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The Music into Words event, which I chaired earlier this month, attempted to explore some of the ways in which we write about classical music today and provoked a lively discussion, both at the actual event and online. Several issues emerged relating specifically to blogs which have exercised my thoughts in the weeks since the event:

  1. Without an editor, how do you ensure that what you write is intelligent, well-written, factually accurate, and interesting to read?
  2. Who are you writing for?
  3. Why a blog?

In my experience, readers will return to those blogs which are consistently well-written, interesting, accurate and assiduously self-edited. (This is borne out by the number of regular commentators and subscribers to this blog: WordPress provides very useful stats and analytics allowing one to track such data.) I have come across some truly dire writing on the internet (and also in newspapers, journals and books), and also much that is extremely high-quality (by academics, journalists, bloggers, musicians….), and one can of course learn a great deal by looking at what others are doing, or not doing. In the era of the spelling and grammar checker, there really is no excuse for sloppy spelling; clichés or hackneyed expressions should also be avoided (my particular pet hate is “smorgasbord”….). I’m very fortunate that one of my blog subscribers, who also happens to be a good friend of mine, will pounce on any inaccuracies of spelling or grammar with the eagle eyes of a skilled editor. In terms of fact-checking, I make sure I do my homework: this applies to my concert reviews too. I try to write in an accessible, readable and intelligent style, and one of the nicest compliments I’ve been paid when I met one of my readers in real life was “you sound just the same in person as you do in your writing”.

Which leads me onto “Who are you writing for?”. Initially, I didn’t really think I was writing for anyone but myself when I started this blog in 2010. I was playing the piano seriously again, having returned to the instrument after an absence of c15 years, and I wanted some way to record my thoughts and feelings about the music I was playing and hearing in concerts. Rather than keep an old-fashioned journal, I decided to write a blog (having had a modest degree of success with a food blog called Demon Cook), but I didn’t really expect anyone to take much notice of it. I suppose the unusual title helped (and by the way, I initially thought of calling this blog The Naked Pianist (à la Jamie’s Oliver’s Naked Chef) until my husband pointed out that this might attract “the wrong kind of reader”!), plus my interest in social media and a growing network of like-minded people (including a number of other bloggers and online reviewers), and gradually the number of daily visitors and subscribers crept up. When I was invited to review for Bachtrack.com (the owner of the site had read and liked my blog), I felt my writing finally had some currency beyond the confines of this site, and I have subsequently gone on to write guest blogs for a number of other classical music sites, including HelloStage, InterludeHK, Music Haven and The Sampler, the blog of Soundandmusic.org.

Subconsciously, I am probably writing for someone like me, someone who enjoys classical music, likes going to concerts and reading about them, maybe plays the piano too, who ponders the day-to-day practicalities of being a musician, amateur or professional (practising, repertoire, continuing study, teaching etc), as well as the more esoteric aspects of the musician’s life (motivation, performance anxiety, impostor syndrome, avoiding injury). Judging by the comments and messages I receive in response to my articles, it is clear my readership is now pretty wide, and international.

One thing I’ve never done via this blog, or indeed anywhere else, is set myself up as some kind of “expert”. People do come to me for advice about piano playing, careers in music, piano teaching and more, and I try to respond to such enquiries with honesty and courtesy. It is gratifying to be respected for what one does, but I believe a degree of a humility is crucial too (there are quite enough egos at large in the musical profession!). I enjoy the conversations that emerge from comments on articles here, I have made friends via this blog and I find the community of like-minded people which blogging creates very stimulating. To explore this further, I canvassed the opinion of a number of other bloggers who write on music and culture, and with whom I interact on a regular basis:

It started as a kind of “cultural diary” – a channel for me to enthuse about music I loved (plus some art and photography) and hopefully ‘share the love’.

First, I enjoy writing, and get special satisfaction in expressing my thoughts and ideas as eloquently as I can. Secondly, the idea that there are complete strangers out there reading what I’ve written flatters my vanity. Finally, there are so many ignoramuses on the net, spouting rubbish on matters they don’t understand, I saw no reason not to join them.

It’s cheaper than therapy

I think my single overriding reason is a desire to entertain.

