I first met Dr. Alexander Kahn last year at an event called Day of Strings at Sonoma State University. Although this year's Day of Strings was online, I still learned a lot and gained valuable advice, and was able to meet current college music students. Continue reading to hear Dr. Kahn's advice for younger musicians and his career journey!
What instruments did you study when you were growing up, and who inspired you?
I started on violin when I was about six years old - my father was a violin teacher and conductor so it was a natural choice. Later I switched to piano and then focused on French horn from about age 9 onwards.
What was your major in college and what made you realize you wanted to go into the music field?
I double-majored majored in French horn performance and comparative literature. During my college years I vacillated back and forth between wanting to be a college literature professor, a professional French horn player, or a college musicology professor. Music was always the obvious choice, since both my father and my grandfather were professional musicians.
What specialized training is needed to become a conductor versus a music performer or private music teacher?
I love conducting because it ties together all of one's skills as a musician and a human being. To be a good conductor one must have a first-rate knowledge of music theory and music history, outstanding musicianship and ear-training skills, and a basic understanding of all of the instruments. It also requires physical strength and flexibility, as well as leadership skills, people skills, and emotional maturity and openness. In my opinion this is what makes conducting both incredibly challenging and incredibly satisfying.
How difficult is it to go from one type of a music related position to another based on your degree? For example, can someone who wants to be a performance major eventually teach, or do they need a music education degree specifically?
This is a question that I get a lot from young people and the answer is you never know where life will take you. I know many people who majored in music performance who are now primarily teachers, as well as people who majored in education who are primarily performers. That being said, if a student wants to become a certified music teacher I strongly recommend getting a music education degree as an undergraduate student.
Reading your bio on your website, it sounds like you have founded different groups or programs. What are the skills or personality traits needed to successfully start up your own program?
Patience, optimism, and lots of time. The understanding that no one else is going to do it for you!
What advice would you give to a younger musician? This could be anything from time management to confidence building, or anything else.
Make sure every day you remind yourself of your love of music. As musicians we can get easily bogged down trying to master a new technique, prepare for an audition, learn a new difficult piece, etc. Always make sure you have a little fun with music every day, whether that's from playing a piece that you find easy, dancing to music on your stereo, doing some improvisation, or reading a book or watching a video about a musician you admire.
What are your goals and objectives for your program that you lead at Sonoma State University, and what benefits do you hope your students will gain by being in this program?
I hope that students will graduate from Sonoma State with a good set of skills for making
music in the 20th century. This skill set includes of course technical mastery and outstanding musicality, but it also includes entrepreneurial skills, flexibility, social and environmental responsibility, and resilience.