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?) 

Feedback: Santiago Cimadevilla

RQ: It’s only clear after reading the rest of the ARP, consider re-phrasing it (maybe “that are requested of me”)

Survey: Make a relevant questionnaire in consultation with your coach and an expert. Consider handing the questionnaire out to members of an orchestra with a concertmaster that you admire (select in consultation with expert/coach), in order to compare the results with the questionnaire handed out to musicians that play with you.

Planning: Organize your intervention cycles around the performances you have planned in the time of your research (not the other way around!).

I’ve got some concert master performances coming up. One of them is at the Big Day with a baroque ensemble, but since I won’t play any soli there and since it’s a completely different way of playing than I’m used to, I don’t think this could be useful for this reserach.

At the beginning of April I’ll lead a (stubborn) amateur orchestra in the St Matthews Passion (I’m the leader of orchestra II), which means I’ll play a solo twice in a row. Could be useful.

My own orchestra will perform at the 2nd of May. Repertoire: The Planets – Holst, Sheherazade 2nd movement – Rimsky-Korsakov, The Pleasure-Dome of Kubla Kahn – Griffes, E.T. – Williams. So many soli 😉

Literature:  Organize the books you have and set priorities to start reading them. Use synopses, or book reviews (Amazon?).

Yes, for sure :).

Regarding playing of concertmaster soli: Be aware of the closeness to your main subject. Try to approach this with a research-based strategy.

Should I skip this part?

Measurement: consider a multiple approach, such as surveys before and after, and input of experts (ie, their views on the changes in your practice as shown in your reference recording vs the results of your intervention cycles).

Possible problem: too close to main subject?

Feedback: Rob Broek

Podiumangst? Skip the references if they are not relevant.

Ambitious. Maybe less aspects to be researched is better.

Measurement of improvement?  Interview, recordings. Also a manual for concertmasters could be output of this research as the ultimate way of reflecting.

 I like this idea of a manual!!!

Feedback: Nicole Jordan

Is there one concert master whom you really admire who seems to bring all of your areas of interest together? Can you use him/her as a case study to start?

Yes! I’ll write an apart post about her.

http://www.thestrad.com/cpt-latests/effective-orchestral-section-leader/

Summary made

Artistic Research Proposal

In general I’d like to research the following. Being a concertmaster consists of many aspects. What skills does it take to be a good one? How can I help myself improving two of these aspects, namely the psychological/mental part of leadership and playing concertmastersolos (in musical and mental sense)?

This brings me to my research question:

How do I further improve my skills as a concertmaster, especially the mental part of leadership and the playing of concertmastersoli, by increasing the allround responsabilities that are requested?

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Synonyms:

improve, upgrade, develop, boosting, increasing, progress

request, require, needed, wanted, asked for, necessary, demanded, desired

Old research question (I don’t agree with the part in black):

How do I develop my skills as a concertmaster in order to improve (concertmaster)solo playing and the mental part of leadership, by …?

Due to other deadlines I couldn’t finish everything before today. But tomorrow I’ll finish my work, and I’ll publish everything on my blog for the AR exam!

Sorry for the little delay!

The recordings I’d like to use, are:

1) Codarts Symphony Orchestra led by Hans Leenders, 31 January 2014, De Doelen Rotterdam

Dvorak Cello Concerto

Eva Otero Picado, cello

Concertmaster: yours truly

2) Valerius Studentenorkest led by Arne Visser, 17 May 2014, Lutherse Kerk, The Hague

Beethoven Ouverture Name Day, Beethoven Symphony 3 “Eroica” (movements 1 & 2), Tsjaikovsky Ouverture 1812

Concertmaster: yours truly

If number 2 wasn’t recorded, I’ll use

3)  Valerius Studentenorkest led by Joost Geevers, 28 September 2014, Lucent Danstheater, The Hague

Bollywoodsongs, concert in collaboration with Avishkar

Concertmaster: yours truly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tMpMFCRaYU

Codarts Symphony Orchestra led by Hans Leenders. Soloist: Eva Otero Picado

Dvorák Cello Concerto, 31 January 2014, De Doelen Rotterdam

Broadcasted on TV Rijnmond(?)

Codarts Symphony Orchestra led by Yannick Nézet-Séguin

Sibelius Symphony 2, 20 October 2014, De Doelen Rotterdam

Yours truly being the leader of the second violins

A timeline through (less) recent history… These are the recordings I’d like to use as reference recordings. I’ve got more recordings at home, on CD.

2 September 2012, Valerius Studentenorkest, Dr. Anton Philipszaal, The Hague

Tzigane by Maurice Ravel, Sheherazade by Rimsky-Korsakov (second movement)

Performed and recorded during the Haags UITFestival 2012

Soloist and concertmaster: yours truly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jwolGqr1jTA (Tzigane, complete recording is on CD)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcDFEiq6NBQ (Sheherazade)

1 December 2013, Valerius Studentenorkest, Bethelkerk, Scheveningen

Adagio in G minor by Albinoni, Toccata and Fugue by Bach, Third Symphony by Saint-Saëns

Soloist and concertmaster: yours truly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bPznYJdH9s&feature=youtu.be (Albinoni)

https://soundcloud.com/valeriusorchestra/saint-sa-ns-allegro-moderato (Saint-Saëns)

28 September 2014, Valerius Studentenorkest, Lucent Danstheater, The Hague

Bollywoodsongs

Concert in collaboration with Avishkar

Concertmaster: yours truly

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=folZa9vnmXA&feature=youtu.be (Aa Bhi Jaa, complete)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tMpMFCRaYU (Aa Bhi Jaa from a different camera view)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTTeFs-SsQE (Tujhe Dekha To Ye Jaana Sanam)

Apparently I lost my blog post with the final reference recordings.

Still preferring paper work over blogging!