March 26th, 2015
Dear Vocalise,
Hope you are having a great week! Thank you for the last
rehearsal -- it was fast-passed and effective. I thoroughly enjoyed your
sparkling work.
Tonight I would like to share with you some important
thoughts…
Our Festival for the Young Voices experiences had changed us
all… Sometimes one event, one person, or even one song becomes a pivotal moment
in life, making so many things clear… That was certainly my experience.
We had an incredibly profound conversation on March 16th.
It has been wonderful to read your emails responses to the questions
I asked you to answer. I am deeply
honored by your trust and admire your brave revelations. Thank you for being
honest and sincere with yourself and with me. It is by recognizing and
embracing our challenges that we reach our higher potential –- together.
I am encouraged and excited by our discussions and hearing your
clear determination to take Vocalise and Cantabile to the next level as we lift
our artistry even higher and become stronger advocates for the beauty and joy of
music with our unified, passionate and selfless commitment and the power of
song that brings about better understanding of all humanity.
I treasure our journey into self-discovery through singing, through
bringing the mind, body and spirit into every note, every rhythm, every word.
Last Monday I tried to summarize “the view” and “the method” for you. Here is
it once again, at a glance.
We begin together by aligning the body in the standing
meditation, using breath to connect and relax all its parts.
“Breath is the bridge that connects body and mind” -- lengthen through the spine and feel space in
all parts of body. Sink your breath very low and slow it down. Become aware of
your every inhale and exhale. Breathe through your skin and every hair on your
head and body.
We seek for our body to feel light, spacious and tall,
reaching up through the crown of the head and reaching down into the earth
through the soles of the feet.
Relax and open the body even more with each breath as your
mind becomes clear and calm.
Clarity and calm bring flexibility to our body, mind and
spirit:
The mind
will have enough space for all thoughts and ideas, not refusing any
The body will be so flexible that
it would not lose balance, get stuck or freeze in the face of fear or guilt.
Our spirit’s flexibly is in loving
and accepting all things that we are and that are around us.
These are very simple steps that I try to do with you at the
beginning of each rehearsal. You don’t need me to do these exercise – they are
yours to do anywhere any time. The Chinese call it simply “hygiene” and
consider this no different from such cleansing rituals as brushing teeth and
taking a shower.
When we begin interpreting and internalizing our music, I
ask a lot of you. I ask you to take risks by exploring the human condition,
diving into difficult social and political concepts and experiencing intense
emotions.
Feeling safe and supported is a big part of our success. The
singer is more likely to open up and explore intense emotions in presence of
like-minded and loving people. The same singer is also more likely to take
risks knowing that others are strong and committed.
For any artist, safety comes from solid knowledge of the craft.
In other words, you won’t be very expressive with the inner meaning of the song
when you are still searching for the right notes at the right time. So,
metaphysics aside, diligent practicing and an honest look at your current level
of the score preparation can’t be substituted by anything else.
The singer feels supported and motivated when others are
prepared, disciplined and engaged. It is true that from time to time we take
the back seat and ride the “wave of the preparedness of others”, but it can
only be “once in a blue moon” moment.
The singer also feels supported when a stronger colleague
engages with him/her constantly, sharing the higher skill and experience rather
than making it a reason for separation into “sages” and “novices.”
We all must embrace the simple thought that a choir in
general and Vocalise in particular will only thrive when all singers and
conductors think of ourselves as one instrument, one voice, one heart, one body
and that it is with success and thriving of others that we become successful
and we thrive. That’s why I think a choir is a perfect metaphor for a
community.
Let’s make these last few weeks of our season the time we
build the Vocalise community. Think of what you will do move it forward. You can’t possibly be too shy to not inspire someone even
more shy by showing your sincere expressivity and connection to music. You can’t possibly be too busy to not help
someone with learning of the material, even if by Skype. You can’t possibly be
too “senior” not to encourage a young colleague by telling a funny story of
“those were the days” when you couldn't read music and were “totally scared of
Elena.”
So what are you going to do?
I can’t wait to see Vocalise change because YOU OPENED UP.
Much love to all of you.
Elena
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