ISSUE 5 - APRIL 2020
COUNTER POINT
THE MAGAZINE OF ORCHESTRAS CENTRAL
IT'S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL!
BUILDING A PARTNERSHIP WITH THE PEOPLE'S ORCHESTRA OF GREAT BRITAIN GREEN ORCHESTRAS
ADDRESSING SUSTAINABILITY
VIRTUAL REALITY
ORCHESTRAS IN A TIME OF COVID19
HEAT ON THE CONDUCTOR
CATHERINE POLGLASE
INTRODUCING THE ORCHESTRAS
Professional music is a key part of Orchestras Central, as we work towards our vision of a vibrant orchestral scene that brings joy to communities.We have a flexible ensemble of professional musicians, some of whom play with other orchestras in the OCT family. Repertoire varies widely and part of the focus for OCT is on how we can explore new ways of making music.
Along with ‘Sunset Symphony’, held at the Hamilton Gardens Arts Festival each summer, and education concerts attended by 1500 Waikato school children, TWSO also present two symphonic concerts each year and holds regular 'read-throughs' and sectional workshops. Since 2017, the education concerts have also been livestreamed. This all-volunteer player orchestra has been performing in Hamilton for over 100 years and has been led by Rupert D’Cruze since 2007.
This orchestra is for everyone! More than 50 musicians of all ages and abilities meet for the sheer pleasure of playing together and making music. Events include training workshops for players, a ‘pop-up orchestra’ , all-comers ‘just play it’ day and at the end of the year ‘A Very Rusty Christmas’ . The RPO is led by Catherine Polglase.
Youth Orchestras Waikato offers a year-round programme of activity including workshops, camps and a youth orchestra aimed at 12-18 year old musicians. The orchestra currently has 62 auditioned players. Led by Tim Carpenter, the orchestra contributes directly to the ecosystem of orchestral music in the region, giving young musicians opportunities to develop and play together.
Every August, Orchestras Central presents ‘Sensing Music’ – a weekend of orchestral music that celebrates the breadth of talent in our community, and gives audiences the chance to enjoy performances in new, exciting and sometimes challenging ways. We encourage existing music lovers, and those new or curious, to come and experience orchestral music in all its guises. There is also plenty of opportunity for musicians of all ‘ages and stages’ to participate.
www.orchestras.org.nz
IT'S A SMALL WORLD AFTER ALL!
Founded i n 2012, the i n i t i a l goal of founder Sarah Marshall was to set up a standard format symphony orchestra, whi c h mai n ly played fi l m musi c and fi l led a gap i n provi s i o n for musicians leaving education who wished to continue to perform at a high standard. Initial auditions immediately showed a real need for a new format of orchestra - there were so many great flute players that it became impossible to choose just two. So, the orchestra became a true community orchestra by accepting everyone, regardless of instrument, who could play to the standard the orchestra demanded. ''Six years on it doesn’t matter if you haven’t picked up an instrument for 20 years or you can’t make every rehearsal'' says Orchestra Manager Liz Read, ''everyone is always welcome''. The People's Orchestra epitomises genuine equality of opportunity, whereby musicians from every socio-economic and ethnic background, from teens to seniors, come together to share the joy of music making with one another, and with their ever-increasing audiences in live performance. Based in West Bromwich Town Hall, in Sandwell, England, the orchestra plays a wide variety of film, TV and show music as well as light popular tunes. Sarah Marshall has been the Artistic and Managing Director of The People’s Orchestra (TPO) since she created the orchestra back in 2012. Coming from a non-music background, Sarah set out to prove that orchestras could be set up, run differently and still wow audiences with a high standard of performance. Despite pressure in the early years to lower the entry level for musicians, the orchestra stuck to its word and kept a Grade 7 entry (good sight reading being the key to playing with this group), opening up sections to an infinite number of players, encouraging all types of instruments to join and reducing financial barriers to play. The orchestra is now 70 strong and growing and the organisation also has a choir, Rusty Player Orchestra (which may or may not have looked at a certain orchestra here in NZ for inspiration for it's name!), and a fledgling Youth Orchestra. The People's Orchestra first came to the attention of OCT back in 2017 but it's taken a lot of phone calls, emails, and even a visit to their HQ by OCT Chair Katie Mayes, to get to the point we are at now. ''Add in a pandemic that meant musicians have been confined to home, and the perfect storm has been created to fasttrack collaboration'' says Orchestras Central's CEO Susan Trodden. ''We knew right from the start that there were fantastic possibilities ahead in working with the 'TPO', we just had to find the right projects''.
