The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust of Australia Report by Rebecca White- 2009 Churchill Fellow I understand that the Churchill Trust may publish this Report, either in hard copy or on the Internet or both, and consent to such publication. I indemnify the Churchill Trust against any loss, costs or damages it may suffer arising out of any claim or proceedings made against the Trust in respect of or arising out of the publication of any Report submitted to the Trust and which the Trust places on a website for access over the internet. I also warrant that my Final Report is original and does not infringe the copyright of any person, or contain anything which is, or the incorporation of which into the Final Report is, actionable for defamation, a breach of any privacy law or obligation, breach of confidence, contempt of court, passing-off or contravention of any other private right or of any law. Signed Dated
Introduction Executive Summary/Project Description/Activities whilst on Fellowship My Journey Begins Performance DVD Conclusion and Recommendations
INTRODUCTION This report is about my travels to the USA to undertake my Churchill fellowship at the Eastman School of Music-Rochester NY, 2010. I travelled to the USA to take up a position in the violin studio of Prof Oleh Krysa having private lessons. My Fellowship allowed me to meet with many musicians from USA, both Professors and students (of all instruments) and some other exchange/international students around the world. I was also fortunate to attend MANY concerts at Eastman and Julliard. From this trip I was hoping to improve my playing and understanding of the violin and teaching from having private lessons but was lucky enough to be able to take part in the studio class, play in 3 different orchestras and play a last minute chamber concert in a piano trio. I also wanted to have an understanding of how different cultures work whilst studying at an international school. I cannot thank the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust enough for the generosity they have shown me in allowing me to undertake what has only ever been a dream of mine. I would also like to that the Trust on behalf of all the other Fellows of 2009, past Fellows and future Fellowship winners. I would also like to thank my sponsor Mrs New for giving me this opportunity. A special thanks must go to my amazing teacher Prof Oleh Krysa and his wife Ms Tchenkina who were so generous with their time throughout my whole stay and giving me so many opportunities. I would also like to thank the West Australian Symphony Orchestra for their constant support and for allowing me the time off to pursue my dream to be the best violinist I can so I can take up a principal role in the
Orchestra and encourage and tutor the up and coming young musicians of Western Australia and Australia.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Rebecca White 336 Warwick Road, WARWICK, 6024 Western Australia Tutti Violinist-WASO Violin/ Viola Teacher-Private, School, University Chamber Musician/Performer Project Description To undertake violin lessons with Prof Oleh Krysa at the Eastman School of Music to bring back to Australia a better knowledge of the violin and the differences in the schools internationally. Further to this I also gathered knowledge in bows and violins and was fortunate enough to play in orchestras and chamber music.
Activities whilst on the Fellowship I had 3 private lessons a week each one with different repertoire. Attended studio class every Wednesday night at 8pm and towards the end of the semester twice a week. Played in 3 different orchestras within the Rochester Community. Performed in the famous Eastman Theatre as part of the Graduate Chamber Music Programme after the violinist in the trio became unwell 5 days before the performance. This allowed me to have chamber music coaching with members of the Ying String Quartet and Professor Krysa. Collaborated with a pianist at the school from Cyprus working on sonata repertoire. Attended many concerts while at Eastman including my Prof and his wife performing an all Prokofiev programme, a bassoon, string and interpretive dance recital at Julliard, The Eastman Brass ensemble and the Eastman School of Music's student orchestral concerts.
