【独家专访】 与指挥家Dr. Alan Mills谈指挥

▲指挥家艾伦 · 米尔斯博士

专访对话者简介

艾伦 · 米尔斯

Dr. Alan W. Mills 艾伦 · 米尔斯博士是科罗拉多州州立大学的音乐教授暨乐团的总监和指挥。

勇敢的心

“勇敢的心”为公众号【乐迷心窍】的创始人及音乐群的群主。

时间：2019年3月10日

地点：【乐迷心窍分享群】

内容：与艾倫第一次访谈

勇敢的心

2019年3月10日 23:24

Hi Alan. How are you ? Long time no see.

嗨，艾伦。您好吗？好久不见。

艾伦 · 米尔斯

I am doing very well. Thank you

我很好。谢谢你

2019My Work

勇敢的心

You posted these pictures about a fun concert at a local Colorado high school  on 7th March 2019. Could you tell us why it was a fun concert?

您贴了一些照片，是2019年3月7日在科罗拉多州当地一所高中举行的一场有趣的音乐会。您能告诉我们为什么这是一场有趣的音乐会吗？

艾伦 · 米尔斯

I do a lot of work away from my university helping out school bands. I have worked with this band director several times over the past six years. He has been pleased with my work and subsequently asked me to guest conduct on his concert. The students were very happy and the performance went very well.

我除了在大学教书还做了很多工作来协助学校乐队。在过去的六年里，我曾与这个乐队指挥合作过几次。他对我的工作很满意，因此请我为他的音乐会作客座（嘉宾）指挥。学生们很高兴，演出也很顺利。

勇敢的心

That was great ! Congratulations !  Could you tell us about your very first encounter with music?

太棒了！祝贺您！您能告诉我们您与音乐的第一次邂逅吗？

艾伦 · 米尔斯

That is difficult to know. I grew up with a piano in my home, and I know that my mother would play for me now and then. I am certain that this had an influence on me very early in life. I was taking piano lessons by age 7. I also started playing the trumpet at age 10.

这很难讲。在我成长过程中家里一直都有架钢琴，我知道我妈妈时不时地会弹钢琴给我听。我确信这对我很早就产生了影响。我7岁就开始上钢琴课，10岁也开始吹小号了。

勇敢的心

That was wonderful. Your mother gave you a good early music education and influence.

真好！您母亲给了您良好的早期音乐教育和影响。

艾伦 · 米尔斯

Yes.

是的。

勇敢的心

When you started the piano lessons at the age of 7, were you already interested in piano?  When you were 10 , did you choose to learn trumpet yourself ?

当您7岁开始上钢琴课时，已经对钢琴产生兴趣了吗？在您10岁的时候，是自己选择吹小号的吗？

艾伦 · 米尔斯

I was very interested in the piano. Even before I knew how to play it properly, I would sit and play it to explore various emotions. My parents simply asked me what instrument I would like to play in the band at school. I’m not completely sure why I selected trumpet. But it was a very rewarding choice for me.

我对钢琴很感兴趣。即使在我知道如何正确地演奏它之前，我也会坐在那儿弹钢琴来探索各种情绪。我父母只是问我想在学校的乐队里演奏什么乐器。我不太清楚为什么选小号，但对我来说这是一个非常有益的选择。

勇敢的心

Wow，you were a smart and unique child. When did you then choose to make music a career?

哇，您是个聪明而独特的孩子！您何时选择音乐作为您的事业？

艾伦 · 米尔斯

After I graduated from high school, I knew that I wanted to study music in college. However, it was not until my second year as an undergraduate student that my passion for being a conductor emerged.

高中毕业后，我知道我想在大学里学习音乐。然而，直到我本科的第二年，我对当指挥的热情才浮出水面。

曾伟

@Alan W. Mills 艾伦 · 米尔斯  I would like to know which college ?

想知道是哪所大学？

艾伦 · 米尔斯

I went to the University of Minnesota for my undergraduate degree.

我是在明尼苏达大学读的本科学位。

勇敢的心

So, the music knowledge you learned in college and the activities you participated in determined the beginning of your career as a conductor, right?

所以，您在大学里学到的音乐知识和参加的活动决定了您作为指挥家职业生涯的开始，对吧？

艾伦 · 米尔斯

Well, I was also given an opportunity to conduct my high school band as a senior in high school. Plus, I directed our high school jazz band in high school too. Those two experiences were also very influential in my career choice.

