Media and Communications Blog
Blog 2 – Leaning in
Week one—what an adventure! Several bakery visits later, the National Music Camp attendees had made it through their first week, polishing it off with two magnificent concerts.
Witnessing the first rehearsals and then the final concerts was riveting as you really got to watch the musicians develop the music beyond playing dots on a page. As the musicians would play, they would lean in with their whole bodies pushing the sound out. Leaning in was a common feature of this orchestra, and I think of classical musicians in general – next time you are watching a musician or perhaps even at our upcoming concerts watch how the musicians lean in and bring life to the music.
In a way, leaning in is like locking in for classical musicians. For those who do not spend their time rotting on the internet, the phrase “lock in” is used by the youths of today to describe preparing themselves to focus on a task, something I believe to be relevant to our young musicians on camp, who likely have said over the past few weeks to themselves or their friends, “I need to lock in for AYO”. National Music Camp is the time for young musicians to sharpen their craft and LOCK IN.
The orchestral management students seemed to be the busiest out of the lot as they zipped around from task to task and venue to venue keeping up with the high-pressure lifestyle of an orchestral manager. The expectations were high, and they delivered, particularly in the two public concerts on Saturday; they had perfect execution of stage changes for the following day.
Post-dinner sessions throughout the week provided helpful insight into the professional world, beyond playing in an orchestra. Starting the week off strong with Ed Le Brocq interviewing a few of our incredible staff and conductors on a panel, Richard Wigley talking about his wealth of experience running orchestras and Sir Jonathan Mills asking us to design a festival.
Enough about everyone else, let me fill you in on what happened to me. After a thrilling workshop with Richard Wigley, it was Burger Day. As we went slightly overtime with our chats, we were the last group to descend upon the lone burger truck outside Elder Hall. After 45 minutes of hiding in the pockets of shade along the never-ending line, we still hadn’t received our burgers, and I began talking with Richard about the cricket. Now this is brave for someone whose entire sports education came from sitting on the couch with my father every summer for 10 or so years half-heartedly watching. What I learnt is that Richard Wigley supports the New Zealand cricket team and, if they’re not playing, he supports England, firmly placing Australia last on his list. Traitor. Just kidding, we love you Richard.
The week concluded with a short stint at the pub and a dusty, free day for many on Sunday, where I watched the sunburnt zombies back from their beach trips drag themselves over to campus to begin rehearsing for the following week.
Stay tuned!
About National Music Camp
Founded in 1948, National Music Camp has become the cornerstone of our training. Over two intensive weeks, around 220 of the country’s most talented young musicians come together to be mentored by world-class tutors, artists, and conductors. They experience music-making at the highest national level as part of exceptional symphony or chamber orchestras.
Behind the scenes, aspiring arts leaders from the Media and Communication, Orchestral Management, and Sound Production programs collaborate to bring today’s concert to life. Whether crafting compelling narratives about music’s cultural impact, mastering stage management logistics, or capturing the magic of live performance in pristine audio, these participants are guided by industry experts, challenged, and inspired at every step.
Together with the Composition program, which fosters the creation of bold new works, this comprehensive approach to orchestral and arts administration training cultivates a dynamic environment where creativity and passion unite, lifelong friendships and collaborations are sparked, and Australia’s arts scene is reinvigorated. As the lifeblood of culture, the arts enrich our lives, connect us, challenge us, and transform us.