VYSO Extra
Welcome to the first issue of the VYSO newsletter!
We hope it provides greater insight into our music-making, and allows a peek behind the scenes at VYSO.
We capped off an amazing season in 2019, highlights of which included a collaboration with the Curiosity Show for National Science Week, and a celebration of the 90s culminating in a five-double bass rendition of Everybody (Backstreet's Back) and Sarah Curro's epic interpretation of Britney.
This year promises to be bigger and better, with collaborations across art forms, as we explore and celebrate the struggles that connect humanity.
A WORD FROM THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
VYSO: THE NEW LOOK
Auditions are over and we now have a first look at VYSO 2020. This year, we have 12 new members join the orchestra. We have a diverse group of musicians, ranging from music students, teachers, budding composers to aspiring meteorologists and UX designers.
A look at our first rehearsal...
In the spirit of our Zen Pencils collaboration, the orchestra tried their hand at some abstract portraits during the first rehearsal, with astonishing results.
Q&A WITH OUR GUEST ARTIST
In anticipation of our Zen Pencils Live concert, we spoke to Gavin Aung Than, New York Times bestselling cartoonist and creator of the amazing comics based on inspirational quotes, Zen Pencils. Zen Pencils has been featured by The Washington Post, Buzzfeed, National Geographic, The AV Club and Brain Pickings. It was named one of the best 100 websites by PCMag in 2013. It has also been collected into four books, two of which landed on the New York Times bestseller list for graphic novels.
Hi Gavin, we are so excited about our collaboration with you.
First, tell us a bit about yourself and the Zen Pencils story. What does Zen Pencils represent for you?
Sure! I'm a cartoonist and I started Zen Pencils as a webcomic in 2012. The whole idea behind it is that I take inspirational quotes, poems and book passages and adapt them into fun comics. Zen Pencils was a culmination of a lifetime of dreaming about becoming a professional cartoonist. I was working in a miserable design job at the time and took a big risk, by quitting my job and launching the website. It was the best decision I've ever made.
What are you most excited about regarding the collaboration with VYSO?
It's such a unique concept and I'm just so excited to have my work presented alongside amazing music performed by amazing musicians. I still can't quite believe it's going to happen. It's such an honour. And plus, this sort of thing is so outside my comfort zone - us cartoonists are used to being holed up in our studios completely alone, the thought of being on stage with the VYSO is both terrifying and exhilarating!
What do you hope the audience takes away from the experience?
I just hope they enjoy the experience and maybe be inspired to follow their own creative pursuits, whatever they may be!
Could you tell us about your relationship to music? Do you have an experience with learning an instrument?
Growing up I was too busy drawing comics to be interested in taking up an instrument. The funny thing is, my grandpa was a great jazz guitarist and I would go to his house every day after school and there were guitars lying all over the place! But I don't think he ever once tried to teach me and I never once asked to learn. It's something I regret not being more curious about. I guess art and drawing were my thing.
Do you work to music, or are you more of a silence kind of guy?
It depends what stage of the creative process I'm in. If I'm writing a new story, then I need complete silence. But if I'm drawing or colouring on the computer then I love listening to music.
The theme for our concert season is The Struggle is Real. Could you share some of your creative struggles? What do you do when you hit a wall?
My biggest one was wrestling with my dream of just being a cartoonist. Making that leap from hobbyist to professional was a huge struggle which thankfully I was able to overcome. I've done a fun comic sharing my best tips on overcoming a creative wall, you can read it on Instagram right here.
And lastly, tell us about what you have going on at the moment? Where can our audience find your work?
There are four Zen Pencils book collections which you can buy on Amazon or order in from any bookstore. The one I recommend is called Creative Struggle, dealing exactly with your previous question. It contains advice from creative masters and how they overcome their own creative struggles. I think your audience will be able to relate to it. Currently, I'm working on a middle grade graphic novel series called Super Sidekicks. It's a fun, superhero adventure series that I'm having a blast working on.
PLAYER PROFILE: MISHA MACHLAK
With a new cohort joining us for VYSO 2020, we thought we should get to know some of the new players. So…
Meet Misha Machlak, a new addition to the orchestra!
