soaking up an atmosphere

I am extremely fortunate in that I have had the opportunity to travel all over the world as part of my job.

In the past, it was mostly as part of an orchestra or larger group. These days, more often than not, I travel alone. This means that whilst my days are mostly spent in rehearsal, my evenings are almost always my own.

Over the years I've learned to savour this time and I always try to make the most of it. Sometimes, depending on my schedule, this means taking the time to rest and recuperate. Other times I have to practice.

Almost every day, however, there is the opportunity to step outside, wander the streets, and experience the essence of the place I find myself.

This week is unusual in that, due to flight schedules and other work, I have the added luxury of a free day before I even start work. I spent the morning sitting in a local cafe, drinking coffee and planning future projects, practice programmes, and blog posts.

Then I wandered the quiet streets of Oviedo and took pictures, relishing the tranquillity of a local holiday.

I passed a beautiful little church from where I heard the chords of the choir singing a soulful lament. The church doors were open and people had stopped to have a listen, but I noticed it was a funeral. So I just stood at the other side of the square and allowed the sounds to drift over me.

Now I find myself sitting solo in the cathedral square in a restaurant, surrounded by locals, having just ordered a sumptuous lunch menu of cold tomato soup, pork ribs, and a glass of red wine. I shall choose my dessert after.

All this for the princely sum of 19 euros.

This afternoon will consist of a siesta, some practice, more work at my computer, and then an evening walk before a light supper, followed by a spot of evening yoga and early bed, in order to be fresh for the first day of rehearsals with a new group tomorrow.

For the first day or so in Spain, I always feel a little out of my comfort zone. I speak fluent German, pretty decent Turkish and French, and can understand both Italian and Spanish.

But every time I speak, the first words that come out are, without fail, Turkish. There's probably a very good reason for this. It'll be something to do with some cortex in the brain or similar. I don't know what it is, but it's somewhat frustrating when my immediate response is an "evet" and not a "si".

Anyway, it always takes a while to find my rhythm.

I often wish my husband or one of my children were with me, but I'm learning to embrace the time alone and use it for myself.

When I teach, I often talk of the importance of understanding the context of a piece of music. For me, this is less about an academic approach and far more about embracing the language and culture behind the composition.

There's a whole other article pending on language in music, but for now this is more about the feel and atmosphere of a piece. You don't have to travel somewhere to get that, but it certainly is advantageous if you can.

It's about the shadows created by the evening sun, the gentle breeze on your face by the sea, the imposing facades of a cathedral wall, the way the lavender smells as you brush past, the sounds of the bustling streets, the intonation of the conversation in cafes.

If we cannot learn the language of every composer we study, then surely we can find out as much as possible about the culture they exist in, the smells on the street, the food they ate, the social context of what they were writing.

It is these things which make their music so expressive, so human.

We should never forget that, ultimately, music is just another language, another way of expressing the human condition.

Truly a song without words.

So get out of the practice room, get out of your hotel room. Find that little bar on the corner where life looks dirty and grimy, sit down and soak up the life around you.

Slurp the noodles, drink the wine, listen to the local dialect, the local music, join in the dancing and observe the traditional festivals.

A rich life experience leads to a rich musical expression.

You can learn the notes as you go along. Never sacrifice experience for solitary practice, it won't help your development in the long run.

There's no rush.

Take it at your own pace and enjoy the ride.