I wonder how often we pause to consider the importance music plays in our everyday lives. What would we miss most about music if it were no longer there? It’s not just non-musicians who run the risk of taking music for granted – exponents of music, and professional players perhaps especially, all run the risk of treating music as a commodity or utility. When beauty surrounds us from every conceivable angle it’s hardly surprising we sometimes feel bombarded and unwittingly skip past the enormous creative resources that went into producing it. Some would say our wonderment of music is slowly being eroded by a casual acceptance, or even a sense of entitlement.
Mindfulness in Music is both informative and thought-provoking – a fascinating read on many levels
Julian Lloyd Webber
The burden of choice we all feel as we reach for our smart devices is the unintended consequence of easy accessibility, for we now can consume (I hate that word) virtually anything we could want to listen to, simply by prodding at our screens and waiting for a reaction. Instead of tripping over new music randomly, as many of us used to delight in doing, we now have music (also movies, books, adverts, TV programmes) funnelled unashamedly across our sight-lines by businesses which have a vested interest in holding our attention. Our media providers claim to know more about what we want to listen to, or indeed watch, read or eat, than we would ever dare to reveal about ourselves, so that our musical intelligence runs the real risk of becoming diluted by artificial intelligence.
Mark Tanner has written a mindfulness manifesto for music
Tom Service, BBC Radio 3 ‘Music Matters’
My feeling is that this rather pessimistic view is not irreversible, nor is it compelled to worsen in time to come. But for music to play an even more valuable role in our lives we could do with a little help in recognising its restorative value, its ability to lift us and mollify us. We could also benefit from a few ideas which connect the joy of self-discovery with the pleasure music itself can give us, and, at the same time, how to question the assumption that music is there to be functional. This is why I wrote Mindfulness in Music – I wanted to encourage us to prise open the shell a little and see what was inside. The secret to gaining pleasure from music is of course subtly different for each of us, no matter what advertising algorithms supposedly reveal to commercial enterprises about our listening habits. We already have all we need to return music to a more sensual, personal place in our hearts, and the book offers the reader 20 access points, or activities, each of which are designed to defeat indifference and awaken the thrill of musical rediscovery.
Peppered with intriguing exercises and motivational quotes
BBC Music Magazine
In each chapter I’m proposing new or subtly different viewpoints on music, and at times provoke questions about musical meaning, what the relationship might be between sound and colour, or how natural sounds intertwine with music in ways we may not have considered, for example biomusic or the sounds a forest makes as it shivers in the morning rain. I raise the question of nostalgia in music, music and movement, how self-compassion can link with a more sincere compassion for our world, whether music resembles a language, and the ways by which musicians of all persuasions attempt to reveal something of themselves in the music they make. The idea that music is potentially a form of practical meditation also intrigues me, in much the same way as people make bread, knit, draw or surf.
An inspirational delight from cover to cover…The must read book of the season
Pianodao, Andrew Eales
My aspiration is that there will be something of interest for musicians and listeners alike. Listening, after all, is about active interpretation and participation, just as it is for the performing musician, composer or conductor. Many of my suggestions have the potential to unleash ideas latent in the accomplished performer too, and later in the book I dare to tackle the thorny issues of musical talent and tone-deafness, as well as offer ideas about investing in our musical communities, re-engaging with a musical instrument, joining a local choir or using one’s energy and passion for music to help others.
Mark Tanner is a concert pianist, composer, B.I.F.F. adjudicator, teacher and writer.
Music is one of humankind’s greatest creations but there still plenty of ways to be a real bore about it.
The obscure music bore
You enjoy craft gin and absinthe (though not necessarily together) to the sounds of Penderecki. You eat in restaurants which serve foraged food.
The period instruments bore
You can’t get enough of Vivaldi played on “authentic” gut strings, love Baroque tuning, and have a thing for the Theorbo. You believe Bach’s keyboard music should only ever be played on the harpsichord or organ.
The radio station bore
You’ve been listening to BBC Radio 3 since you were in utero (your mother believed in the ‘Mozart Effect’). You lament the decline in quality of this station and long for a return to the days of Patricia Hewitt’s hushed reverential tones. You refuse to associate with anyone who listens to Classic FM, André Rieu and Ludovico Einaudi.
The applause bore
You despise applause between movements, deeming it boorish and ignorant and the behaviour of someone who listens to the “wrong” radio station (see above). You are quick to angrily “shush” anyone who dares make a sound or move during the performance and you have been known to order the person seated behind you to remove their watch because the tick of it was a distraction during the slow movement. You are not averse, however, to loud “bravo-ing” immediately the final note has sounded, provided you are the one shouting “Bravo!” the loudest.