I joined VYSO this year after several existing members recommended it. I attended the last concert in 2019 (Like a Version), and felt like I would enjoy playing in it! Having performed in so many ‘standard’ orchestras in the past, VYSO felt like it had a fresh take on its programming. The programs are varied in styles and themes.
Fellow musicians and Ingrid have made the ensemble experience very encouraging, yet light-hearted. There’s a real sense of community around the ensemble! I hope to improve on not being afraid of making mistakes in rehearsals and performances.
I have been surrounded by music my entire life since both my parents are professional pianists and teach at home. I started learning piano when I was four, but my parents decided that there would be too many pianos in the house if I were to become a pianist. So, I started violin.
I’ve really loved the orchestra setting since joining the Melbourne Youth Orchestra in 2012. I’ve since found myself playing with ensembles such as the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, Australian Conservatoire of Ballet Orchestra, and the University of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
Up until I began my studies at university, I wanted to be an orchestral violinist. But with encouragement from my parents to pursue another career, I graduated with a Bachelor of Science majoring in weather and climate sciences (with a diploma in music). I am working towards becoming an aviation meteorologist at the Bureau of Meteorology. While my career focus has changed, I want to remain involved with orchestral ensembles.
As a self-taught conductor, I’ve also had the opportunity to conduct the Glen Eira Youth Orchestra, as well as conduct my own string ensemble –The Bluestone Ensemble.
VYSO: BEYOND THE MUSIC
They say you can tell a lot about a person by their bookshelf...
Here, the orchestra provides their list of favourite comics and graphic novels.
THE SCOOP
The orchestra dishes on their creative struggles.
“Rabbit holes. Normally when I start a project, I end up down a rabbit hole for a singular idea I just can't get right. Rather than moving on and giving it space, I tend to rip my hair out attempting to perfect a minor detail that in the grand scheme of things doesn't really change the experience. It is a struggle I face every day.”
“I start too many knitting projects at once and get distracted.”
“Learning how to double tongue. Coordinating my fingers and tongue so they move at the same time. Reed making is another struggle - you're only as good as your reed and there's no end of things to fix if the reed isn't working!”
“Summoning the strength to practise scales.”
“I have spent a long time not really knowing 'what I wanted to do when I grew up', all the while having this huge passion for music despite not pursuing it professionally. It’s always been a struggle between what makes me happy and affording to live.
I’ve finally decided to pursue undergraduate study in entertainment management hopefully followed by graduate study in music performance, and further down the track a master's degree in arts & cultural management, though sometimes I wish I had started earlier, been more ambitious and dedicated without fear.
Music is also an expensive pursuit in terms of instruments, accessories & lessons. I would love to develop my doubling ability for musical theatre but being able to afford it and learning all the instruments would be a challenge!”
“I just struggle to appear creative at all; the places where I show creativity are things other people often don't care about.”
“Although I would call myself a good baker, I could never make up my own recipes. I am hopeless at knowing what flavours would fit together, so I can only follow other examples.”
“Good enough at many things to be annoyed that I'm not better. Everything takes so much longer than one could possibly imagine.”
“Sometimes I struggle to make sense of a new piece, just playing the notes on the page doesn't elicit any emotion or I cannot find a connection. Sometimes, I hear a really interesting interpretation and try to replicate it, but may not have the technique so it gets frustrating because I can't bring out a particular effect.”
“Personally, composing music is full of creative struggles - I can have one really good idea and then come up with nothing else for the next year!"
"When you're about to make freshly squeezed creative juices but your crippling anxiety makes you second guess your juicing abilities and so you just buy reconstituted juice instead..."
"I remember writing one of my first compositions at university. Our tutor told us to use a technique that we had never used before. I started by entering random notes into Sibelius and figured out how I could put them together to form a coherent piece. It was an interesting process, and a lot of the time I wasn't sure what I was doing, but after hearing it performed live I was happy with the result!"
"In the past I have agreed to too many things and had too much on my plate. I ended up being unable to keep up and burnt myself out. It can be difficult as a musician when several opportunities arise at once and you want to be involved in all of them. Sometimes you have to be practical and put some of your creative goals on hold to prioritise other things in your life."
We polled the orchestra...
The results are in, and here's what our musicians do when they hit a wall in their creative work.
And if all else fails, VYSO’s favourite quotes should get you through your struggles.
