What's your 'immediate world'?

I recently gave an interview to Mark Mann for ARTINFO via the telephone using an interlocutor and some of the questions we discussed gave me food for thought which I would like to put to you.....

In respect of my worldwide travel Mark was interested in knowing how I maintain practise and did I have any routines to keep myself grounded - No! Absolutely not I said. And the reason is that I don’t want to become hostage to anything. That’s the first step in breaking down, where you hang on to something. My best strategy is to immediately lock into the time I am in wherever I arrive in the world. I don’t even think about the time at home. - In hindsight I wonder if abstaining from one set of rituals could be indirectly involving me in another and I would be very interested in your thoughts on this?

As for rituals before concerts: My response is a clear 'not at all. Every single place is different, and how you feel is different. It’s part of listening to your body and accepting how you feel. If you feel nervous, accept the fact that you’re nervous. If you feel really raring to go, accept that. Accept the emotion that you’re in at that time. Because you know that as soon as you walk on stage and you feel the presence of the audience, a switch goes on and you do your best. That’s all you can do. If you start loading yourself with this ritual or that ritual, then that would play on your mind more than the piece of music.' I know people who always do yoga exercises prior to a performance or feel the need to abstain from certain foods or drinks or alternatively feel they must have specific sustenance prior to performing - Again I would be interested in getting your perspective on this and what, if any, rituals you follow prior to certain events?

This next question has the potential to require a very broad response - 'A big theme of your work is the immediate world: you respond to what is present to you, your actual environment.'

I giggled at this point and said "Well, I think percussionists do that quite naturally. We can pick up stones or rocks or twigs and so on, and suddenly we have some delight from that, if it makes interesting sounds. I think there’s always a child-like quality in what percussionists do." Again it is a very leading question and I wonder how many of you think about this in the context of your own environment and how you respond within your workplaces, home or social setting?

As percussionists we are often asked to do so many unusual things, and we’re used to that. Even with the piece that we rehearsed in the morning, we are being asked to play with sound effects, and use different ways of getting that emotion through. As percussion players we’re always thinking outside of the box, and always trying to find objects that might be interesting. Just the other day I happened to be in my kitchen and I had this fairly large wooden bowl. I turned it upside and I started tapping on it, and I realised it was like a Kevlar Scotch snare drum. Yet it had a kind of thinner, woodier effect to it. Immediately I decided that it didn’t belong in the kitchen, but it now belonged to the studio. So it remains there now. What items have you found that have other uses and how did you make that discovery?

Here are some extreme examples where my environment definitely had an impact on my performance. Whilst filming Touch the Sound my boundaries were pushed way out of my own personal comfort zone when I was asked to play a snare drum in the Central Station New York - as you can see from the passers by this performance was unusual in many ways and triggered a variety of interesting reactions.

Another environment Fred Frith and I, pictured ,encountered during the filming was a very dirty old and leaky Sugar Factory in Germany and this is what we did with it! We had a great time and hope you enjoy it too.

Read the full ARTINFO article 

Evelyn Glennie

Deeply honoured

Every so often I am deeply moved to receive the most poignant and beautiful comments from friends, colleagues and supporters. The below composed by Rachel is one of those and I am honoured and delighted to share it with you.

EVELYN

Embraced by obscure objects of musical desire you are a minuet, 

arms held high ready to dive into the acoustic pool.

Humming bird hands dart over polished deck boards,

head cocked to one side absorbing vibrations.

Flutters of arpeggios cascade down your rib cage, 

drum rolls reverberate through bones to skull.

Hair follicles are antennae to timbre picking up its message, 

breathing in rhythmic pulses through your pores.

Your whole being is a tuning fork of cleft and bass, a resonating

chamber vibrating to the journey of each sound colour.

Rachel Tennant

WHAT MAKES US HUMAN?

     

For all the immense achievements created by mankind through the ages I cannot help but think that the question of "What Makes Us Human?" eludes us.
It is not a simple "It is this" or "It is that" and although the enormity of the question ties my brain in knots I wonder if the fact that I am actually able to think about the question is  what makes us human?

We are continually exploring the complexities of neurology and the mechanics of the human body and how it continues to amaze as it reconnects itself in surprising ways under adversity. We are realizing that our senses constitute layers upon layers of sub-senses, as I can personally testify.
The temptation to embrace the sheer scale of human behaviour becomes complex simply because there are no set patterns or traits that fit all human beings. This year I have been starkly reminded of the extremes we as human beings are capable of; from the horrific death of fellow drummer Lee Rigby to the heart wrenching situation encountered by the parents and community of April Jones. Therefore, the question of what makes us human seems forever distant as I grapple with its complexities.