嗯，我也有机会在高中12年级的时候指挥我们学校的乐队。另外，我也在高中时指挥过我们的爵士乐队。这两次经历对我的职业选择也很有影响。

勇敢的心

Wonderful !  With this background and education, followed by several years of  experience conducting different orchestras, what do you think makes for an excellent conductor?

太精彩了！有了这样的背景和教育，再加上几年指挥不同管弦乐队的经验，您认为什么才能成就一位优秀的指挥？

艾伦 · 米尔斯

Passion.

激情

勇敢的心

That is to say, passion is the solid base for being a good conductor.  One of the most fascinating aspects of your work must surely be the challenge of coordinating the output of one hundred musicians. How do you work with them as a team?

也就是说，激情是做一个好指挥的坚实基础。您身为一位乐团指挥，最吸引人的一个方面肯定是指挥协调一百名乐团成员共同演奏作品的挑战。作为一个团队，您如何与他们合作？

艾伦 · 米尔斯

Of course a proper training in music is also fundamental to achieving success as a conductor. It is a lifelong pursuit of learning how to listen to the sound that is in front of you. Then, you either accept or reject the sound. But one of the greatest rewards is being able to influence that sound in real time, both during rehearsal and performance. It doesn’t make any difference as to the size of the ensemble.

当然，正确的音乐训练也是指挥取得成功的基础。学习如何倾听你面前的声音，这是一个终生的追求。然后，你要么接受要么拒绝这个声音。但最大的回报之一是能够在排练和表演中实时影响声音。这与乐团规模大小则没有什么不同。

勇敢的心

停半小时，然后再接着聊吗？

Hi Alan, it's too late to continue our chat. We will pick up again in the very near future. Have a good night, Alan ! And thank you very much.

嗨，艾伦！现在已经太晚了，我们不能再继续聊了。我们会尽快安排续聊。晚安，艾伦！非常感谢。

时间：2019年3月12日

地点：【乐迷心窍分享群】

内容：与艾倫第二次访谈

勇敢的心

3/12/2019 21:29

Hi Alan. How are you? I wondered if you are free now so that we can pick up our chat again.

您好吗？艾伦。我想知道您现在是否有空，我们可以接着聊吗？

艾伦 · 米尔斯

Yes, I would be happy to continue.

是的，我很愿意继续我们的话题。

勇敢的心

Y

“Of course a proper training in music is also fundamental to achieving success as a conductor. It is a lifelong pursuit of learning how to listen to the sound that is in front of you. Then, you either accept or reject the sound. But one of the greatest rewards is being able to influence that sound in real time, both during rehearsal and performance. It doesn’t make any difference as to the size of the ensemble.”You said.

“当然，正确的音乐训练也是指挥取得成功的基础。学习如何倾听你面前的声音，这是一个终生的追求。然后，你要么接受要么拒绝这个声音。但最大的回报之一是能够在排练和表演中实时影响声音。这与乐团规模大小则没有什么不同。”上回您这么说过。

So how exactly do you communicate your ideas about a work?

那么，您能说说您是如何传达您对一首乐曲的想法吗？

艾伦 · 米尔斯

I like to think of it as “informed intuition.” You must study the score and be familiar enough with it and the musical intent behind it to be able to bring the sound off of the page.

我喜欢把它看作是一种“可靠的直觉”，你必须研究乐谱到对它和它背后包含的音乐意图相当熟悉的程度，才足以让音符活灵活现，跃然纸上。

勇敢的心

That means any conductor must  be very familiar with the music score, and understand the composer's creative background and intent, just as familiar with his own palms and fingers, right? So that the performance could be delivered  brilliantly and accurately .

这意味着任何指挥家都必须非常熟悉乐谱，理解作曲家的创作背景和意图，就像熟悉自己的手掌和手指一样，对吧？以至于使演出能够精彩、准确地进行。

艾伦 · 米尔斯

It is not uncommon to listen to an ensemble and notice something that isn’t quite right. It is clear that the correct notes and rhythms are being executed, yet there is something else wrong. Sometimes what is missing is a perspective of the musical intent.

