BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
Since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, the entire nature of our industry has shifted — seemingly overnight — with artists forced to abandon their live events and projects.
But despite such mass cancellations, musicians are proving they have the power to take some control over what can only be described as a horrendous situation — and adapt with ingenuity, determination, and creativity.
In this interview series, we document the COVID-19 impact on the Australian arts industry while facilitating a candid discussion about what it is like to work during this difficult time. We hope this series will bring hope and solidarity to our creative community – things we need now more than ever.
Here, we interview Australian guitarist Matt Withers. From recordings to live performances and even his own hosted composition competition, Matt has had to seriously rework the plans for his immediate future. But not only is he navigating through these challenges to simply make ends meet: he is creating new plans and collaborations along the way, and he is thriving.
Matt, you’ve migrated all your students to online video lessons. What an undertaking! How did you do this, on a practical level?
For a lot of my students, a lesson is just a brilliant way to keep in touch, and have a weekly point of contact to showcase their progress and enjoyment of playing guitar.
Since everyone is aware of the social restrictions upon us, it was relatively straight-forward to invite my students to take online lessons with me. Technology is relatively easy these days with a variety of platforms at our fingertips, and most students at least have a phone or tablet they can use with their choice of apps — if not a studio dedicated to music with webcams, speakers, and microphones for the most enthusiastic music makers.
I have taught using a number of online platforms for a few years now anyway, with students around the country, in China, and even Europe. Like many, I use Skype, Zoom and even simply FaceTime. Each platforms have their pros and cons, which suit some students better than others. Some need accounts to set up, which can be daunting for some students; for others, it’s a simple video call. Sharing my screen, and discussing the PDF music so we can ‘point’ to the same part on the music, certainly makes the distance lesson a little simpler.
It sounds like a really natural transition for you. That said, have you lost any students along the way? Or have you found that everyone is keen to continue music during this time?
Yes, I’ve lost a few students — but also gained a couple from as far away as Dubai! What I’ve really enjoyed hearing is that students love the online experience, making it easy for them to access interactive music education. Quite a number have even said it could suit them in the new post-pandemic world, to save them travelling across town!
Everyone is certainly very keen to keep some semblance of their musical activities. It’s not just professional musicians who feel the difficulties right now through the loss of events and public activities. With community ensembles, choirs, and orchestras cancelled, these people lose their social interactions. So I am glad that I can offer them one-on-one lessons, and can still help anyone get this connection of music, even just for half an hour a week.
You’ve been hit particularly hard by the cancellations this year — with your workshops, orchestral concerts, and even a huge recording being called off (hopefully to recommence in the not-too-distant future, of course). How have you coped with these changes in order to maintain enough energy to serve your students? That is, how have you pushed through rather than given up?
As a musician, I think we face challenges all the time and this may be a period of change for how art music is appreciated. As the world is stuck home, we are listening to and playing music, watching TV full of movie soundtracks, and singing from our balconies.
I never tire in trying to serve up energy for my students and, in fact, online teaching does require a little more physical energy and concentration when doing it for hours each day, staring at a computer screen! But, seeing the progress and joy of my students’ success, either face to face or online, always inspires me that music lives in everyone.
I’m also drawing a lot of inspiration from my new addition to the family — my first mini-human Edward, who has been a brilliant source and joy, as we aim to fill his early days with music.
I’m somewhat lucky in a sense to already have built up a secure teaching base and have the ability to teach online. If I didn’t have the equipment or fast internet, life would certainly be a bit tougher. I also feel for my fellow musicians who were purely touring and have now seen their income source disappear overnight! In these times, it is more important than ever to support musicians so that they’ll still be here to bring us joy.
In addition to these commitments, I’d like to hear a little about the way you’ve needed to change your successful Australian Music Composition Competition. What’s been happening to this initiative during COVID-19?
My Australian Music Composition Competition has certainly taken a hit — but it’s only delayed. I’ve been super pumped about this year’s collaboration with the multi-ARIA-winning pianist-composer Sally Whitwell, and we’re both positive that the album we plan to record for ABC Classic will be better than ever when we get back to it.
We just announced the winners of the competition who received their cash prizes [detailed on Matt Withers’ website]: James Madsen, Meredith Connie, and Julia Vlahogiannis will all see their works included alongside pieces by Nigel Westlake, Ross Edwards, Sally Greenaway, and a new work by Sally Whitwell.
I’m also planning new commissions and exciting future collaborations with tax-deductible donations available on my website to support the ongoing creation of music for the classical guitar.
Despite such cancellations, you’ve also very quickly made new opportunities for yourself. For instance, you’ve launched a livestream with Melbourne Guitar Festival director Michael MacManus to help you generate income during this time. How did this idea come about?
Just over a year ago, Michael MacManus ran his first livestream concert with a house concert I was giving with Guitar Trek. It is fantastic technology to utilise, and certainly an essential tool to get music to people today.
With the entire industry brought to its knees, this livestream series supports both the organiser — Melbourne Guitar Festival — and the performers to generate income and have our music reach our audience in real time.
Michael MacManus and I have been friends for many years, and I was planning to perform live at the festival again this year, this time with Sally Whitwell. Michael also saw his income stream wash away before his eyes, so I’m very proud to be collaborating with him as an artist in his 2020 Online Stream Series.
I’ll be performing some of the classical guitar masterpieces from my ABC Classic release Songs of Yesterday. This is really a chance for families to gather together, in the comfort of their own homes, enjoying a full concert without the family ticket price tag and also without the worry of children making noise in a concert hall — truly a fun way to introduce the new generation to classical music!
What preparation goes into a livestream like this?
In addition to staying on top of the notes, I find myself trying to prepare for talking to the camera when there’s no one there that I can see. What I will miss is the audience interaction when announcing pieces and meeting the guests after the event. I will be inviting guests to comment on my Facebook page and post photos tagging me on Instagram.
I am really excited about seeing what setups the audience use, whether it is their tablets, desktop computers, laptops, or streaming and casting it to their home theatre and smart TV systems.
What advice do you have for other musicians looking to navigate their careers during this time?
Persistence and creativity.
Freelancing was never going to be easy. There’s always someone else who gets the gig or the grant that you miss out on. Find another way, and especially find someone to collaborate with, whether it’s an ensemble to perform with, composer to commission new works, or videographer to create an artistic vision of your performance.
While we are physically isolated from others, don’t be socially distant! Find a creative avenue for promoting yourself, building a public presence, and become the best that you can be in your field, which will pay dividends as people will want to study with you or book you for performances.
Most importantly, while you have time, reach out to your fans personally. Touch base to be sure they are OK. It might just remind them to listen to your music online!
What does this story mean to you?
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