Globally I am aware that large groups of people are traumatised due to the atrocities of others. The use of force and oppression appears to be the way conflict is resolved in some territories. Is the resolution of these matters mean we require others to apply judgement and is that the essence of what makes us human? Clearly some individuals and governments see the need to make judgement and act upon it; to take the decision away from others under the banner of democracy or dictatorship and put in place a statement of what they think is right or wrong and then use force to implement those decisions.

Debating is another attribute we use to resolve issues from which meal to order to the G8 whereby major discussions are debated to resolve global problems, including starvation, in countries like Africa where millions continue to lack basic needs and yet vast resources are wasted elsewhere. It is hard to consider how or if what it is to be human when we appear to ‘allow’ these things to happen or to expect others to solve the problems.

I ask myself therefore, if the answer is compassion which is demonstrably a key factor within the charity sectors as they strive to fund and provide for improvement and offer hope as a mechanism to ending all manner of misery. Perhaps prayer is the answer, to look to the omnipresence of a super human being to provide resolution and sanctuary from all suffering. Or maybe it is patience. After all, this is the trait I find myself using most of all from waiting in queues at airports or striving to perfect a piece of music.

As a human being I have feelings therefore is this what makes me human? If it is I am presented with a conundrum because I know other species such as cats and dogs clearly have feelings too. Having empathy and sensitivity towards others are essential traits and can make a huge difference to our perception of others. These traits are most notably evident in organisations such as hospitals, hospices and environments where caring is provided. But there are issues with some organisations, individual care homes and hospitals where there appears to be a lack of these traits with devastating effect.

Curiosity also plays a large part in what defines us as human beings and has catapulted researchers into the development of the human body of an unimaginable scale. Possibly redefining what we envisage a human being to be. The science of modern medicine has overcome major challenges providing cures and prosthetic substitutes enabling hope and recovery. Technological advances also play a large part in what makes us human. From the manipulation of human embryos bringing joy to some and concern to others about the ethics of intervention, to the ability to regenerate cells from living specimens, thus enabling life to continue when part or parts of the body are damaged.

This sense of curiosity is my mainstay. I have found other ways to feel and sense sound using my body as a resonating chamber.  I have achieved my hopes and dreams of becoming a musician due to my innate sense of curiosity. I have learned to hear by lip reading and I have learned to use my body to feel sound as if it were a giant ear.

Therefore are hopes and dreams the essence of what makes us human? Or perhaps the key is strength of character and determination, I certainly needed plenty of those traits  along the way. But I also feel being open minded is important because it leads us to information that allows us to make choices and decisions. It also brings about flexibility and the ability to adapt. When I lost my hearing I chose to adapt and integrate myself into a main stream school. From my perspective the choice was to either be labelled as disabled or enable myself to open up a new career as the world's first full time Solo Percussionist – I have never regretted the ability to make choices!

Clearly the answer is complicated. But as I ponder on another  frequently asked question of me - would I be better musician if I had not lost my hearing? - I have no idea, but I do know life begins and ends with listening. Perhaps the fact that I have opened my body to listening in a different way enables me to be more sensitive. In conclusion I feel compassion, patience, inclusion, individuality and social awareness are all forms of social listening and that is what predominately makes us human. By engaging our bodies as a huge ear I wonder if your view would change on what makes us human.

THE END

Are you coming from the Heart?

Since I began learning and playing percussion and indeed piano and clarinet there has been a fascination about how I can possibly accomplish these things with a severe hearing loss impairment. In the early years it was inconceivable that I would be able to participate, let alone carve a new career as a solo percussionist. Over the years I have spent a lot of time breaking down barriers, shedding concerns and dispelling doubts about my own, and others, ability to enjoy and participate in music.

My quest was beautifully supported by a play written by Charles Way titled Playing from the Heart. A Washington DC film company, Imagination Stage took up the challenge and produced a film of the same name.

The title 'Playing from the Heart' has depth and meaning to me which is often reflected in others around me. I share patronage with many charities and I see people strive to provide the most basic of comforts; clean water, nourishment, and education are the simplest commodities of life that most of us take for granted. I feel passionately about trying to inspire the young and to encourage parents to allow exploration without prejudice. I receive many letters and emails from teachers who find themselves faced with a disabled student and they feel unqualified, to teach them in the traditional manner.You can take it from me 'normal is as normal does', in which I mean from birth we are learning whether or not we are born or become disabled. Our learning capacity may be hampered but what we sometimes need to think about is how to teach someone with a particular impairment. In other words we need to teach the same subjects, but differently.

