BY PAT JAFFE
When I heard that Piano Project, the charity offshoot of Melbourne venue Tempo Rubato, was launching the inaugural Angus Gray Piano Performance Grants, I decided I would apply only if I had an idea that was fitting for an award in Angus’ memory. Angus was a phenomenal pianist, keyboardist, composer, producer, and much-loved member of the Melbourne scene, who passed away last year.
I eventually came up with a concept called 8x8x8: eight lessons with eight different pianist-composers. Before each lesson, I would write a piece inspired by a quality I admired in that artist. Then, I’d workshop the music with them.
The project culminates in a concert at Tempo Rubato, where I’ll premiere the works and raise money for the next round of grants. I decided to aim high and ask some of my musical heroes if they’d consider being involved, even though most of them don’t usually teach privately.
To my surprise, many of them actually replied to my emails. So I had the privilege of working with an outstanding group of classical and jazz artists: Nico Muhly, Elena Kats-Chernin, Mike Nock, Kate Moore, Andrea Keller, Monique diMattina (pictured above with Pat), Matt McMahon, and Tony Gould.
Here are eight lessons about composing, performing, and life more generally that I took from this experience.
1. Surprise yourself
My lesson with Elena Kats-Chernin was filled with surging ideas, enthusiasm, and ingenuity, just like her music.
She helped me to take my harmonic movements to new and surprising places, showing me how she reels off a rapid-fire series of iterations, and then picks the option that feels the most exciting.
2. Take a concept then make it yours
Andrea Keller has recently completed a PhD on applying the systems of Arvo Pärt to her music. We talked about how she’s avoided the trap of making something that’s overly derivative, by drawing on the methodology behind his compositional techniques but not necessarily the techniques themselves.
Pärt starts with an image in his head, then finds a way to translate this into a mathematical formula, often with accompanying sketches or diagrams, before creating music from this pattern. By basing music on this process, rather than a specific formula of Pärt’s, so many possibilities are available for expressing pictures through music.
3. Find the second or third version of a section
Studying with Nico Muhly was like visiting a very, very good doctor. Within minutes, he’d perfectly diagnosed the strengths and weaknesses of my writing, and set in place a plan to help me rectify my limitations.
Nico (pictured below) identified that my first attempt at writing a section is usually pretty solid, but I often just leave it there (or as he put it, “you go somewhere that’s nice and pretty, and then tread water there for the rest of the piece”). He helped me to develop a “second” or “third” draft of my melodies that are so much more engaging and satisfying for a listener, which has opened up a new level of potential from my compositions.
4. Chase almost-unattainable ideas
It was a real privilege to get to talk to musicians of this calibre about the concepts they’re striving for.
In my lesson with Kate Moore, we discussed some quite abstract concepts that fascinate her but are incredibly challenging to realise through music. These included pointillism – creating splinters of colour, with layers of foreground and background; as well as emergence – trends that emerge from layering slightly different interpretations of a melody on top of each other.
Nico also introduced me to some beautiful concepts, such as the idea of joining two sections together like an enfilade – an architectural term for a series of interconnected rooms in a row, with open doorways between them (like you find in most museums). When you’re in a gallery and you approach the opening of a new room, you get a sense of its overall ‘feeling’. But it’s only when you cross the threshold that you fully understand what’s actually in that new room. The challenge is to create this feeling as you transition between two musical sections.
All three of these concepts are almost impossible to fully describe either with words or music, but it was fascinating to get an insight into the ideas that these two composers are pursuing in particular.
5. Find sounds that work for you in your practice
I love hearing musicians talk about the practice exercises that currently motivate them, and my lessons with Matt McMahon and Monique diMattina were particularly illuminating in this regard.
As someone who finds it difficult to get fired up about quite clinical or theoretical practice methods, I really appreciated the reminder to be methodical with your practice, but in a highly musical context and with plenty of experimentation – especially as an improvising musician.
6. Egoless music
A real highlight of this project was having the chance to meet and hang out with two icons of Australasian jazz, Mike Nock, and Tony Gould. These two musicians share a philosophy centred around making simple music that has an emotional impact on audiences.
While this may not be a radical concept, hearing this message directly from two artists who’ve had such illustrious careers had a profound effect on me.
Mike also talked about the notion that when you get rid of ego from your playing, you hear the music better.
7. “It ain’t watcha do, it’s howcha do it”
Mike kept repeating a mantra: “It ain’t watcha do, it’s howcha do it” – something his friend, legendary actor Ted Ross, used to say to him. He kept stressing that a musician’s central job is to communicate expression to the listener, but we often let things like ego or overthinking get in the way of this.
Tony also spent a lot of our lesson helping me to be more deliberate with my sound, getting me to “play the piano” rather than playing the notes – a trap that’s easy to fall into with improvised music.
8. Back yourself
As someone who regularly has doubts about their music, I feel grateful for how these remarkable musicians opened up to me about their own struggles in this regard.
Elena showed me the piles of discarded drafts next to her piano, Tony told me about phases where he was immensely dissatisfied with his playing, and Monique shared some valuable advice on rejecting the pressure to become a jack of all trades, instead focusing on “getting down the things you love”.
One of the most touching aspects of this project was how generous these artists were with their time, enthusiasm, and support for my music. I think this says a lot about how wonderful the classical and improvised music community is.
It also fills me with confidence and a desire to continue striving to make ambitious but humble music that has an impact on audiences.
Pat will premiere these eight new pieces at Tempo Rubato on 18 June. Not in Melbourne? You can hear some of the works on Pat’s new EP with violist Aidan Filshie.
You can support the writer by ordering his music on Bandcamp, including the new EP Summit.
Images supplied.
