BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
Ziggy and Miles Johnston started playing together when they were four years old – and I don’t just mean on the swing set. The brothers picked up guitars while they were still learning how to read, and have been playing music together ever since, carving their way as two leading classical musicians of their instrument.
Their mutual childhood memories involve guitar eisteddfods and plenty of practice, and when they grew older they studied together at Monash University, taking out prestigious prizes between them (think John Hopkins Award and Monash University Chamber Music Award). As a duo, you might have heard them on ABC Classic FM and 3MBS.
So how do the brothers shape such a successful musical life – when others are busy quarrelling with sibling rivalry, or debating who cooks lunch for the parents next? We asked Ziggy and Miles to tell us all their secrets.
Siblings of the musical world, listen up – this one is for you.
Miles and Ziggy – you’re the freshest brothers making waves on the classical guitar scene. When did you start performing together?
We started performing together a few years after we started learning the guitar. The first time we performed together that we can remember anything about was at our primary school for a fundraiser night. We were playing background music on a stage toward the side of the school’s hall for about two hours and we felt really excited about it. To this day, we have never felt nervous about performing, but the amount of adrenaline we’ve felt has decreased as we’ve become more comfortable and consistent on stage. We performed a few simple duets, and a lot of solo pieces in unison.
How have you set aside sibling rivalry, which comes naturally to many, to forge your musical career?
Over the years, we have competed against each other in many solo competitions, however rivalry has never been the focus. We always try and do the best we can, and the same goes for how we view the other. If anything we push each other forward more than anything. We have a friendly and beneficial rivalry between us.
What are some of the myths you think people have about working with family?
The biggest myth about working with family is that it’s different from working with anyone else. For us, there is basically no difference. Working with family is like working with anyone else, except we see each other a lot more and have known each other for a lot longer than anyone else.
What are the benefits of growing your careers alongside each other?
We’ve never thought much about the specific benefits of growing our careers together, as opposed to separately. We enjoy playing together, and this has always been why we do it. Anyone can create a career for oneself. This is how we have chosen to do it.
What’s a typical day in the practice room like for you?
We both follow a similar schedule to each other regardless whether we are focusing mainly on solo or duet works. On an ideal day, when we get as much time to practice as we’d like, we start with 30 minutes to an hour of technical work to warm up. If we are focusing on duets, we usually do an hour of solo practice on our individual parts followed by rehearsing together for two to three hours. This of course fluctuates based on the amount of time we actually have to practice in a day, and how much practice needs to be done. If we are focusing on solo works, we work on pieces after tech work.
The most important aspects of practice is taking breaks and doing slow practice to remove bad habits and to perfect every aspect of a piece. We aim for 30 minutes of practice followed by a 15-minute break. While rehearsing together we will often practice for longer periods before taking a break because of the amount of time we spend discussing our ideas.
How do you separate work and family life?
We separate work and life just like everyone else does. We work during the day, and relax at night. If we don’t get to practice during the day and really need to, we practice at night.
What advice would you give to other musical siblings who may be reading?
Don’t be afraid to push each other to become better musicians. Most of all, remember to have fun.
See Ziggy and Myles perform Classical Latin Grooves on March 21 at the Melbourne Recital Centre, Salon room, from 6-7pm.
Join them on this journey through the world of Argentinian tangos and Cuban and Brazilian classical music. Through their guitar playing, the duo will capture the music of Astor Piazzolla, Sergio Assad, Leo Brouwer and Máximo Diego Pujol. Tickets are $39 standard and $29 concession and can be purchased online or at the door.
Image supplied.
