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8.11.2022 - Rehearsal Video, PATS Studio ONE

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On the 8th of November 2022, The University of Surrey Indeterminate Music Ensemble (USIME) and guest artist Doctor Steve Tromans performed at PATS Studio One at the University of Surrey, Department of Music and Media. Having never managed a concert before, it was a memorable experience for me as the coordinator. Unlike our usual lunchtime and evening concerts in the department, the concert programme was different. The ensemble consisted of fifteen performers with a variety of instruments, and the pieces were experimental and involved live improvisations.

The concert information email came just a few hours before the concert, so I was a little nervous. Hence, on the morning of the concert, I immediately contacted the Tonmeisters and Manager and asked them to arrange a program before rehearsal time. It was a relief to get in touch with my Tonmeister friends, whom I know well and trust their work, and afterwards, I avoided getting too stressed out. Additionally, I sent all performers an information email and reminded them to contact me if there was any issue.

At 2.30 pm, my management team was at PATS Studio One. Earlier, the University Chamber Choir had been practising, so the stage was not yet set. While the ensemble placed music stands and chairs on the stage, it seemed like they were working together as an ensemble - just as they would be at the concert. In addition to that, I asked the Tonmeister team to come when the stage arrangement was ready. Meanwhile, Tom Armstrong's email this morning outlined how he would like the recordings handled. First, we decided to use a minimum of cabling and microphones on stage so that performers could move around a bit. Next, Tonmeisters tried to record an 'image' of the whole ensemble rather than recording all individual instruments, which was an exciting recording challenge.

During rehearsal, the ensemble asked me to make moves for Robin Bailey's Entrance Music. The reason behind this was that in this music, they would create music based on the audience's movements while they were entering the stage. Therefore, I acted as an audience, using my laptop, phone, and book. Seeing and watching their creativity in person was pretty enjoyable.

At 4.30 pm, the Tonmeisters arrived for recording preparations. In the meantime, I edited the Concert Programme Shiv Varma emailed me and then printed it after getting Tom's approval. The lighting needed to be handled by me as well since manager Seth was one of the performers, and assistant Ben was absent. So it was a different experience - I learned how significant lighting is on stage.

By 7.15 pm, the audience was beginning to arrive at the entrance gate. As it neared 7.30 pm, I checked on the ensemble and made sure that everyone was ready. As soon as the time came, I began to let the audience enter Studio One while giving them concert programmes. It was wonderful to see how they reacted to Entrance Music.

At the end of the night, it was an entirely different but excellent experience for me. Quite a lot happened on short notice. The manager's absence made it slightly difficult for me to handle all the work. It could have run more smoothly if he were also helping me; however, I learned a lot from managing, communicating with performers, printing, and lighting. In conclusion, I have seen and experienced the management side of music. I believe this experience will add a lot to me if I have a chance to be a coordinator again in the future.

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24.10.2022 - [Arriving at rehearsals early is my routine:)], PATS Studio One

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It is my first year in the University of Surrey Orchestra. The experience of playing in this orchestra was very exciting for me at first and still is.

I met the orchestra conductor, Russell Keable, when I was taking conducting lessons with him last year - he is one of the UK's most exciting musicians, praised as a conductor in both the national and international press. As Cambridgeshire Holiday Orchestra states, 'Russell Keable has established a reputation as one of Britain's most exciting and versatile musicians.' (Cambridgeshire Holiday Orchestra, no date). In addition, the orchestra leader, Caroline Balding, has been described "as a violinist of 'poetic intensity' (Music and Musicians), 'rapt beauty' and 'virtuosic distinction' (Gramophone) and 'a formidable soloist combining the beauty of sound with infallible articulation' (La Nacion, Buenos Aires)" (Divine Art Recordings Group, no date). She has been my violin tutor since my first year at the University of Surrey. These two musicians influenced my decision to join the orchestra. Last year, Caroline especially wanted me to join the orchestra.