The green room bore
You love meeting artists after the performance and always rush to the green room to be at the head of the queue, ready to monopolise the tired musician’s time while others behind you wait patiently in line. You have been known to inform an internationally-renowned concert pianist that his ‘Pictures at an Exhibition’ was the fastest you’ve ever heard it played, by 4 minutes and 33 seconds. You like to say things like “Of course you can’t beat Arrau in Beethoven!“.
The vinyl/HiFi bore
You enjoy the technical details of music more than the actual sounds and get pant-wettingly excited about the “authentic” crackle and hiss of an old 78.
The sexy musicians bore
You love those publicity shots of female musicians suggestively (to you) hugging a cello or showing a nice bit of leg under a pelmet-length skirt at a concert. You have been known to describe a leading female concert pianist as “Melons” and enjoy nicknames such as “Trumpet Crumpet” or “flute cutie”.
Trio Anima are Rosalind Ventris (viola), Anneke Hodnett (harp) and Matthew Featherstone (flute)
Who or what inspired you to pursue a career in music?
Rosie: Some of my earliest memories are of my mum, a keen amateur musician, having piano lessons at home and her friends coming round to play chamber music. I was really lucky to grow up in this environment where enjoying music at home with friends just seemed the thing to do and I had really amazingly supportive parents. My father absolutely loved listening to music so both of them were really passionate about classical music, and it was always in the house.
Originally I wanted to play the harp, but I am forever grateful that my parents said they weren’t lugging a harp around after me! Now I get to listen to Anneke playing all the time which is the ideal situation for a one-time wannabe harpist! I started playing the violin when I was seven and was inspired to take up the viola from going to the late John White’s Viola Days in Harlow, Essex, not far from where I grew up. I was a proper little viola nerd! Listening to Lionel Tertis’s recordings had a huge influence on me too – as they still do to-day.
Matthew: One of my dad’s friends was a flautist and after one of his concert I attended when I was 5 years old, I said to my parents that I wanted to play the flute. My parents struggled to find a flute teacher in France who would take me on. I remember going for a lesson with a teacher who insisted I was too young to play the flute and shoud learn the recorder. I was utterly unimpressed and threw a tantrum saying ‘no, I want to play the flute!!’ I was clearly opinionated from a young age, but eventually found a fabulous flute teacher and the rest is history.
Anneke: Growing up in Limerick Ireland, my family would go to the local food market every Saturday. When I was 8, my parents suggested that I take up an instrument. Around that time there was a lady who played folk harp every week in the market. I vividly remember being drawn to the sound week after week, and finally going up to my mum (who was buying potatoes!) to ask whether I could play the harp. She said yes, and almost as soon as I started playing, I knew that I wanted to do it for the rest of my life.
Who or what have been the most important influences on your musical life and career?
We all agree that are are most important influences have been our teachers and mentors, who have inspired and moulded us as musicians. Having been a trio for almost fourteen years it is also fair to say that we have also been shaped by each other! (Matthew and Anneke have been working together since they were students at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, with Rosie joining in 2012.) With instruments as diverse as this we come from different perspectives and sound worlds, which always keeps things fresh. We trust and challenge each other in equal measure.
What have been the greatest challenges of your career so far?
As you grow in the profession different challenges arise at different points. Now, one of the biggest challenges has been planning our diaries together well in advance to rehearse. We’ve just solved this in part now that Rosie and Anneke live two roads away from each other in East London! As principal flute of BBCNOW, Matthew is of course based in Cardiff. We each individually what might be called ‘portfolio’ careers: Matthew also teaches at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama, and is releasing his first EP as a jazz vocalist and composer. Anneke plays for all the main London orchestras and abroad, and teaches at the Junior Guildhall. Rosie has a busy freelance career as a soloist and chamber musician, which she combines with teaching at the Royal Irish Academy of Music in Dublin and as a British Library Edison Fellow and occasional writer.
Which performance/recordings are you most proud of?
We loved playing at Conway Hall a couple of years ago. It was the culmination of a long project contrasting music from the Belle Époque with that written during the First World War. It was a poignant and moving experience for us to do this a hundred years after the Great War. We were delighted by this review from Robert Hugill.
Which particular works do you think you play best?
As a flute, viola and harp trio, we have a natural affinity for French music, which works particularly well for our instrumental combination. Last year, with the centenary of Debussy’s death, we really enjoyed exploring a programme based around his life and influences. We also really relish the challenge of contemporary music and have recently been working on quite a few new modern works. We are very excited to premiere our commission from composer Rory Boyle this year at St John’s Smith Square, London.