The world of blogging is a curious one, and one which has grown hugely in the last ten years or so, to the extent that blogging now makes a significant contribution to writing and journalism. Many organisations, including mainstream newspapers, have blogs on their sites, often written by well-regarded journalists and commentators. (At the Music into Words event, one of the panelists, Imogen Tilden, classical music editor of The Guardian, acknowledged the important role of bloggers who “fill the gaps” in covering concerts and events her team of reviewers do not have the time or resources to cover, and who offer alternative opinions.)  The difference for the majority of bloggers is that we are independent – and the freedom to write what we like is very potent. Some people may regard bloggers as “privileged”, and are perhaps envious of the freedom we enjoy – freedom to write what we like without the pressure of conforming to editorial house style or deadlines, freedom to go to as many concerts, operas, plays or exhibitions as we like. I do regard myself as fortunate to be able to do this, but I also have a day job (two in fact), as do most of my blogging colleagues, and I don’t think blogging should necessarily be regarded as some kind of self-indulgent literary onanism or dilettantism.

From a more pragmatic point of view, a blog can be a useful tool to:

  1. Offer an overview of who you are – an extended CV, if you will
  2. Provide samples of your writing
  3. Connect with new people
  4. Organise your messy thoughts into coherent ones
  5. Create your own PR machine
  6. Stand out – according to the “1 per cent rule”, only 1 percent of Internet users actively create new content, while the other 99 percent just view it. Blogging separates from the 99 percent of people who don’t blog. Standing out is essential in an increasingly competitive world, whatever your profession or role
  7. Improve your writing skills – like piano playing, writing improves with practise
  8. Give yourself some headspace. The person who described blogging as “cheaper than therapy” makes a useful point – that writing can be therapeutic, regardless of the subject under discussion

So, if you’ve got something to say, maybe now is the time for you to consider writing a blog?

For more on the practicalities of writing a blog see Presentation for BASCA on Classical Music Blogging

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Who or what inspired you to take up the guitar and pursue a career in music?

Growing up in an opera family it sounds strange to fall in love with guitar, but all my life I was fascinated with Spain and Spanish music. I learnt piano from earliest childhood – and I could have stayed with it playing Granados, Albeniz etc, but I guess it was the attraction of this instrument that you can hold in your arms, carry with you and physically feel the vibrations that made me want to become a guitarist. Nothing between you and the sounds your fingers make with the strings, no bow or other “tools” to start the vibrations and it is the most “touching” instrument existing!

Who or what were the most important influences on your musical life and career?

Without the courage of my first teacher, Professor Heinz Teuchtert who later confessed that he liked the interesting case to bring a complete musician with no experience on the guitar within one year from zero to University I would not answer your questions today. I had my first guitar lesson with 18!! I soon started to work as chamber musician and to play all kind of plucked instruments in opera houses. Then I met Pepe Romero who changed my life completely, turning me into a full soloist!

Musically I always feel my opera roots, it is all about singing with your instrument!!!

What have been the greatest challenges of your career so far?

To handle all the rejections you receive when you start to become a freelance indie-classical, between clear “No” to you or to the guitar itself. And I write hundreds mails to presenters and promoters around the world every year…. It is a big challenge not to take it personal. My mantra: “Every “no” brings me closer to the next “yes”

Which performance/recordings are you most proud of?

It was a highlight to be part of the opening festival of the Salzburger Festspiele last year- I am proud to play at all the places which are devoted to music and where very few guitarists appear. We have a vivid culture of guitar festivals but it is like an “ivory tower”, I am so happy of my concerts in “real world” feeling like an ambassador for classical guitar.

Recordings? You can’t really earn money with CDs anymore, so why not do something idealistic? I will be very proud of the newest, featuring female composers.

Which particular works do you think you perform best?

No secret, I LOVE Spanish music (and almost no concert without ‘Recuerdos de la Alhambra’)…. and I am trying more and more to connect my roots of opera and all my piano years with guitar.

How do you make your repertoire choices from season to season?

Some programs stay for years, just with exchanging some pieces. Yes, and people book me again with similar programs because the loved it and guitar recitals still are rare in many concert series, so they love to repeat what worked once. It is different from piano world I guess.. I have tried to offer a big variety of programs in the last ten years, but I got almost no bookings for example with tango or really contemporary music, so it is by far to much work to keep them in my portfolio. Maybe it also that I am already considered specialist for Spanish music and those hyper-classical programs. And it is music I deeply love, so I am in the happy position that the music I get booked the most is the music I love to play the most!

Do you have a favourite concert venue to perform in and why?

I LOVE venues with historic flair, especially castles – they add a magical atmosphere to the music!

Favourite pieces to perform? Listen to?

Recuerdos de la Alhambra already became my signature piece, playing it in almost every concert and never getting tired of it…

To listen to I need regular doses of Mozart and all kind of operas!

Who are your favourite musicians?