For example, if a musician is not familiar with the proper tone on an instrument, it will be difficult to reproduce what is intended with the score. We can look back over the history of music and know that performance practices have changed over time. But if a conductor is not familiar with the specific performance practices of a given time, they will not likely understand the correct sounds that should be produced when conducting the ensemble.

听乐团演奏并注意到一些不太对的地方并不少见。毫无疑问地，音符和节奏都演奏得很准确，可是听起来还是有点不对。有时缺少的是音乐意图的那一部分。

例如，如果演奏者不熟悉乐器上的正确音色，就很难演奏出乐谱要求的意境。我们可以回顾一下音乐的历史，了解随着时间的推移，演奏风格也随着有所改变。但是，如果一个指挥不熟悉某个特定时期的演奏风格，他们基本不明白指挥乐团时该奏出怎样的声音才是正确的。

▼艾伦指挥他的乐团演奏的三首曲子

01 Awayday

02 Spumante

03 West Side Story Dances

勇敢的心

I see. The musicians must first have a good knowledge of the sound and performance of various instruments, so that he can understand what the correct sound is when he interprets the music score.

Could you tell us who the composer is for the audio I just posted above ?

我明白。演奏者首先必须对各种乐器的声音和如何演奏不同的音色有很深刻的了解，这样他才能在诠释乐谱时理解正确的声音该是什么。

我刚刚在上面发布的音频，您能告诉我们作曲家是谁吗？

艾伦 · 米尔斯

你分享的《Awayday》 是Adam Gorb作的曲。

勇敢的心

Very good. Thank you. So how exactly do you see your role? Inspiring the players or singers? Conveying the vision of the composer?

很好，谢谢您。那么您到底是如何看待您的角色的呢？激励演奏者或演唱者吗？或是传达作曲家的愿景？

艾伦 · 米尔斯

In my role as a conductor, I see myself in a lifelong journey to try create the most meaningful aesthetic experiences for people who are both a part of the music making process and also people who are simply listening to the music. Music has the ability to help fulfill the human condition that is a part of all of us. But I have also learned more recently that while I enjoy making music by myself, the music has much more meaning when it is created with other people and shared with other people.

在我作为指挥的角色中，我把自己看作是一个在毕生的旅程中，试图为音乐演奏者和聆听者创造最有意义的审美体验的一个人。音乐有能力帮助满足人类的需求，这是我们所有人的一部分。但最近我也了解到，虽然我喜欢自己玩音乐，但当与他人一起演奏音乐并与他人分享时，它的意义就更大了。

勇敢的心

That's great! You were born for music! We will accompany you on this journey.  Does the technical language of music – the conductor’s natural vocabulary – lend itself to encouraging or motivating people?

太好了！您就是为音乐而生！我们将陪您走这段爱乐的旅程。那么，音乐术语—也就是指挥家具有的肢体语言—是否有助于鼓励或激励人们？

艾伦 · 米尔斯

Yes, I believe conducting includes the art of encouraging and motivating musical responses.

是的，我认为指挥是一种涵盖了鼓励和激励音乐反应的艺术。

勇敢的心

You’ve worked with various orchestras in China, could you tell us about your experience and thoughts?

您在中国与许多管弦乐队合作过，能告诉我们您的经历和想法吗？

艾伦 · 米尔斯

That is not an easy question to answer. My first visit to China was in 2004. Because I have subsequently made several visits there over the years and also lived in Chengdu for one year, I have worked with many different ensembles, including very young ensembles and also professional ensembles. So, I have had lot of different experiences.

这不是一个容易回答的问题。我第一次访问中国是在2004年。之后我又去了中国好几次，并在成都住了一年，因此我和很多不同的乐团合作过，包括非常年轻的乐团和专业乐团。所以，我有很多不同的经历。

勇敢的心

We have some friends in this group who are from Chengdu. With your education in the classical Western tradition and background, how do you go about working with the Chinese musicians interpreting some of the Chinese works? What are some of the rewarding moments in that exchange?

我们群里也有来自成都的朋友呐。您在传统的西方教育和背景下，是如何与中国音乐家合作并演奏中国作品的呢？在这些互动中，有哪些令您受益匪浅的时刻呢？

艾伦 · 米尔斯

I cannot claim to be an expert on the intention behind Chinese music. But I know more now than I did fifteen years ago. But that is part of the enjoyment of our musical journey. We have opportunities to learn about different cultures through their music. I have also enjoyed getting to know Chinese composers. These are the people who teach me the most about the Chinese musical culture and traditions.

