What being a part of a Chamber Group forces you to do

It forces you to be more aware of other people.  That’s what being a part of a chamber group forces me to do.  

At the beginning of the year, I joined a chamber group with Sam and Abigail, a violinist and a violist respectively.  This year, we managed to complete two pieces, meeting once every two weeks and more frequently before performances.  This upcoming Wednesday, we will be performing a Clarinet Trio by Mozart at middle school graduation.  

I believe this Mozart trio was levels beyond the piece we’d previously played. Regardless, I believe we learned it faster even though it was longer.  This is partially credited to our more developed listening skills.  In a chamber group, or whenever I’m playing with other people, no matter how well we each individually play, I must constantly be listening to our group mates in addition to ourselves.  Sometimes being simply a half beat too late or too early will lead each of us to totally different spots in the music.  

Chamber has forced me to listen more, to others while simultaneously being mindful of myself.  I must adjust myself when I feel the group is ahead/behind.  I must listen for queues and sometimes, when I can’t find my place, I must temporarily forsake own part and listen solely to Sam and Abigail to find myself in the music again.  I suppose this translates itself into how I should respond and conduct myself in heated arguments, when I’m receiving feedback, or when I’m talking to someone: listen, listen, listen.