Sondheim, my teacher

Stephen Sondheim is widely recognised as the most important composer/lyricist of the musical theatre genre in the last third of the twentieth century but Dr Gregory Camp, who teaches musicology, music theory, and musicianship at the School of Music, says his influence also extends to a philosophy of art and learning.

“He was, above all, a teacher. He had a generous ‘teacherly spirit’. While he did teach in the literal sense, giving masterclasses and talks and interviews on his work, he also taught through his songs themselves."

There are many lessons Dr Camp learned from Sondheim, including intellectual rigour.

“Nothing in Sondheim’s music or lyrics is there by chance or ‘just because’. Every element is reducible to a central idea that governs the musical’s whole structure, whether that be composing out a single musical motive in Into the Woods, exploring the nostalgia of popular song in Follies, or developing a score backwards in Merrily We Roll Along.

“I try to do the same when teaching: a lecture works best if it has one main idea that all of the examples illustrate - but, as with Sondheim, that does not mean I always tell the students what that idea is!"
 

Sondheim also exemplified the importance of craft. “As he elucidates in his books of collected lyrics, a lot of hard work goes into making his art seem effortless. He stresses the importance of learning how music and words work before you can turn them into something thought-provoking or emotionally meaningful.

“What he offers through his work is a model for how to write. When we are students we often want to cut to the chase, spewing out an assignment as quickly as possible. But Sondheim exemplifies for me the ‘craft first’ approach, and it is one I try to instil in my students."

Sondheim also emphasised and demonstrated that details matter. “He was more generous than many artists in sharing why he chose specific details, why this word rather than that one, or this note rather than another.

“He could make those choices because he knew all of the possibilities, so his model is a daunting one; not many of us can actually deal with quite so many potential ways to fill a blank page. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try; the success of Sondheim’s work shows that it is worth taking the time to find just the right word or idea.”

Reflecting on the lessons he learned from Sondheim, he says, that they all boil down to the need to pay attention.

“As he taught me and I try to teach my students, it is worth paying close attention to the words, thoughts, people, and things around us. Rather than letting all of this wash over you, examine how it works, where it comes from, and what it does.”

The Genuis of Sondheim at Auckland Writer’s Festival on 23 August, will include readings, reflections and tributes, and performances by Jennifer Ward-Lealand, Edward Laurenson, Ben Kubiak, Cole Johnston, Kristin Darragh and a National Youth Theatre ensemble, all accompanied by James Doy on piano.