Initial surveying of OCT musicians for interest in being involved in a collaboration was met with loud enthusiasm, and as a result, musicians are now participating in an international project. John Koutselinis is an award winning freelance music composer who has been composing film scores for short and feature length films for many years. He was commissioned by the TPO to write a new work, titled 'War of the Titans'. Performed by musicians playing their part in their own homes, the invitation to participate was extended to Orchestras Central, and to musicians from the Orchestre Philharmonia Mundi de Montréal. The last piece that TPO commissioned from John has been recorded and is currently in the Dreamworks library awaiting a film, so this is a truly exciting opportunity for our musicians. Players receive music and a 'click track' to play along to, and are required to perform the piece for both an audio and video recording. Once John has received all the recordings from around the world , he will then create a video montage for publishing. This will then be shared with the world! The second stage of the partnership involves setting up a 'musical pen-pal' system. Musicians will be matched with someone who plays the same instrument, and we hope to see some interesting musical partnerships emerge. This will be particularly interesting for players who don't have anyone to make music with whilst the pandemic lock-down continues. There are other projects in the pipeline, and with the Commonwealth Games on the horizon, and the opportunity to involve our youth orchestras - and maybe even some singers - the future is bright to make the world a little smaller through the shared love of music. To find out more about The People's Orchestra, visit www.thepeoplesorchestra.com.
THE POWER OF MUSIC IN A STRESSFUL PANDEMIC
TiIt also mescan likelead thesetocan spur i n tense i n ternal reflecti o n about what i s i m portant i n li f e. some questi o ni n g about whether what we do, whether at home or in the workplace, adds value in our community. As the executive director of a music-related nonprofit organization, I have thought deeply regarding exactly how our mission of cultivating the power of music as an educational, community-building and public health tool applies to the COVID-19 crisis at hand. Clearly, while music is very important, an argument can be made that compared to the heroic public health workers and organizations that are directly addressing life-and-death issues, music’s importance pales. But to underestimate the importance of music in our lives and communities in times like these is misguided.Human beings are social creatures. Our brains are wired for, and our emotional health is tied to, being connected with others. We crave touch, we need human connections and we need to feel a sense of belonging. Our emotional and mental well-being literally depend on this sense of human connectedness. In a crisis of this magnitude, people feel confused, afraid, alone and unmoored. These feelings and emotions are amplified significantly in a global viral pandemic that requires social distancing, self-isolation and lockdowns. On top of that, the realization that such social distancing may be required for months rather than weeks further contributes to the anxiety, stress and feelings of hopelessness. Throughout time, one of the fundamental responsibilities of musicians and other artists has been to create art that shines a light on the issues of the day in a way that helps make sense of the world around us, offering hope and comfort amid fear and uncertainty. But in the age of this novel coronavirus, accessing and investing in music is infinitely more important for another reason. Research tells us that music is one of our most powerful therapeutic tools in helping to mitigate the effects and impact of depression, anxiety disorders, stress, loneliness and isolation. Music can elevate an individual’s mood, resulting in a more positive outlook. It also offers a pathway to connecting with other humans.That being the case, now more than ever we must harness and leverage the power and potential of music.