The orchestra rehearses most Monday nights throughout the year and gives three concerts yearly at Holy Trinity Church in Guildford. Russell, our conductor, sent a detailed information email with a schedule of dates to all players so that we could put these dates on our calendars.

Our first rehearsal was on October 3rd. As I entered PATS Studio One with little hesitation after the rehearsal, I felt overwhelming happiness in my heart. The second half of the evening was the University Orchestra's first-night party. This was an excellent chance for everyone to get to know each other better. Since many orchestra members were my friends, it was not a completely foreign environment for me. Our lecturer, Christopher Wiley, was also in the orchestra, which was nice to see.

My experience with the orchestra has been very beneficial, and I have learned a lot in a short amount of time. It was like a walk; it began with me being a soloist and ended with me being an orchestra member. Musically, I got to taste a lot of different genres. As for me, this semester, I am practising pieces from the Baroque and Classical Periods, and Berlioz's (Romantic period) Overture Carnival Romain and Sibelius's (late Romantic and early-modern periods) Symphony no. 2 in D were in our repertoire. Therefore, it was lovely to experience and play different composers' pieces and styles. Moreover, it really helped me develop my ensemble skills as well.

On Saturday, December 10th, at 7.30 p.m., the first concert of the season was held. Unfortunately, I could not be in Guildford for our concert due to my latest flight changes. However, I am looking forward to our next concert on March 25th.

Cambridgeshire Holiday Orchestra (no date) Course directors. Available at: https://holidayorchestra.co.uk/wordpress_f/course-directors/ (Accessed: December 20th 2022).

Divine Art Recordings Group (no date) Caroline Balding. Available at: https://divineartrecords.com/artist/caroline-balding/ (Accessed: December 18th 2022).

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28.09.2022 - Concert Video, PATS Studio One

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During the first week of my final year at the University of Surrey, I attended our Music and Media Department's first lunchtime concert on Wednesday, 28th September 2022, at PATS Studio ONE. The concert featuring our instrumental tutors, cellist David Burrowes and pianist Margaret Roberts marked the beginning of the semester. Margaret and I have been performing together since my first year at Surrey. However, except for when she accompanied my other friends and me in our recital assessments, I had never watched her play in a concert.

The concert programme was Sonate pour Violincelle et Piano by 20th-century composer Claude Debussy (1862-1918). This sonata was written in 1915. It was supposed to be the first of a set of six sonatas. Unfortunately, Debussy never completed the entire set before his death in 1918. Next, Sonata in G minor op. 19 by late Romantic period composer Sergei Rachmaninoff (183-1943) was also in their repertoire.

I arrived at the concert about 20 minutes ago. The conversation on stage between David and Margaret caught my attention as I entered Studio ONE. As far as I know from Margaret, she always practices getting out of the green room before the concert. It was something I learned from her for my own recital days. In addition to their dialogue about how to come to the stage from the green room, they also discussed body gestures. The physicality of musical production is as significant as playing the piece perfectly on stage.

During the concert, I focused on the cellist, David. Performers are helped to shape their body movement through music while constructing and performing their own identity - a character. For instance, it is possible to create a musical persona on stage with the body in language, which refers to performing presence. As Auslander states, 'What musicians perform first and foremost is not music, but their own identities as musicians, their musical personae' (Auslander, 2006, p.102). On stage, I observed David adopting a serious but also romantic personality and character. In particular, when he performed, he portrayed a character sometimes depicted as a heightened and emotional version of his private self - an extroverted person who expresses the piece's emotion deep within the storyline of the music using both his body gestures and facial expressions. This inspired me a lot because what I usually focus on in my recitals is 'playing the piece as flawlessly as I can'; however, body movements are also part of the choreography of the performance. In addition, from David's body movements and facial expressions, I learned that when we perform, we are not just performing the notes, but an identity, a persona. After the concert, I began to work on my body movements. I noticed that my body movements were integrated as I practised to create an automatized and fluid musical performance. In later stages of practising, timing patterns and body gestures become more defined (almost 'fixed'). On the other hand, there are risks associated with paying too much attention to body language, especially in a classical setting. Therefore, I practised in front of a mirror and observed my movements and corrected or changed them accordingly.