我不能自称是了解中国音乐内涵的专家。但我现在比十五年前了解得更多了。这就是我们音乐之旅的乐趣之一。我们有机会通过他们的音乐了解不同的文化。我也很高兴逐渐认识了一些中国作曲家。这些是教给我有关中国音乐文化和传统最多的人。

勇敢的心

I’d like to wrap up our chat with one last question.

Do you think you have developed your own conducting style evolving from what you were taught in school? Are there any one of the maestros who influenced you the most?

我想请教您最后一个问题, 然后我们就结束访谈。

您认为您已经从在校所学的基础上逐渐演变而发展出自己的指挥风格了吗？有哪位指挥大师对您的影响最大？

艾伦 · 米尔斯

I’d like to believe that my conducting is in a continuous state evolution. I have had many different conducting teachers in my training. In fact, whenever I attend a concert or rehearsal, I learn from whoever is conducting. There are no copyrights on conducting gestures, so I encourage my conducting students to steal anything possible from other conductors. There is no one single way to create music as a conductor. I believe there are many different ways to create terrific results.

我确信我的指挥风格会持续不断的演变。在我接受训练的过程中，曾有过几位不同的导师。事实上，每当我去听音乐会或参与排练时，在台上的指挥都是我学习的对象。指挥的手势没有版权，所以我鼓励我的指挥学生从其他指挥那里汲取任何可以学到的东西。作为一名指挥，创作音乐的方式不是只有一种。我相信有无穷无尽的方法可以创造出非常好的结果。

勇敢的心

I really appreciate your time in sharing with us the firsthand information and experience in conducting with us.  Hope we get to chat again in the near future. It's late now. Have a good night, Alan.  

我非常感谢您与我们分享有关指挥的第一手资讯和您的指挥经验。但愿我们能在不久的将来有机会再聊。现在已经很晚了。晚安，艾伦。

艾伦 · 米尔斯

(注:艾伦用中文发的信息)

感谢您的关注。我很高兴有机会与您交谈。我很高兴与任何人交谈。随时给我发个人联系请求。我们可以成为微信朋友，并在未来保持联系。也许我们可以在下次访问中国期间见面。

勇敢的心

不客气！您中文讲的很好！ 谢谢Alan！ 我们都是您的忠实观众，一起为您加油，喝彩！

艾伦 · 米尔斯

不是，不是，我中国话说不好，谢谢您！"勇敢的心"，你的英语非常好！

附录：艾伦 · 米尔斯简历

（注：上下滑动文字阅读全文）

（Scroll the text below to read the entire bio）

美国音乐指挥艾伦·米尔斯教授简介

艾伦·米尔斯教授现任美国科罗拉多州立大学普埃布罗校区音乐教授。至2018年，艾伦·米尔斯教授 已经在该校工作了十年。其主要职责如下：担任该校吹奏乐团及行进乐团的指挥，担任指挥专业及其他相关课程的教师工作。

米尔斯教授还曾在美国德克萨斯州的A&M商业大学担任管乐团的联席指挥工作，同时担任该校管乐团及行进乐团的指挥，此外还负责教授指挥应用，音乐技巧和爵士音乐史等课程。

除了定期参加科罗拉多州不同公立学校组织的音乐活动以外，作为一名音乐人和指挥，米尔斯教授还曾经在美国各地和海外参加不同的音乐活动，例如在加拿大和北达科它州举办的音乐夏令营活动。米尔斯教授还曾应邀作为客座指挥，与美国空军管乐团进行过合作。此外，米尔斯教授还指挥自己的乐团演奏过大量不同知名作曲家的作品，这些作曲家包括安德鲁·勃耶森，约翰·德·梅耶，爱德华·奈特，安东尼·奥徒乐，亚当·科尔布，本杰明·叶等等。

作为指挥，米尔斯教授在亚洲不同的国家和地区有超过12年的工作经历。在这十多年的时间里，米尔斯教授分别于2014,2015,2017年到访过新加坡。在新加坡期间还曾到访过马来西亚的马六甲，对当地的高中乐队进行了知道排练。2017年米尔斯教授应邀到访台湾和泰国，并对当地的乐队进行了指导和排练。在中国，米尔斯教授曾经指导过多个不同学校的乐队，排练次数不少于150场，足迹遍布广东深圳，湖南长沙，河南郑州，内蒙古包头，四川成都和首都北京。米尔斯教授还曾与不同的乐队合作，在中国首都北京的中山音乐厅，北京音乐厅，以及包头大剧院举办音乐会。