How do you make your repertoire choices from season to season?
We love putting together programmes around a particular theme, interest or concept. Usually inspiration starts from one piece of music that has a particular resonance for us or for that particular year or venue. The challenge is sometimes balancing this with specific requests from venues. This instrumental combination offers so many opportunities for innovative and thought-provoking programming. Some of our most popular pieces are actually arrangements of works originally written for other instruments (for instance, adaptations of Baroque trio sonatas can work wonderfully). Having said this, in many of our concerts we will include the Debussy Sonate as it is an undisputed masterpiece and something we love to play.
Do you have a favourite concert venue to perform in and why?
As three very different instruments it’s always interesting turning up in a new hall and finding out how to play in the acoustic. For this intimate chamber group we always love giving concerts at people’s homes and playing in the Hall of Champs Hill was a wonderful combination of performing in lovely hall which is also a homely, intimate space.
Who are your favourite musicians?
Rosie: As a trio we will always be grateful to Dubois who (as far as we know) was the first to write for this combination and of course, Debussy!
Trio Anima performing Dubois Terzettino in 2014
Matthew: I love listening to singers because I think the most expressive instrument is the voice. Cecilia Bartolli is a regular source of inspiration. In another genre, Stevie Wonder is obviously a personal favourite!
Anneke: That’s an impossible question to answer! However, I would say that among the many musicians I admire, I would have to mention Matthew and Rosie! I think that music is very personal, and if you find other musicians you love playing with it can provide so much inspiration and motivation.
What is your most memorable concert experience?
Well, in terms of memorable for all the wrong reasons we once arrived at a venue after several hours of driving and begin rehearsing when the electricity went down! Very sadly the concert had to be cancelled. This was unfortunately followed by deadlock on the M1! In total we were in the car for about eleven hours and didn’t get to play together! It was the worst!
As a musician, what is your definition of success?
Rosie: Connecting to people through music.
Matthew: I think when your enjoyment of music making and the musician lifestyle is balanced with fulfilment in your personal life, and you feel like you’re touching people with what you do.
Anneke: Being able to be in the moment and convey what you want to express through the music.
What do you consider to be the most important ideas and concepts to impart to aspiring musicians?
Start by knowing the WHOLE score (not just your own part) and immerse yourself in the style of that era. Sing, dance, make up a story, use you imagination when working or practising. Prepare well in advance! Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. For every success you are going to get many many rejections – be strong and have faith in what you’re doing! Meditation and yoga are brilliant!
Working hard. In lots of ways! As you go through music college, the most important thing is to practice as much as you can, and to take inspiration and ideas from everyone who is of-fering them to you. As you go into the profession, you need to take some of your practice time and turn it into “making it happen” time.
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
We are all big fans of food so probably playing a nice concert of some of our favourite repertoire followed by an amazing meal with our spouses, friends and family.
Trio Anima was formed in 2006 at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. For the past decade, they have been delighting audiences with their distinctive combination of flute, viola and harp. The trio won the Elias Fawcett Award for Outstanding Chamber Ensemble at the 2012 Royal Overseas League Competition & First Prize at the Camac Harps Chamber Ensemble Competition in 2007. They have been Live Music Now Artists, and were awarded a Chamber Music Fellowship at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama in 2011. In 2017 they were selected as Kirckman Concert Society Artists.
Who or what inspired you to take up piano and pursue a career in music?
Growing up, I was an avid collector of records (even cassettes, as they existed then!). I remember the first time listening to the Rachmaninoff concerti, and falling in love with the monumental scale of the music. I was also extremely fortunate to have an inspirational mentor during my early study – Emily Jeffrey, who made it possible for me to have a career.
Who or what were the most important influences on your musical life and career?
First, my teachers have been hugely important: Emily Jeffrey, as I already mentioned, and then Ronan O’Hora. I feel very lucky that both teachers allowed me to develop my own ideas. Masterclasses and performances with some wonderful masters have also been influential – in particular Richard Goode, Stephen Kovacevich, and Diego Masson. My family have also been incredibly supportive.
What have been the greatest challenges of your career so far?
I think it is the things that affects most musicians – having to learn a great deal of repertoire at short notice, keeping your artistic integrity at the forefront, and finding time to deal with the business side of the career. On a side note, learning statistics for my doctorate (examining musical memorisation) was perhaps the most unusual challenge!
Which performance/recordings are you most proud of?