Furthermore, as a cellist or violinist like me, having a rehearsal with the piano is an essential process. It was so obvious that David and Margaret had rehearsed very well. The performer needs to communicate very well with the pianist as a soloist. Chamber musicians without a conductor synchronize their musical intentions using non-verbal communication. For example, in Rachmaninoff's Cello Sonata, either the pianist or the cellist begins the movements. Therefore, I observed that they were making body gestures (shaking their heads) to let each other know that they were about to begin. Then, at the end of Debussy's Cello Sonata, both performers showed off another body gesture to finish the piece simultaneously with the same body movements (Concert Video, 28.09.2022).

My overall impression of the lunchtime concert was that David and Margaret are both highly successful and talented performers. However for me, rather than attending and watching a typical concert experience, I learned a lot about body performance from them. This is something I began to apply to my own performance practice as well.

Auslander, P. (2006) 'Musical Persona', TDR: The Drama Review, Vol. 50, No. 1 (T189), London: The MIT Press, pp. 100-119.

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2.11.2022 - Concert Video, PATS Studio ONE

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The University of Surrey, Department of Music and Media's 6th Lunchtime concert was on Wednesday, the 2nd of November, at 13.10. This concert featured performers; Maxim Lavrov, Ollie Woods, Monty Bland, Teerna Mukhopadhyay, Robin Bailey, and myself. It was a popular line-up from jazz to English pop music and Turkish pop-style musical theatre pieces.

As a singer, it is always inspiring to watch other singers live in public concerts, where observing their interpretations can teach you something new. Therefore, on the day of the concert, I paid close attention to Teerna. She sang All I Ask by Adele. Even Adele admitted finding the tune difficult to sing after her vocal surgery (Daily Mail, 2015). Technically speaking, Teerna's performance was really stunning. However, her vibrato would be smoother if she worked on air control more. She needs decent air control to sing at this level as a singer.

Her interaction with the audience during her performance impressed me the most. Before her, Maxim's, Ollie's, and Monty's performances were great; however, they lacked audience interaction. Equally, interaction with the audience is often required on stage, where the performer/performers express emotions with their instruments and tell a storyline of the composer's piece. As Davidson states, 'Far more is going on: the performer and the audience are continually exchanging information through visual and aural cues.' (Davidson, 2002, p. 149). Indeed, there is much more communication with the audience on stage in popular music compared to classical music. Especially as a singer (the captain of the ship), you should take that responsibility seriously. It is essentially the music - an act of interpretation that prompts the singer to use her body in a particular way. Teerna was excellent at communicating with her audience. As Teerna did, presenting a soft character but telling the song's story through tears that are about to fall from your eyes has a more significant effect on the audience. Because it is extremely common for singers to take the microphone in their hands and walk around the stage without any apparent reason, for example, communicating with the audience. Hence, Teerna's style of communicating with the audience really impressed me because she did not do this; she looked into many audiences' eyes and tried to tell a story.

In addition, singing from memory frees the singer to focus on expressive aspects and may allow a more direct connection with the audience. Personally, I prefer to have lyrics in front of me; however, I observed that for Teerna, not having any lyrics/notes in front of her affected her ability to interact more directly with the audience. Usually, having a music stand with lyrics can be made singer stay next to the stand, not move and not interact with the audience. For Teerna, singing by memory made her freer on stage.

Daily Mail Online (2015) Adele performs All I Ask and admits to finding it difficult to sing due to vocal surgery. Available at: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3361332/Adele-performs-moving-rendition-ballad-Ask.html (Accessed: 5 December 2022).

Davidson, J. (2002) Communication with the Body in Performance. In: John. Rink (ed.), Musical Performance: A Guide to Understanding. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 144-152.