My Journey Begins I left Perth on the 1st of February 2010 on what was at the time a scary experience. I had no idea it would take so long to arrive in Rochester but 37 hours later I landed at Rochester International Airport at 11.30 pm to see my teacher Professor Oleh Krysa standing there waiting for me. On the way to my accommodation he and his wife drove me past the Eastman School and I remember being surprised to see that there were people leaving the school at that time of the night. I managed to find a fully furnished apartment on the main street of Rochester which was about a 15 min walk to school (lots of fun in the snow!) and Professor Krysa invited me to attend the studio class the next night. I was exhausted and jet lagged on my first day but when I arrived at school the following night I was surprised to hear so much going on and it was 8pm! I really didn't know what to expect from the school as I hadn't had the chance to study at a school internationally. I had only attended summer courses which I thought were always much more intense as they are for a shorter period of time. Sitting in the studio class I felt very humbled as two amazing violinists played. I was stunned at how high the level was and knew then this was going to be the best thing for me personally and to bring back to Australia. Prof introduced me to the students and there was one boy from Melbourne who was studying his under graduate at Eastman. I remember being so relieved to hear a great Aussie accent and hear such wonderful playing. I had my first lesson two days later and didn't know what to expect as I hadn't had a lesson for a long time. I found I was very nervous. I asked Prof to fix my bow hand/arm as I had been having a few problems with tension during performance and with that came loads of studies (pieces specifically written to improve some aspect of playing and therefore difficult to learn)! What had I let myself in for! The students in
my studio were so friendly. We all practiced on Level 4 of the Annex (the practice room block) and it was within the first two weeks that I started to realise the difference in Australian and American schools and the students. I would arrive at school at 7.30am and start practicing with a few others from my studio then finish about 1pm and go home for a rest and food. I would then go back again to meet up with the others and practice until about 11pm. This was the most intense work I had done and the fact that there were so many others from my studio doing it, encouraged me to do more. I found over the first few weeks I made many friends who would chat to me about the USA and the school and also wanting to know SO much about Australia and how I possibly could have travelled this far! My lessons with Prof Krysa were very intense and technique orientated- I couldn't have asked for anything better! We started out playing scales in order to fix the height and speed of my bowing and bow arm. With this small change (which in fact ended up being a massive change) my sound changed and playing freed up almost the point where I didn't sound like me anymore and could play for hours and hours a day with NO pain. Previously I always had problems when performing with tension in my bow arm with a raised shoulder and dropped elbow, this causing a crushed sound not an open resonant sound. Professor gave me many Rode studies, Dont studies and scales working on carrying my arm and giving freedom to my movement. I also changed the position of where I held my violin allowing an opening across my chest and between my shoulders. This also linked to freedom between both arms and brought less tension in my neck. I remember my first few lessons on Studies and Professor said ' play them like they are pieces...free...not like studies'. Then eventually there was a lesson when I completely understood what he wanted and everything that I had been practicing for hours each day fell into place and I felt like a completely different player.
Whilst I was over there I received an email asking me to perform the Sarasate Carmen Fantasy in October in Perth, so I went to my next lesson and asked Professor if he would teach it to me. This piece is very technically challenging and I don't think I could have had a better teacher for this! I knew I had to learn it quickly but didn't dream that it would only be ten days before he wanted me to play it in studio class. This was the first time anyone would have heard me play in the school and an opportunity for me to try out all my new technique changes in performance. I had two amazing lessons on this piece; the first was based on the technical aspects (both left hand and right hand), and the second on interpretation. Professor looked at me and said ' Rebecca, Carmen is a girl she is female...sexy...do you know the story?' I did know it from playing it in WASO but I remember saying to him ' Do I look like a Carmen? At the time I was wearing jeans, snow boots and a headband!!' to this he laughed. I left my lesson to find many of the studio students standing outside the half open door laughing as they had heard this conversation. I knew he wanted me to try and forget the technical aspects of playing now and think of the big picture, but for me that was hard to do. On 31st of March I played in studio class. I always had my lesson before class so I went and played it through with his wife accompanying on piano. I was so stressed about my first performance and the technical changes that I couldn't play anything! It was a poor rehearsal so he told me to stop panicking, go back to my apartment and sleep until class. I could never have ever thought of doing this before as I would have just worked harder and harder until the performance. However, I listened to his advice and went home for a rest. I was SO nervous for class at 8pm...I could never remember being this nervous. I started to play and felt really comfortable and found that I could do all the musical things Professor had asked me to earlier that day. To my surprise it went really well. People had to make comments then Prof made comments too. I think right until now the quote of his class is...'rebecca...i asked for Carmen...I got MORE than Carmen...you can do anything you want to on the violin.' I know until this day that it is thanks to him and his positive attitude that I was able to do this.
