The viola is my voice.
It’s like this different voice that I think in, basically.
It’s a really special part of who I am.
I grew up as a violinist, you know.
Did the majority of my training on that instrument.
I’ve played violin longer that I’ve played viola.
But as soon as I played a viola in my early 20s, it was just like this revelatory moment
where I thought I found my voice.
Music is an interesting art form because we have the idea of technical perfection, which
is a standard, we’re always striving for that, but also making the music your own.
Yes you’re playing the right notes, yes you’re playing the right speed of the bow,
but then it’s kind of like a puzzle of figuring out how to get your body to cooperate.
Your body needs to have a certain degree of coordination and synchronicity where everything
is moving together to create the sound that you want.
When I play my feet are square and my knees are loose.
My hips are open.
My back is straight, leading all the way up my spine so that my head is stacked on top.
My shoulders are open and there’s a general freedom of motion that allows me to express
the music.
This is all part of a body coordination technique developed by violist Karen Tuttle.
The reason that I came to BU is to study from one of her students, Michelle LaCourse, who
was her teaching assistant for nine years.
I think the most important thing is getting posture and balance set up to support our
goal after all, which is the sound, the singing sound and the carrying of shape and tone.
Coordination is all about the physicality of playing the instrument and the relationship
of tension and release.
Playing with tension shrinks the sound - compacts it, compresses it.
Releasing the tension in your body allows the body to become another resonating chamber
and opens the sound.
Being a musician entails being a life-long student which mandates daily practice, making
sure your body’s in check, you know, working as though you’re a well oiled machine basically.
I have explored different types of exercise and strength training, including yoga, and
weight lifting, and stretching just to make sure that I’m prepared to play the instrument
every day.
You’ve put in so much work just behind the scenes, regardless of what type of music it is.
There’s so much creative energy and so much time that goes into mastering the music.
The whole goal is to share it.
I think as a performer you have to be comfortable with making yourself completely vulnerable.
I get nervous all the time.
You know, some performances I struggle with it less but other performances it’s a real
hinderance for whatever reason, and mostly because, I think about external judgements
or I have such a high expectation for myself that it’s difficult to sort of let go of
everything and sort of be at this state of ultimate vulnerability.
I don’t want to say that music is - music making - is a selfless act because I get so
much out of it myself, but knowing that I have the ability to share?
I don’t know, it’s a euphoric feeling, kind of.
You’re opening up your heart and sharing with the world the way you experience this
piece of music, and knowing that I can pass on that tradition?
It’s really gratifying.