Open Writing

...While waiting for this near-perfect performance to begin, however, I glanced through the curricula vitae of the artistes, printed in the programme. They comprised lists of qualifications achieved, prizes won, awards received, master-classes participated in, teachers with unpronounceable and unheard-of names. They were boring...

Isabel Bradley thinks that musicians, besides being trained in all the protocols of performance, should also be taught how to write a curriculum vitae which whets and audiences's sense of anticiptation.

To read more of Isabel's delicioyus and varied columns please click on http://www.openwriting.com/archives/here_comes_treble/

165. A Musician’s Curriculum Vitae

A young Russian-born ‘cellist and her South African accompanist presented a programme of glorious romantic music. Their playing sparkled, their stage-personalities were attractive, the halting introductions in Russian-accented English were eagerly received by the audience, and they bowed in unison. Applause for the pair was ecstatic, and they rewarded us with a fabulous encore.

While waiting for this near-perfect performance to begin, however, I glanced through the curricula vitae of the artistes, printed in the programme. They comprised lists of qualifications achieved, prizes won, awards received, master-classes participated in, teachers with unpronounceable and unheard-of names. They were boring. If the audience were to judge these girls on the course of their lives as described in the programme rather than on their musicality, they would have walked out of the concert hall before a note was played. Surely, in the context of musical performances a CV should be designed to interest the audience in the performers.

For instance, to gain the audience’s interest, the pianist in the duo could have written her CV in the following way:

She was one of seven children raised on a farm near a large city, each of whom studied both piano and a string instrument. Daily practising was achieved amidst the cacophony of everyone else practising at the same time, sometimes in the same room. She says that growing up in that noisy home taught her to concentrate through any and all interruptions. During her studies at the nearby university, she enjoyed playing chamber music on both piano and ‘cello, and discovered a particular talent for accompanying. She achieved her Master of Music degree with distinction, earning a bursary for further study in Poland. While continuing her studies, she participated in many international competitions and master-classes as pianist, ‘cellist and accompanist, winning prizes and commendations. While in Poland, she married, then returned to South Africa with her husband. She has a busy musical career as a trio member, accompanist to various instrumentalists and soloist in all the major concert venues throughout South Africa. They have three sons and a daughter.

Turning a list of achievements into a miniature life-story makes interesting reading, and attracts the audience to the personality of the performer they’re about to hear.

A rather delightful CV at a flute recital which was part of a coastal town’s annual festival, read:

“Michelle and Brenda are both free-lance musicians who play professionally, but always for the sheer enjoyment of sharing music with one another and their audience…”

Leon and I read the story of how and where the two musicians met and waited with pleasant anticipation for the appearance of the artistes. When they walked on-stage, there were only five people in the audience, including the janitor of the hall. The flautist announced that they were delighted to play for us, that they firmly believed that in every audience there was always at least one person they were playing for – and that they would play with as much passion as if there were a thousand people in the audience. It was, indeed, a world-class performance. When the last note faded, all five of us stood to give the musicians a well-deserved ovation. Our applause filled the empty hall and the blood-blister that I inflicted on my thumb took a week to disappear.

Musicians should be trained in all the protocols of performance. Perhaps the careful writing of curricula vitae, which would interest everyone in the audience, should be part of that training.

Until next time, ‘here comes Treble!’

By Isabel Bradley © Copyright Reserved