米尔斯教授以优异的成绩毕业于明尼苏达州莫里斯大学乐器音乐教育专业，主修钢琴及小号表演艺术，并取得文学学士学位，此后，先后进修于美国科罗拉多大学和美国亚利桑那大学取得音乐教育专业硕士学位及指挥专业硕士学位，继而进修于美国佛罗里达大学，获得音乐教育哲学理论专业及管乐指挥专业博士学位。

米尔斯教授曾多次在美国音乐教育联盟大会上作音乐专题讲座，并在美国管乐专业杂志发表学术文章，很多文章被选入美国《通过管乐表演艺术传授音乐教育》系列教科书选用。2013年，在位于格林斯堡的北卡罗莱纳大学举办的全美大学管乐指挥联盟大会上，又举行了专题讲座。米尔斯教授还是落基山脉执行项目的创办人，这个项目每年向管乐团推出新的作品。此外， 米尔斯教授还是科罗拉多州立大学普埃布罗音乐节的创办人，该音乐节现在是科罗拉多规模最大的高中音乐节。

Dr. Alan W. Mills is Director of Bands and Professor of Music at Colorado State University-Pueblo. 2018 marked his tenth year of service at CSU-Pueblo, where his duties include conducting the Wind Ensemble and University Band, directing the Marching Band, supervising student teachers, and teaching classroom and applied conducting. He has also served on the faculty of Texas A&M University-Commerce as Associate Director of Bands where he conducted the Symphonic band and University Band, Directed the Marching Band, plus taught courses in applied conducting, instrumental music pedagogy, music technology, and jazz history.

In addition to his regular outreach to the public school band programs of Colorado, he has appeared as a clinician and conductor across the United States, including a residency at the International Music Camp in North Dakota and Canada. He has appeared as a guest conductor with the United States Air Force Academy Concert Band and has conducted several world premier performances by composers such as Andrew Boysen Jr., Johan de Meij, Edward Knight, Anthony O'Toole, Adam Gorb, and Benjamin Yeo.

Dr. Mills has also worked in Asia for more than a dozen years. He has made several visits to Singapore, which have included residencies in 2014, 2015, and 2017 where he has served as an adjudicator, clinician, and conductor. While in residence in Singapore, he completed tours to Melaka and Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia as a guest conductor and clinician. In January 2017, he completed a residency in Taipei, Taiwan and in June 2017, he made several visits to Bangkok, Thailand where he appeared as a guest clinician for several school concerts bands and also with the notable Kasetsart University Band. His work in China includes an excess of 150 rehearsal clinics and conducting master classes in the schools of Chengdu, Changsha, and Shenzhen, but most often in Beijing. He has conducted concerts at the Grand Theater in Bau Tou, the Forbidden City Concert Hall in Beijing, and in 2017 he conducted a second concert with the Beijing Wind Orchestra at the Beijing Concert Hall. During the 2016-17 academic year, he served a residency in the Culture and Art Education Center of the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China in Chengdu where he conducted the University Symphony Orchestra, taught applied conducting, and taught classes in Western and Jazz Music History. His past university residencies in China include Ningxia University in Yinchuan and Sichuan College Conservatory of Music in Chengdu.

Dr. Mills received the Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Minnesota-Morris in instrumental music education with applied performance majors in piano and trumpet, the Master of Music Education degree from The University of Colorado, the Master of Music degree in Wind Conducting from the University of Arizona, and the Doctor of Philosophy in Music Education with an emphasis in Wind Conducting from The Florida State University. He has presented research lectures at United States state music education association conferences, with additional scholarly writings found in the Journal of Band Research and in several editions the popular textbook series Teaching Music Through Performance in Band. He was also invited presented his dissertation on James Croft, Director of Bands, Emeritus, The Florida State University, at the College Band Directors National Association National Convention at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Mills is also the founder of the Rocky Mountain Commissioning Project, which has been producing new works for wind band annually, and the CSU-Pueblo Festival of Winds, now the largest high school honor band event in the state of Colorado.

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