In my case I had to learn to 'feel' music using all the senses in my body. I was not specifically aware I was doing this however that is what has happened. I see something very similar in the sensory development of the blind where some senses, such as hearing and feeling through the hands, become more sensitive thus enabling the mind to envisage objects or sounds around them.

 'Against all odds' is another term that evokes incredible emotion both negative and positive. Before I met Danny Boyle, the prospect of participating in the opening ceremony for the London 2012 Olympic Games seemed an impossible dream. I soon realised people like Danny Boyle are amazing visionaries. He had a concept in his head of an opening ceremony like no other. He was able to share that vision with funders, creative teams, major organising bodies, artists and especially volunteers. He 'enabled' us all to believe the impossible could be accomplished. Each segment was discussed and put into practice in isolation. As one of the artists I just had to believe in his directive and do my job. The one thing I knew was I had to do it well - therefore I would say to all of you who are in doubt if you believe it can work even if it means adapting or exploring other ways of doing something then put your heart and soul into it and it will happen.

Image by Rachel Blackwell

Poor me!

At the beginning of the week I accidentally cut my first finger on my right hand on the sharp edge of a tin lid that I had foolishly left in the washing up bowl.

I have been amazed at how such a tiny cut has become so debilitating. So many things we take for granted are suddenly made much more difficult to do. Fastening buttons, typing, holding mallets, opening bottles and even doing up my bra have been extremely hard to accommodate with my bandaged finger. So poor me!

Frustrated by my limitations I found myself considering how it must feel to suffer much worse disabilities. I recently performed a double concerto for percussion and cello written by Olga Hans for Dominik Połoński and myself. Dominik was born in 1977 and for many years he was absolutely the number one young talent in Poland. He achieved almost everything for a Young musician - won several competitions, played concerts, recorded many CD's, received a scholarship at the legendary Escuela Superior de Musica Reina Sofia in Madrid, where he studied under Natalia Szachowska, and Mścisław Rostropowicz.

In 2004 he was diagnosed with brain cancer. He went through 4 operations and his left hand remains disabled. In 2006 Doctors told him 'this is it', and gave him 3 weeks to live. Dominik started working with therapists using only his mind. After a while the cancer was gone.

In January 2009 he returned to the stage and performed a piece by Olga Hans - first cello concerto for the right hand. 

During our recent performance in Lodz, Poland I was and remain deeply humbled by Dominik's tenacity and determination and performing with him will always be one of my proudest moments.

Here in the UK we are on the run up to Comic Relief and each time I see the work of the charities including Able Child Africa I can only imagine the overwhelming sense of futility for millions of children with disabilities in the poorest parts of the world. How would I feel if I had not had the support of a peripatetic teacher or my family and friends? What would my life have been like if I had been born deaf in Africa where the only hope must come from the kindness of others?

I am always heartened by the generosity of those who pledge millions each year for charities who are supported by Comic Relief and I am hoping to visit some of the projects in Kenya and Uganda to see for myself how our efforts are put to good use and how we are making a difference - so please dig deep in your hearts and pockets and know that every small donation really does help.

Talking Heads

Two snare drums having a chat in a sunny auditorium.

The little one said "I really like this room. It is nice and bright."

The big one said 'Might be OK now, but later on you'll get your head bashed!'

6ft Baby filled with Percussion!

Perception - I find this word full of intrigue and mystery and I am aware it often leads to misunderstanding and in the case of the '6ft baby filled with percussion' - hilarity!

Like many people in our modern virtual world I like to use email to keep in touch and stay updated on matters especially regarding work.

However because I am often out and about I use a Blackberry mobile phone to connect with my family and team, those of you with sore thumbs will appreciate why I often abbreviate my messages or in some cases I just end up typing the least amount of characters I can get away with. And this occasionally creates havoc!

My involvement this week with a brilliant Sky Arts programme which I am shortly about to appear on has left my team in hysterics as they read my abbreviated text this morning "A baby will be too small to get percussion inside of the piano so the minimum would be a 6 ft." 

I had been discussing the release of my new CD Sound Spirits which I recorded last year at Real World Studios with the Guitarist Jon Hemmersam. The CD is pure improvisation and my input involved getting my head and some of my percussion instruments inside a piano to create pure sounds in an unusual way!

Their perception skills ran amok as they read my email and tried to work out what my message meant. As you can imagine I am not applying some kind of cruelty to oversized babies I was referring to a Baby Grand Piano! I will have to bear their giggles for sometime to come. 

I thought I would share this with you in the hope that you would have other anecdotes to tell me and that my team will see I am not alone!!