Emil Gilels, Artur Rubinstein, Marta Argerich, Tzimon Barto, Fritz Wunderlich (eternal: Dichterliebe), Maria Callas, Nathan Milstein, Julian Bream and of course Pepe Romero.

When I pack my bags for concerts I listen to Vicente Amigo or Yasmin Levy!

What is your most memorable concert experience?

The moment when I was completely alone in the Alte Oper Frankfurt preparing my banjo etc for Shostakovitch Jazz Suite, and Tzimon Barto came on stage and played his encore for the evening, the Albeniz ‘Tango’, just for me with a smile, a magic gift of pure beauty.

What do you consider to be the most important ideas and concepts to impart to aspiring musicians?

Oh my god, I hope you know what you are doing to your life: Insecurity (also financially), difficult family life, loneliness— and on the other hand magic experiences, inspiration, pure bliss. Be prepared for a wild rollercoaster that will challenge you in all aspects of your life and your personality .

So the most important advice: Treat yourself like if you were an olympic athlete, you are your own coach, mental coach, cook and doctor!

Where would you like to be in 10 years time?

I will be performing regularly in the small halls in the big venues – and in 40 years I hope to be the “grand old dame of the guitar” still playing concerts with the unbelievable wisdom of age.

What do you enjoy doing most?

Spectacular answer: Playing guitar!!!!

What is your present state of mind?

Balanced, full of courage, happy and completely addicted to this wonderful crazy life.

Heike Matthiesen is one of Germany’s leading guitarists whose virtuosity and spirited performance, coupled with a charismatic stage presence, are regularly highlighted by the press.

Born in Braunschweig, she received comprehensive musical training on the piano at an early age and only took up the guitar when she was 18. About a year later, she started studying at the Frankfurt Conservatory. Pepe Romero, who taught her for several years, was the formative influence on her playing.

In addition, she attended a large number of master classes, inter alia with Manuel Barrueco, David Russel, Roland Dyens, Alvaro Pierri and Leo Brouwer.

Apart from her solo commitments, Heike Matthiesen regularly performs with chamber music ensembles, and since 1997 she has been closely affiliated with Villa Musica Mainz. She has appeared with Los Romeros and, in 2005, recorded a CD with the Spanish Art Guitar Quartet (“Bolero”, NCA).

Heike Matthiesen has performed in many different countries, including the US, Russia, Japan, China, France, Spain, Italy, Poland, Iceland, Austria and Bulgaria, and is a very welcome guest at festivals and in guitar concert series.

She has had two recordings with Tyrolis, on “Sol y luna” with a Spanish-South American repertoire and “Tristemusette”, an internationally acclaimed portrait of Roland Dyens.

heikematthiesen.com

 

 

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Guest post by pianist Christopher Guild 

There’s quite a bit of repertoire for a live performer with a fixed audio track of some kind, where the player of the acoustic instrument needs to keep in synchronisation with in performance. Jonathan Harvey’s Tombeau de Messiaen is the most obvious example I can think of, and a work that I’ve performed on two occasions now. It’s written for piano and pre-recorded piano – actually, the track is an electronic keyboard with a piano sound (and a very 1994 keyboard piano sound at that – the work dates from that year). The prerecorded piano is a quarter tone out from the standard A440Hz tuning of the live piano, and there are fluctuations in pitch throughout. But there is no fluctuation in tempo: it is fixed, and even if there is some rubato, it’s obvious that it’s going to be the same with each performance.

This is challenging for the classical musician; brought up to listen to, and react to, the other performers we are playing with. We can’t do this with an audio track. My impulsive reaction to considering the idea of playing a piece the same way, time after time, with no scope for spontanaiety, used to be, ‘well why include a live performer at all? Why not write it as a piece of recorded music?’. There are many reasons why, and they will differ depending on which piece one considers. 

Tombeau de Messiaen could, I suppose, be arranged for two live performers, so that we gain the flexibility and indeed human magic of performing with another pianist (and sound diffuser); we have the technology now to play with a second live piano, or perhaps keyboard, linked to a laptop from which the pitch and the other synthesiser effects could be manipulated. That sounds like a fun idea to me and one I’m thinking of trying to realise when I have the time!

Piers Tattersall’s I Work With Care To Open My Heart, which I’ll be playing for the fourth time in public on Saturday 20th February at the Schott Recital Room in London, is a work for live piano, analogue radio, and electronics. The electronics part is predetermined and fixed. The piano part is too, and the ‘script’ or instructions for the radio operator is too, though part of the point of the piece is that no two performances will ever be the same because different programmes will be on the radio when we play them! The volume of the radio signal is controlled using automation. This means that the radio has predetermined instructions inputted to Logic and runs exactly in synchronisation with the electronics part played by the midi sequencer.

