Media and Communications Blog
AYO Week 1 Blog – The Musical Ecosystem
I’m sitting in the Elder Hall, and wow, the Alexander Orchestra is providing a spectacular soundtrack to my blog writing. Today is concert day, and the hours of work all AYO participants – orchestral players, composers, sound engineers, orchestral managers, librarians, administration and of course the Media and Communication team – will culminate in Victory in Amber and Cinnamon Rose, beginning in four hours from now.
One week at camp feels like six months’ worth of learning. Though I feel like this camp has validated so many thoughts I’ve had regarding my relationship with music. 2024 was my first year spent entirely out of an educational institution and I had started to have doubts about doing music.
How am I contributing to society by being a violinist?
Why do I even do classical music?
Can I make a music career work financially?
But through our conversations with Ed Le Brocq, Monica Curro, Richard Wigley and Sir Jonathan Mills, any lingering uncertainty has quietly retired. The answer to my doubts is that we all must play an active role in creating the future of classical music. It is so much more than being a great player – we need to look for ways to engage with the communities around us.
One example is our camp director, Monica Curro and piano tutor, Stefan Cassomenos. You’d think that being Assistant Principal Second Violin of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and performing as a concert pianist would be enough to keep this pair busy. Apparently not though, as they are both Artistic Directors of the Port Fairy Spring Music Festival, an artistic endeavour that brings live music, school performances, masterclasses and interdisciplinary collaborations to the regions.
Lachlan Bramble is the Associate Principal Second Violin of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and the National Director of the Symphony Orchestra Musician’s Association. The work he and his team has done has brought orchestral working standards to an equilibrium, meaning that orchestral musicians are paid properly, and rehearsals are an acceptable length. He is also the reason why you can take your violin or viola on the plane with you. Thank you, Lachlan!
So what are you going to do to engage with society? I heard some intriguing proposals at the festival brainstorming session… maybe we won’t be able to host a concert on the sun, but all your ideas have the power to propel this cultural ecosystem into a new age. Don’t hesitate – go for it!