Classical music has been known to have a calming effect on people for centuries. Many people turn to classical music to relax after a long day at work or to help them sleep at night. But why is classical music so calming?
Preparing for a concert is a bit like preparing for a job interview; with the exception that you face a panel of 80 or so players, staring and waiting to decide in the first five minutes of a rehearsal if you're the worst candidate in history or not. That first three-hundred seconds can make or break you, regardless if you have a baton in your hand or just a good old CV - and as anyone who has been successful in an interview knows, it's all in the preparation. So how does this conductor prepare for those three-hundred seconds?
It's Q&A time! I run this fun little escapade on my Facebook page, and I’ve decided to port some of the fabulous questions into this blog post. I’ll endeavour to keep it updated as and when I’m not painting my nails.
Hate is a strong word. I try to use it sparingly; cold-callers saying I've been involved in an accident when I haven't, people who sniff and don't use a tissue, computer viruses, and kumquats are all things I hate. Dubstep and Death Metal music I dislike, but can't say I have the passion of hatred for them. It consequently amazes me the number of people who say they hate classical music. Here and now I'm going to give you proof that classical music defamers unknowingly like the genre. There are five pieces that even the classical-haters secretly love, so if you ever meet said person, you can shove this article in their face and sing as loudly as possible DA DA DA DUUUUUUMMMMMMMM!
I thought it was time to change that, so here are three incredible composers you’ve never heard of - until now.
Some people are Philatelists and put stamps in a pretty little book instead of using them to send things. Others are Oenophiles and have bottles of wine to look at instead of drink. Sadly there isn't yet a name for my collection, so I'm going to call myself an Audioheadphoneologist; yes, I collect headphones.
Preparing for a concert is a bit like preparing for a job interview; with the exception that you face a panel of 80 or so players, staring and waiting to decide in the first five minutes of a rehearsal if you're the worst candidate in history or not. That first three-hundred seconds can make or break you, regardless if you have a baton in your hand or just a good old CV - and as anyone who has been successful in an interview knows, it's all in the preparation. So how does this conductor prepare for those three-hundred seconds?
We all know our Beethoven to Beatles (the band, not the insect) and Mozart to Madonna (the singer, not the depiction of the little baby Jesus's Mother); but just like the TV market, we are scared to try an unknown brand, or in this case composer. We live in a world of celebrity; so if the composer is not well-known, then they're not a ‘celebrity’ and often overlooked or dismissed.
I thought it was time to change that, so here are three incredible composers you’ve never heard of - until now.
Easter has inspired some of the greatest works in classical music. First of all let’s get the whole religion thing out of the way; YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE RELIGIOUS TO ENJOY THIS MUSIC! Right. Now I’ve said that, in my humble option, here are five incredible Easter pieces you need to listen to before the boulder is moved for the 1986th time…
I am often asked what it's like to be a musician, and with respect, that's almost as broad as asking what it's like to be a human. I'm pretty confident that a day in the life of Robert Emery will be radically different from Puff Diddly, or Simon Cattle; yet we are all musicians, allegedly. So if the making of music is the only thing that connects us, what is it like to be this musician?
The journalist Jeremy Clarkson has his gargantuan stomach and the pianist Glenn Gould had his wooden chair. Novelist Mary Shelly (think Frankenstein) wrote with a Boa Constrictor around her neck, and artist Salvador Dalí carried around a piece of Spanish driftwood. Nigel Kennedy performs in an Aston Villa t-shirt and Robert Emery, yes that's me, conducts barefoot.
Most of you know me as a conductor. Someone who waves my arms around in unusual patterns and in return, I usually get paid in pounds; unless I'm working in the desert where they offer me a couple of camels instead. Conducting however has been a minor part of my life compared to what I always wanted to be; a pianist. But how did I choose a musical instrument?
In part one, we covered my standard day almost up until the start of the show. I’ve made sure the now infamous ‘click’ is working, and now after all my preflight checks, my podium phone rings. Read on to find out who is on the other end of the line…
Working in a Gordon Ramsay restaurant is the culinary equivalent to a jukebox musical. When you are eating your white truffle and gold pizza, you know full well that the King of TV bleeps didn't actually cook it; but it's his name above the door, and that's probably the reason you chose that establishment over the independent restaurant next door. So when you go to see Bat out of Hell, you shouldn't expect Meatloaf to be acting, singing and dancing, nor it's creator Jim Steinman conducting the band. No. That bit is my job.