Early on we found it necessary to add a click track for me, along with low-level signal from the radio and midi sequencer, via an earpiece. 

This brings me to my main point, which is to describe the experience of performing a piece of (extremely hard) classical music with a clicktrack. One practises with a metronome, but isn’t in the performance mindset in the practice room, so I can’t count that as an experience to draw upon really.

Something I found with Tombeau de Messiaen is that I had to carefully work out how long I had during the stiller moments, when the resonance of the piano was left to decay and nothing was happening in the audio track. This is because quite often the live pianist has to come in exactly with the track without any warning, or, often, very little: there are moments in the score where Harvey has indicated the piano should play very quickly after the audio track enters. One needs to be ready, but to minimise the surprise one has to learn where it comes in. This is fine if the moment of stillness is measured in beats – one counts – but it never is in Tombeau de Messiaen, so the entry of the electronics is harder to anticipate. Sometimes the performer is given ‘c.6”‘, for example. So it’s important to build up what initially only feels like a sense of when to play, and with that, exactly how fast to play the rapid, unmeasured and extensive acciaccatura flourishes in order to finish at about the right time in order to begin the next musical event in synchronisation with the audio track. Such practice might be called building up procedural memory. I was able to do this through a huge amount of repetition, so that it all became habit. 

I Work With Care To Open My Heart is similar, but presents additional challenges. 

When I come to a particularly technically difficult passage, usually where I’ve got to tackle a tricky dart across the keyboard or where I need to negotiate semiquavers with uneven distribution between the hands, I slow down. I do this musically, not in the sense of bad practise whereby I might immediately stop playing so quickly simply because I can’t play this bit: that isn’t effective and holds back progress. I prepare for it by means of a rallentando in to the tricky section. Then, I accelerando once I’ve got out of the bad patch, and carry on. Essentially, I’m making my own music out of a problem, but I lessen the application of this practice method with each repetition. Then – somehow! – it begins to hang together better, and before too long I can rattle through the passage in question unhindered. It’s a big paradox of my experience of piano playing, but it really does work. Additionally, in order to make myself feel more comfortable when playing any big piece where the technical demands are great, I push myself to use extreme (and silly) rubato in practice – it’s a good test of how comfortable and in control one is, and it means if I can do it with total assurance, then I’m in control.

Whilst the element of risk in a performance is exciting for the performer and the audience, it should never be so great so as to really worry everybody! Letting the music almost play itself is a great feeling. I remember one teacher of mine (Andrew Ball) say to me once that the best concerts he ever gave were the ones where he felt like he was sailing a boat: the weather was such (metaphorically) that the boat was able to sail happily without much effort from the skipper, but only a nudge on the rudder now and again according to (musical) will or fancy was required to keep the journey interesting. Otherwise, the skipper/performer could sit back and let it happen. Feeling in control applies very much to I Work Carefully.

Importantly, the reason I can’t practise I work carefully… with the metronome is because there is a metric modulation almost every bar. ‘Irrational’ time signatures play an important role in this piece, and there are often passages going from 3/4 to 4/5, leading in to 4/4 leading in to 5/10, etc. The principle beat of each bar changes too often to make practice with the metronome worthwhile. (It’s worth just pointing out that this is obviously what the clicktrack is programmed to do!). After several rehearsals with the click, the piece does begin to play itself, and I can begin to sit back as described above.

It wouldn’t be fair to leave the idea of suppressing one’s own artistry, though. There is scope for playing the plentiful rapid passagework in I work carefully… with a wide variety of touches, articulation, and dynamics. One can interpret it as capricious in places, martellato (I believe, even when the composer hasn’t explicitly called for it), and staccatissimo. But it just all has to take place within the very fixed temporal framework dictated by the electronics.

The Edison Ensemble (Christopher Guild and Piers Tattersall) will be performing at Schott Music, 49 Great Marlborough Street, London W1, on Saturday, 20th February at 19:00. Tickets £7 in advance, or £12 on the night.

 

Meet the Artist……Christopher Guild

Meet the Artist……Piers Tattersall

 

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Fans of acclaimed teacher and performer Graham Fitch’s insightful, instructive and highly readable blog Practising the Piano and eBook series, his regular contributions to ‘Pianist’ magazine, his YouTube videos on piano technique, and his inspiring and supportive workshops and courses will be excited to learn of his latest initiative for pianists, the Practising the Piano Online Academy.

