Recently I’ve had a lesson with Cécile Huijnen, the concert mistress of Het Gelders Orkest. This was a lesson she offered me a while ago, and even though it was meant as audition training (which is something mental of course), she learned me a very importing thing regarding leadership: the way of breathing, especially at a new entrance (I’ll use entrances as an example now. Of course leading involves interpretation as well, to give some examples: when I think the group is playing too loud, I’ll make myself small; when the music is heroic, I’ll sit up really straight and try to make a “heroic” face, etcetera).

During all those years of leading and performing, I found a way of leading entrances: I’ll give an upbeat just before the entrance of the group, by making a small gesture with my violin and bow, and I’ll breath in. I don’t bother about breathing out, because I’m busy with the music. Mrs Huijnen showed me that I block myself by doing this: because I kept my breath during the first note(s) (it’s difficult to let it go afterwards), I didn’t feel free, or I could even block my shoulders and neck when becoming nervous. She told me to breath in during the upbeat a little earlier and to breath out during the last part of the upbeat and the first note. I tried it, and I felt much better: more freedom, a better tone, more relaxation. This solution sounds very simple (actually I don’t know why I didn’t think of it a lot earlier), but it makes such a difference!!

(Funny: while I’m writing this, I’m trying both ways. I can’t lead in my old way any more!)

Mrs Huijnen told me to come back, and I’d love to do this, because I think she could be an example for me. And apart from that, she’s a lovely person who plays beautifully – I think being a nice person and playing well are actually some of the most important qualities for a concert master!

Funny fact two. The month before this lesson I was playing in the orchestra of De Vrienden van Amstel LIVE! 2015. During the first show I was nervous: so many people, such an incredible hight we had to stand on, so much light, so many things to see and to loose your concentration to! At the second show I started to sing along with the songs that were performed just before we had to play (luckily nobody could here me, since the music was very loud). I felt much better during our performance! Maybe because singing helps you to release your breath, could it help you to relax? (By the way, isn’t Marleen writing about this?)