“music and art are already filling the emotional gaps left by the absence of direct human contact.” David Brooks, New York Times
As David Brooks noted last month in The New York Times, “music and art are already filling the emotional gaps left by the absence of direct human contact.” He cited the example of neighborhood kids putting on a cello concert for an elderly woman who was selfisolating. Other examples include the opera singer in Milan, Italy, who performed from her balcony for her neighbors during that city’s lockdown. Numerous musicians are conducting virtual performances from the comfort of their homes. These are all examples of how musicians and artists are creatively leveraging their talents to serve the greater public good. In a very strange sort of way, the current self-isolation and lockdown measures offer musicians and artists something that they crave — a captive audience of individuals and families longing for entertainment and a sense of belonging and connectedness as they sit at home with nowhere to go. While the most pressing current need is addressing the physical health issues and economic challenges related to this pandemic, let’s not forget that this current crisis challenges each and every one of us on an emotional and mental health level. In the uncertain weeks and months ahead, leveraging music’s capacity to mitigate the negative impacts of isolation, and to keep people connected, will be profoundly important. Whether looking to bring your family together, calm your nerves, engage your kids or to feel connected to another human, music will be an essential tool in our efforts to survive the current crisis.What we as musicians, artists and community arts leaders do in the face of this crisis is vitally important. Our communities are going to need the soothing, healing and connectedness that music and the arts are uniquely qualified to provide.We all need to think outside the box to leverage our talents, connections, resources and the power and potential of music and the arts to help our communities come out on the other side of this crisis stronger, healthier and more connected and empathetic than ever. Dr. John R. Gerdy is founder and executive director of Music For Everyone He has authored many books including "Ball or Bands:Football vs. Music as an Educational and Community Building Investment" and his most recent: AlphaBone Orchestra: A Magically Musical Journey Through the Alphabet. He can be reached at Johnerdy@aol.com
GREENSLEEVES
One of Sweden's leading symphony [SW1] orchestras is to ban conductors and soloists who come by plane, in what it is billing as "the world's first sustainable orchestral season" Just a few weeks ago, this kind of announcement would have been seen as ground-breaking. Now, in a time when international travel is all but non-existent, it has become the new way of doing things. The initial idea had come when the Swedish cellist Jakob Koranyi, who had travelled down by plane to play, asked the orchestra's director Fredrik Österling what he did to compensate for the flights taken by other players? Österling said that his announcement of the plan had sparked a mixed reaction in Sweden's classical music world. It should not take a pandemic to make arts organisations look closely at their impact on the environment, though. "Sweden has in the last few years become quite committed to the environmental cause, but the classical music industry has been exempted from the discussion. The timeline is so short now, that we all have to contribute”. Over in the UK, orchestras have been taking steps to reduce their impact for a number of years. In 2010, the Association of British Orchestras (ABO) worked with Julie's Bicycle, a not-for-profit organisation that helps the creative community reduce its carbon footprint, to publish the ‘Green Orchestras Guide’, a simple guide to sustainable practice. The ABO followed this in 2012 with the launch of a ‘Green Charter’, which commits its members to recognise environmental sustainability in their planning, performance, and promotion of orchestral music in the UK. That same year, Arts Council England became the first cultural body in the world to make environmental action part of its funding agreements. In New Zealand the creative sector response has been slower - though it is gaining momentum. Our arts council and national arts development agency haven’t signalled they’re developing an environmental sustainability strategy for the sector (yet), but the NZ Screen Sector released its draft strategy to 2030 earlier this year, and it includes environmental and social sustainability as a core pillar. Which isn’t to say our industry isn’t contributing. Since its inception, Orchestras Central Trust (OCT) has been committed to leading the way with simple, but very effective, initiatives aimed at minimising the environmental impacts an orchestra can have.
‘’It’s no easy feat when orchestras are traditionally very resource hungry’’ says OCT CEO Susan Trodden. ‘’We are slowly but surely making changes that are not only good for the environment, they make sound business sense – both of which are essential for the sustainability of the orchestras in our family. “First, the organisation looked at the environmental impacts of its work, what was important, and started to identify things that could make a difference. Understanding and measuring those impacts led to a drive to make changes, and the next steps will be communicating these changes to our musicians, funders, sponsors and audiences.’’ OCT is at the very beginning of this journey, but some of the things it has undertaken already include: Reducing printed copies of music scores either through hiring rather than purchasing, or using digital music where possible, and retaining ‘used’ scores for future use All paper in the office is recycled, or shredded and passed to members of the team who have chickens Single-use plastic water bottles are discouraged at rehearsals, and musicians are also encouraged to bring their own cup for supper time, meaning washing up is kept to a minimum Ridesharing between musicians is emphasised, and for remunerated musicians travelling from other towns, this is included as a guideline in their contracts Concert programmes will be going digital this year. Whilst some printed copies will be available, the innovate ‘En Cue’ programme app will significantly reduce printing costs and paper waste Online ticket sales are encouraged, and paper tickets are not required for entry to concerts OCT ‘head office’ works from a co-working space, shared with other small arts and for-purpose organisations, and food waste is given to team members for feeding to their chickens or composting.