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The Ultimate Online Resource for Pianists and Teachers 

The aim of the project is create the ultimate online resource for mastering the piano. Building on Graham’s hugely successful eBook series and blog, this will take his tried and tested methodologies to the next level with a comprehensive library of lessons, masterclasses and resources combined with insights from other leading experts. Aimed at piano teachers and pianists, these materials will be presented in an intuitive, interactive manner and will transform the way you approach teaching and playing the piano. The crowdfunding goal is £10,000 and funds raised will be used directly for creating additional content and resources.

Graham tells us more about the project:

I’m passionate about teaching and playing the piano. The art of practising is a special area of interest to me and is rarely taught specifically enough. Our practice time at the piano is just as significant to the end product as the hours of training undertaken by professional athletes, but this time can so easily be wasted unless we have the know-how.  Effective practice is essential to mastering the piano and it’s for this reason that I have spent decades researching and experimenting in the art of practising to find the optimal approaches.

I’ve developed a methodology comprising practice tools, strategies and techniques which I’ve tested and refined in my work with students of varying ages and levels of ability. I would love to see as many people as possible benefit from my work but obviously not everyone can get to me for one-to-one lessons. Therefore I’ve embarked upon a number of initiatives to make my work more widely accessible including my blog and eBook series. These provide a conceptual introduction to my approach and I am now planning to build on this foundation with the Practising the Piano Online Academy.

  • My blog (www.practisingthepiano.com) which is regularly updated and contains hundreds of articles on subjects relating to piano playing

  • A Multimedia eBook series which combines text, video, audio and numerous musical examples to introduce my methodology and approach

  • A print version of my eBook series which is currently being developed due to popular demand

 The Practising the Piano Online Academy will build on these solid, tried and tested foundations and will take Graham’s work to the next level.

The Practising the Piano Online Academy is an extensive, searchable, and regularly updated library of lessons, articles and resources which will:

  • Illustrate my methodologies and approach in more depth with multimedia content, interactive features and resources including musical examples, worksheets and annotated scores which can be downloaded and printed.

  • Expand on practice tools and strategies with masterclasses and tutorials applying them to popular pieces in the repertoire, exam syllabuses and specific technical challenges.

  • Share the expertise of guest experts on subjects including applied theory, improvisation and healthy piano playing.

  • Be regularly updated, easily searchable and allow for personalisation with bookmarking and notes.

  • Be shaped by your input, responding to your questions and suggestions for new content to meet your needs.

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What will it do for you?

Whether you are a budding student, keen amateur, passionate piano teacher or a professional musician, the Practising the Piano Online Academy will provide you with the knowledge and resources at your finger-tips to:

  • Get the best possible results from your time spent practising the piano.
  • Avoid injury and overcome technical difficulties with panache.
  • Learn new pieces quickly and master trouble spots or challenging areas within the repertoire.
  • Deliver performances or achieve examination results which reflect your full potential.
  • Inspire your students and enhance their enjoyment of the piano.

How can you be involved?

We’ve already started creating content for this project and are now seeking the further support of pianists and teachers via our crowdfunding campaign to help us make this resource as good as it can possibly be. A number of great rewards ranging from discounted subscriptions through to opportunities to sponsor lessons and obtain a one-to-one consultations with me are on offer. Supporters will also have an opportunity to shape the Online Academy by suggesting and voting for topics and content they would like to see featured.

To show your support for the project and to read about it in more detail, please visit https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-practising-the-piano-online-academy#/

https://www.indiegogo.com/project/the-practising-the-piano-online-academy/embedded

Development of the Practising the Piano Online Academy is already underway with Informance (see below), with an expected launch in July 2016.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

8481e4cf3afe7f10c19eGraham Fitch has earned a global reputation as an outstanding teacher of piano for all ages and levels.  He is a popular adjudicator, a tutor for the EPTA Piano Teachers’ Course, and a regular writer for Pianist Magazine with several video demonstrations on YouTube.  His blog www.practisingthepiano.com features hundreds of articles on piano playing and together with his multimedia eBook series is read by thousands of musicians all over the world.

 

ABOUT INFORMANCE

Informance ™ is a publishing imprint which creates rich, interactive digital publications aimed at musicians.  By combining state of the art technology with expert insight, Informance enables musicians to reach their full potential in the most effective and enjoyable manner.  It offers a modern way to engage with the timeless art of music making.

Informance is published by Erudition (www.eruditiondigital.co.uk), a next generation digital publishing company which partners with publishers and content owners to create purposebuilt digital publications from new or existing content.