I hope that all of my performances have some kind of meaning or importance. There are a few that stand out. Performing recitals on consecutive days (with different programmes!) at the Barbican and Royal Festival Hall was an exhilarating – and exhausting – experience. At the end of my postgraduate study I also performed Messiaen’s vast tone poem Des Canyons aux Etoiles with the Guildhall Sinfonia in Milton Court – an absolute privilege!
My debut album is available now, featuring the solo works of Boulez, Dutilleux and Messiaen. It’s an exciting project supported by the City Music Foundation.
Which particular works do you think you perform best?
I have an affinity for French 20th-century repertoire: Boulez Notations, Messiaen Des Canyons aux Etoiles, Dutilleux Sonata. Beethoven Sonatas are also the works I return to the most. Variety is important!
How do you make your repertoire choices from season to season?
There’s so much to choose! I generally try to pick one big work and try to build something interesting around it, often combining with some contemporary repertoire. Next up is Beethoven Op. 110.
Do you have a favourite concert venue to perform in and why?
I’m very fond of Milton Court – as it feels sort of like a second home from my study at Guildhall. The Bridgewater Hall and Wigmore Hall also.
Who are your favourite musicians?
Richard Goode, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, Oliver Knussen, Paul Simon
What is your most memorable concert experience?
Performing Stravinsky’s Les Noces in a huge barn in France with some wonderful colleagues stands out. It was so cold that everyone had to wear thick coats, and there was grain and machinery everywhere. Despite this, it was a great concert!
From a listener’s perspective, Pierre-Laurent Aimard’s performance of Messiaen’s Vingt Regards at Milton Court in 2016 was indescribable.
What do you consider to be the most important ideas and concepts to impart to aspiring musicians?
Be comfortable in your own skin, and keep learning!
What is your most treasured possession?
Friends and family.
Praised as a pianist of “huge intensity” (The Telegraph), Alexander Soares is developing a reputation as an artist of formidable technique and virtuosity, with performances of “diamond clarity and authority” (BBC Radio 3 ‘In Tune’). In 2015, his performance in the BBCSO / BBC Radio 3 ‘Boulez at 90’ celebrations received widespread critical acclaim in the press, described as a “brilliantly unbuttoned account” (The Sunday Times) and “most memorable of all” (The Financial Times). The 2014-15 season began with a BBC Radio 3 broadcast of the rarely heard piano repertoire of John Tavener, and included Alexander’s debuts at the Queen Elizabeth Hall and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, the latter performance applauded for its “explosive sound world, pulling out a rich array of colour and texture” (The Herald). He was awarded 1st prize and Gold Medal in the prestigious Royal Overseas League Competition, and was subsequently selected as a 2015 Artist by City Music Foundation. 2016-17 highlights include returns to Wigmore Hall, St-Martin-in-the-fields, St. James’s Piccadilly, and Alexander’s debut in the USA.
Contemporary French repertoire forms a major part of Alexander’s programming. Since a U.K. première of Tristan Murail’s work in the BBCSO Total Immersion series, he has performed this repertoire in his debut recitals in the Royal Festival Hall, the Purcell Room, and the Bridgewater Hall. In 2014, he collaborated with Diego Masson performing Messiaen’s Des Canyons aux Étoiles in Milton Court Concert Hall. The following year, he performed Boulez’s Dérive with David Corkhill in LSO St. Luke’s. He worked with the renowned recording producer Andrew Keener to record his debut album of solo works by Boulez, Dutilleux and Messiaen.
A keen chamber musician, Alexander has performed on numerous occasions in the Barbican, working with notable artists such as Boris Brovtsyn and Alexander Baillie. Collaborating with violinist Mihaela Martin, he debuted in Spain at the Palacio de Festivales, Sala Argenta. He has also toured France, in venues including Auditorium St. Germain and Opéra Rouen, performing Stravinsky’s Les Noces on Pleyel’s original double grand pianos, manufactured in the late nineteenth century. Alexander has greatly benefitted from the guidance of pianists including Richard Goode, Stephen Kovacevich, Stephen Hough, and Steven Osborne.
Alexander graduated with first class honours from Clare College, University of Cambridge. He then pursued postgraduate studies with Ronan O’Hora at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama, achieving a Master’s with Distinction. In 2015 he completed a doctorate investigating memorisation strategies for contemporary piano repertoire, under the supervision of Professor Daniel Leech-Wilkinson. He is most grateful for generous support from the Guildhall School Trust, Help Musicians UK, Countess of Munster Trust, Martin Musical Scholarship Foundation, Park Lane Group and Making Music.
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Guest post by Mark Tanner
The Cross-Eyed Pianist 