LUMEN Winter 2019 - Flipbook - Page 14
What are your favourite memories
from your time at Elder?
Natalie: Performing in the orchestras and
ensembles was always exciting. One particular
performance of Tchaikovsky's Fifth Symphony in
Elder Hall, as a viola player with the orchestra, was
life-changing – the feeling of being completely swept
up by the force and power of the musical sounds
around me. I also remember listening, for many
hours, to the vinyl records in the then basement of
the music library. In the days before YouTube, this
was how I learnt the musical repertoire.
Anna: The incredible sense of community that
comes from a group of people trying to create art
through discipline – that is a really special thing that
brings a lot of memories with it. There’s also a lot of
silliness that comes with being cooped up in a
practice room for six hours a day, then heading out
to the common area to interact with other people
who have also spent six hours alone in a practice
room that day.
How many hours a day or week would you
spend composing/playing?
Natalie: I composed anywhere between 10-20
hours per week. This would sometimes be across
a six to eight hour period, or broken into smaller
sessions each day.
Anna: I would say that a ‘good’ day involved maybe
four to seven hours of concentrated and focused
practice. There were points mostly in my first and
second years where I got into waking up ridiculously
early and coming into the Elder building to do my
scales in the dark, which was pretty fun and a good
thing for my technique and mental discipline!
What is your favourite thing about performing?
Natalie: Engaging with an audience. Performing
is an exhilarating experience, translating musical
sounds and ideas in real time along with other
players. The experience in itself is inspiring and
uplifting, but to reach an audience emotionally is the
biggest reward.
Anna: When the preparation is done and the ‘work’,
the ‘job’ side of it recedes into the background –
then performing really becomes about sharing,
about having something to say, a story to tell in the
most beautiful way humanity knows how.
How has the Elder Conservatorium
shaped your music career?
Natalie: The Elder Conservatorium provided a
solid foundation on which to build a musical
career. The undergraduate training and professional
opportunities within Adelaide combined to provide
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THE UNIVERSITY OF ADELAIDE
