For many years players from ASMF have been mentoring and working side-by-side with the members of Sinfonia Smith Square (SSS). ASMF provides distinctive training for the young ensemble in the performance of chamber repertoire, communicating and working effectively as an ensemble, and making artistic decisions.
This month, SSS musicians Carlota and Isabella reflect on their week working with ASMF players and the impact such collaboration has had on their musical development and outlook.
In early November, musicians from the Academy of St Martin in the Fields joined Sinfonia Smith Square for a week of collaboration.
At the beginning of the week, musicians of both orchestras worked side by side to prepare for the second concert of Sinfonia Smith Square’s Rush Hour series. The program included Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture, Wagner’s Siegfried Idyll, and Haydn’s “Clock” Symphony, a varied repertoire that allowed us to explore different sounds. It was a chamber orchestra without a conductor and George Salter was leading the orchestra from the concertmaster seat. The outcome was a dynamic and exciting performance that both musicians and audience enjoyed.
The day after the concert consisted of various workshops led by the musicians of ASMF. In the morning, horn player and positive psychology coach Jo Hensel talked to the orchestra about audition confidence. The session included pre-audition preparation, identifying and reducing symptoms of performance anxiety, and techniques to help us perform at our best level under stressful performance conditions, such as breathing exercises and positive affirmation.
In the afternoon we met with flautist and Body Mapping educator Sarah Newbold, who explained that Body Mapping is the conscious correcting and refining of one’s body map to produce efficient, graceful, coordinated and effective movement. This workshop taught Sinfonia Smith Square’s musicians the importance of body alignment when playing and how sound can be optimized through having a good posture. Sarah talked about her own journey through injuries and how she learned to overcome them, encouraging us to explore methods such as Alexander Technique and Feldenkrais.
To conclude the day, five musicians had the opportunity to participate in a mock audition in front of their colleagues as well as a panel of ASMF musicians comprised of Jo Hensel, Sarah Newbold, Judith Herbert and Gabby Painter. The participants prepared the exposition of the first movement of a concerto of their choice and a selection of excerpts, of which the panel chose 3 or 4. Afterwards, there was a brief discussion and a Q&A about auditions and the musicians who participated received verbal and written feedback from the panel.
Looking back at the experience, it was an inspirational and challenging week. It was the first time that the orchestra had played without a conductor since the fellowship started, but that only highlighted the importance of listening attentively and fostered collaboration between musicians and overall cohesion of the orchestra. It was a very valuable experience to work alongside inspirational musicians and to receive guidance and tools that can be used in future concerts and auditions.
Carlota’s highlight:
“I take away a lot of valuable lessons from this collaboration, but my highlight is getting the chance to sit next to George and learn how he treats the score. By observing how he led the orchestra I am inspired to be able to do that in the future.”
Isabella’s highlight:
“I found the week very interesting and enjoyed all the experiences that we had. The most useful part was having the opportunity to apply learning from the Audition Confidence workshop to the mock audition later that day. It was a privilege to receive constructive and valuable feedback that I can take forward to future auditions.”