I also found out that Prof Krysa had the hardest working studio which was wonderful for me as I thrive on challenges! We were the first ones to arrive in the morning and the last ones out at night and on spring break it was very interesting to see that 90% of the students practicing were from Krysa's class. This was very interesting to me as I have not been around people who work so hard. This was because Prof expected something new at every lesson and we were never allowed to bring the same thing twice unless we were performing in studio class. His students were so friendly and we would often help each other whilst practicing. We would go into each other s room, play for each other and we would get criticism and help before having a lesson. This is something that was very new to me as I have never had this here in Australia. In Australia it is unusual for fellow musicians to help and support each other as much the musicians I was surrounded by at Eastman. As my time went on and people realised that I had a job in an orchestra at home (in USA it is extremely difficult to find an orchestral position as it is so competitive), during the orchestral programme my mates would come into my room and ask for help with the orchestral programme music and I felt very privileged that they would ask me. We would and go through things together and I would help them with orchestral sounds etc and then when I needed help with solo things they would help me. I was in an environment I had only ever dreamed of. Prof Krysa gave me three lessons a week so I was getting through so much technical work and constantly being reminded about what I had to fix. I was also learning many pieces and how to learn them quickly. The other students gave me their advice on how to learn things very quickly. As soon as I started to really understand my playing Prof Krysa asked me about my violin. I actually went over there with my teacher s violin as mine wasn t good enough. He said to me I would be playing a lot better and get better results for my hard work if I had a different instrument. This opened up a whole new area of learning for me when I started trying many different violins and bows. Prof had me trying many violins but the ones that interested me were
modern American violins that produced a huge sound for the modern concert hall and an old Italian which blended well for orchestral playing but not really suitable for chamber music and solo work. I fell in love with a beautiful French Violin made in 1770 with a warm rich sound which projects well for solo repertoire and also blends well for chamber and orchestral playing. It is a Francois Fent-who is a rare maker. When I arrived back in Perth and mentioned my new violin to my Churchill mentor-andrew Tait, he told me he modelled the Double Bass he made on a Fent too! Whilst at Eastman I really realised how much the bow had to do with the sound of the violin so Professor organised for me to try many bows of different ages and value. I was amazed to hear how different one violin could sound using different bows. During my third weekend in Rochester I met a conductor studying for his Doctorate at Eastman. He was conducting a concert and needed another violinist. This was my debut with the Brighton Symphony Orchestra as Associate concertmaster. I have worked with many orchestras and conductors over the years and I really enjoyed this. I was then asked to play in the Greece Symphony orchestra (Rochester) and the Rochester Chamber Players which was a very different mix of players in all three orchestras and different conductors. My final week at school saw a fellow violinist become sick and unable perform in the Graduate Chamber Music Recital. This was really unfortunate for the other members of the trio as they had worked all semester on the Brahms Piano Trio to perform and receive their grade. I was sitting having a coffee with them and just offered to fill in if they still wanted to perform. This was only five days before the performance and I had never played the work before. The Professors were a little sceptical about this as it was such short notice but the three of us started working really hard-six hours a day rehearsing. Two days later we had a coaching session to see if we were up to the standard to perform. They were surprised at how much we had achieved in such a short time and allowed us to
perform. We had amazing coaching sessions with Professor Krysa and members of the Ying Quartet (resident string quartet at Eastman). Chamber music is a huge passion of mine and I loved the pressure, rehearsals and coaching sessions. The other two girls I played with were such amazing musicians and it was so surreal to be working with others who wanted to and were able to rehearse so much. This was one of the highlights of my trip as we were asked to perform in the famous Eastman Theatre and it was the night my mum arrived to visit. (I have attached a DVD that was taken of the performance)
Conclusion and Recommendations Some of the biggest differences I noticed whilst in USA were that everyone worked so hard and there were activities going on all the time at school. Studio classes and rehearsals finished after 10.30pm most nights and there were a variety of concerts almost every night. Students were amazingly supportive of one another. When practicing everyone helped one another and after playing in class you would receive positive and helpful criticism. I also found that the students (especially in Prof Krysa s studio) learned much repertoire in a short period of time. Unlike Australia, graduates are expected to learn two to three concertos, Paganini caprices, sonatas and other show pieces each year, as well as orchestral excerpts and chamber music. As I have now spent three months at Eastman I realise that Australian students would benefit greatly from learning more repertoire quickly and being more supportive of one another to build performance confidence. I am looking forward to sharing my new technical and musical understanding of the violin with fellow musicians as well as students. Since returning home at the end of May I have resumed teaching at schools and privately. I have returned to WASO and FCO as well as performed solo and chamber concerts. I have also started tutoring at WAYO and in September will be performing a solo concerto in Brisbane and whilst there taking a master class at the Brisbane Conservatorium. These activities have already allowed me to start sharing my new ideas with Australia.