with regard to what the author considers sacred territory—efficient and productive practice—why else would he write a chapter “To Preserve, Protect, and Defend Practice Time?” Musical examples are almost non-existent. In addition to topics mentioned earlier, “Practice and Self Observation,” “Personal Practice Planning,” “Building a Personal Practice Book,” “How Fast is Slow?” and “Picking up the Pace” complete part one.

Part one, “Practice,” casts a long shadow in part two, “Counsel and Guidance,” as the consequences of good (or bad) technique are suggested repeatedly. Recycled sections from Playing and Teaching… include “The Fine Art of Faking,” “Tips and Tricks of the Trade,” and “Lessening Audition Agonies.” In “Be Prepared” and “Contract Tips for the Gigging Player,” Heimberg’s business acumen and negotiating skills prove as practical as his pedagogical approaches—don’t presume anything: anyone who would agree to a handshake should be willing to sign a contract. Get plenty of sleep—take care of yourself as well as your instrument and especially your bow. Anything that improves a musician’s comfort improves his/her tone quality. Plan ahead—keep at least one extra package of strings nearby. Dress for the occasion and avoid tight or worn clothing. Be sure your automobile is well serviced: check fuel, oil pressure, tire pressure and tread condition often. Keep some snacks food and water in your car for emergencies…and a flashlight.  Dozens more.

Part three in street vernacular is a “mixed bag.” The author’s subject matter changes rather abruptly in “Views from the Musical Life” and his role switches from pedagogue and dispenser of practical tips to documenting his impressions and lessons from a career in the pit orchestra. He discusses such diverse topics as the separation of the San Francisco Symphony and Opera Orchestras into indigenous organizations, the ground rules for marking music correctly, and the usually unsung (pun intended) contributions and critically important role of prompters in opera,  many of whom he credits with saving entire performances. A high degree of professionalism is never far from his mind and these subjects, diverse as they might be, still manage to reflect the practical nature so evident in Heimberg’s thought process.

He seems to reminisce in the five concluding essays, with little in the way of transition to move his readers from one topic to another. It was a bit jolting to read in turn an excellent system for marking music and the essential role of the prompter to a successful production and move without benefit of segue to tributes to violist Emil Férir (see JAVS Vol. 17, No. 3), Heimberg’s friend Felix Khuner, and Fritz Kreisler—all within the same section. Although Heimberg’s “war stories” in part three were interesting and contribute to the reader’s insights from parts one and two into the very conscientious, practical, and thoroughly professional mind that produced these valuable essays, they seemed to require a section of their own. 

Who should read this book? Anyone who either loves or hates to practice, anyone who practices six minutes or six hours per day, or anyone who wants or does not want to know more about how to practice. Student, teacher, amateur, or professional would easily benefit from Heimberg’s observations, especially those young people on the verge of deciding whether or not to enter professional performance as a career.