It would be a dream to become NZ first carbon neutral orchestra. We have a way to go, of course – so in the meantime, OCT is keen work with our musicians, our supporters and our partners to embrace new ways of doing things. If you have any ideas – big or small – we’d really love to hear them.
HEAT ON THE CONDUCTOR Catherine Polglase is a freelance violinist, Suzuki violin teacher and conductor. She studied modern and baroque violin completing a Bachelor of Arts (Music and History) and Diploma of Teaching (Secondary) at University of Auckland. Catherine has recently been appointed Orchestra Planning Manager with OCT. She is also principal conductor of Rusty Players, and assistant conductor of YOW. How old were you when you realised you wanted music to be your career? I was about fifteen. I went to the Auckland String Quartet summer school, and another orchestral summer school and was just really inspired by being around these amazing musicians and conductors. What kind of violin do you play? I have two NZ made violins. A Baroque violin made by Annette Voll in Auckland and a modern violin made by an amazing luthier, Peter Madill, in 1981. How long have you been conducting? Since 1993 – twenty seven years! Do you have a favourite piece to conduct? Elgar’s Nimrod. What about a dream piece you’ve not yet conducted? It was such a shame that YOW didn't get to perform at the Avantidrome in March as planned, so I’m looking forward to Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, when we are out of lockdown! Do you get nervous before a performance? Yes! But it’s a kind of excitement. What do you do to relax and get focused? I have to harness the nervousness. I like to be quiet and still. What are your favourite pieces of music to perform? I love the Brahms Symphonies. And I especially love playing Baroque music with NZ Baroque on my baroque violin.
Tell us something about yourself that might surprise us? I used to be a hockey goalie, and I played in the First 11 hockey team for three years at Fairfield College. Then I was in 'University A' at Auckland University. (I played hockey and the violin for the University – my violin teacher was horrified, but I didn't play them at the same time!) What do you do to relax (other than music!?) Hang out with my kids. I'm currently watching the entire Gilmour Girls series on Netflix with my daughter. Why are you so passionate about orchestras like YOW and Rusty Players? I really enjoy building community. Music is not just the sole reason to be there, it’s about making connections and growing as musicians. Being presented with a challenge and then rising to that challenge as a team is fabulous. There’s a real team spirit in working together for a unified goal.
MUSIC IN THE TIME OF LOCKDOWN Business continuity and support for our most vulnerable are absolutely critical right now. And, so is ensuring the good mental health of people who are isolated through the next four weeks and beyond.There are now opportunities to be truly innovative about how we can connect to each other. As leaders in the arts sector we are working on some exciting ideas that will enable and encourage musicians to continue to have a creative outlet – and ways our audiences can stay connected to us. Music is good for the soul, and right now, that’s more important than ever. THINGS YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW IF YOU'RE A MUSICIAN: Contact us to join the Rusty Player Orchestra or TWSO. This will get you access to music that you can practice at home. When you feel ready, you can play along with some selected performances on YouTube – we’ll even give you the links. Remember, you can simplify the music if you need to by, for example, playing an octave lower or playing the first note of each group of semiquavers – whatever it takes to make the music satisfying and achievable! THINGS YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW IF YOU JUST LOVE ORCHESTRAS: Watch our performances on YouTube. Download our interactive education resources and get your kids busy (you can watch the show on YouTube too). More about our children's concerts here. Find us on Facebook and be part of the digital orchestra community. Catch up on some reading with our digital programmes - and back copies of Counterpoint Magazine. Keep checking back for more information about #talkestra and #couchestra, and our exciting new community initiative, #musictogo, starting in May. A full list of resources is on our website .
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Wedon'tknowwhattherestof2020willlooklike,butwe'restayingpositive! Pleasekeepthesedatesinyourdiaryandcheckourwebsiteforcurrentlistings.
CONTACT US Upstairs @The Meteor, 1 Victoria St, Hamilton Ph. Â 07 949 9315 ceo@orchestras.org.nz www.orchestras.org.nz OUR ORCHESTRAS ARE PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY
