Eric Whitacre. Have you heard of him? I hadn’t until
last night when I went to see him in concert at the Robert Blackwood Hall at
Monash University. He’s a composer and conductor currently settled in London
but originally from the U S of A.
last night when I went to see him in concert at the Robert Blackwood Hall at
Monash University. He’s a composer and conductor currently settled in London
but originally from the U S of A.
Eric Whitacre is a man of extraordinary talents but to my mind almost too good
to be true. It’s not his talents
per se but the whole package.
Between conducting his songs and music he talked briefly and wittily
about his life, his wife, his passion for music and poetry. The audience loved him, encore
after encore.
to be true. It’s not his talents
per se but the whole package.
Between conducting his songs and music he talked briefly and wittily
about his life, his wife, his passion for music and poetry. The audience loved him, encore
after encore.
My daughter was
singing in the choir and glorious singing, too, but Whitacre stole the
night. His wife, he told us, was for
once able to be there and she added to the overall allure. Here was a man in love with his wife,
after a fifteen year marriage. In
love too with his seven and half year old son who came along to the concert
as well. His wife, Hila Plitmann, is a famed soprano with her own extensive following of admirers.
singing in the choir and glorious singing, too, but Whitacre stole the
night. His wife, he told us, was for
once able to be there and she added to the overall allure. Here was a man in love with his wife,
after a fifteen year marriage. In
love too with his seven and half year old son who came along to the concert
as well. His wife, Hila Plitmann, is a famed soprano with her own extensive following of admirers.
See how often I write the words ‘also’ and ‘as well’ here. These attributes pile up, one on top of the other.
Before the performance began the son scrambled past me
with his beautiful mother as I flattened myself back into my seat to make room. I had noticed this young boy as he
approached from one side of the theatre. I could not but notice him. As he slid past each person already seated he pointed
to their programme on the front of which an image of his father took pride of
place.
with his beautiful mother as I flattened myself back into my seat to make room. I had noticed this young boy as he
approached from one side of the theatre. I could not but notice him. As he slid past each person already seated he pointed
to their programme on the front of which an image of his father took pride of
place.
‘That’s my dad,’ he said.
‘That’s my dad,’ and he squeezed past me while his mother half
apologised, half laughed at the antics of her proud and equally beautiful
son.
‘That’s my dad,’ and he squeezed past me while his mother half
apologised, half laughed at the antics of her proud and equally beautiful
son.
All three were blond, the son, the
darkest in hair colour. All three
beautiful in that movie star way. Whitacre’s hair reminded me of this advertisement: men using women’s shampoo. Hilarious and almost surreal.
darkest in hair colour. All three
beautiful in that movie star way. Whitacre’s hair reminded me of this advertisement: men using women’s shampoo. Hilarious and almost surreal.
Ash, the son – Whitacre told us his name during the performance but I may have spelled it incorrectly – wore a
grey suit not unlike the suit his father wore on stage. Ash featured in many of his father’s
stories about how Whitacre came to compose this or that particular piece of music.
grey suit not unlike the suit his father wore on stage. Ash featured in many of his father’s
stories about how Whitacre came to compose this or that particular piece of music.
I’m not usually taken in by so
much beauty but as I say it was the entire package. Not only the man’s ability as a composer but also his
ability to present himself to the public, his warmth and generosity. It took
me by storm.
much beauty but as I say it was the entire package. Not only the man’s ability as a composer but also his
ability to present himself to the public, his warmth and generosity. It took
me by storm.
A voice inside kept
saying this cannot be. It
cannot be so picture perfect. But
why spoil it with my doubts? Am I
envious? Why want to tone it down with a few
hard edges? Even the overall
effect for me became a hard edge, but why can I not trust to the appearances
and enjoy the ride? Why so
cynical?
saying this cannot be. It
cannot be so picture perfect. But
why spoil it with my doubts? Am I
envious? Why want to tone it down with a few
hard edges? Even the overall
effect for me became a hard edge, but why can I not trust to the appearances
and enjoy the ride? Why so
cynical?
I stood around afterwards for at
least half an hour chatting to my daughter and her friends and when I left
there was still a queue of people waiting to ask Whitacre to sign copies of his CD. The queue stretched the width of the Blackwood hall and I felt for this man who after
the fifth round of applause had raised his hands to his mouth in a gesture of
drinking. He then looked upwards as if to say to the audience, enough adulation no, let’s all
go upstairs for a drink.
least half an hour chatting to my daughter and her friends and when I left
there was still a queue of people waiting to ask Whitacre to sign copies of his CD. The queue stretched the width of the Blackwood hall and I felt for this man who after
the fifth round of applause had raised his hands to his mouth in a gesture of
drinking. He then looked upwards as if to say to the audience, enough adulation no, let’s all
go upstairs for a drink.
No drink for him I imagine till
well after midnight, but I suppose it’s all part of the deal, the price of
fame, and it sells CDs.
well after midnight, but I suppose it’s all part of the deal, the price of
fame, and it sells CDs.
I gave a talk myself on Friday
afternoon to a small group of psychology students at Swinburne. I’m not an accomplished speaker but I
tried hard to present material in such a way that they might be
interested.
afternoon to a small group of psychology students at Swinburne. I’m not an accomplished speaker but I
tried hard to present material in such a way that they might be
interested.
From the onset, as I spoke, I noticed
a man directly in front of me about five rows up who sat beside another
man. Both were older men, older relative
to many of the students, and they chatted
openly to one another during the prepared part of my talk.
a man directly in front of me about five rows up who sat beside another
man. Both were older men, older relative
to many of the students, and they chatted
openly to one another during the prepared part of my talk.
I had the impulse to stop speaking
and to ask them if they had wanted to leave. For the first time in my limited lecturing experience I knew
what it felt to be a teacher with unruly students.
and to ask them if they had wanted to leave. For the first time in my limited lecturing experience I knew
what it felt to be a teacher with unruly students.
At one point the instigator of the
chats, at least as far as I could see, stopped chatting and turned to face the side of
the small lecture theatre away from the other man. He sat that way for at least half of my talk. I kept
waiting for him to leave. I wanted
him to leave, however much it might have seemed like a public thumbs down from him.
chats, at least as far as I could see, stopped chatting and turned to face the side of
the small lecture theatre away from the other man. He sat that way for at least half of my talk. I kept
waiting for him to leave. I wanted
him to leave, however much it might have seemed like a public thumbs down from him.
This man gave me no sense of confidence
in what I was saying but I ploughed on.
I knew in time I would play some you tube versions of therapy and that
we could discuss them altogether and that the event might become more alive,
more alive than having me simply drone on.
in what I was saying but I ploughed on.
I knew in time I would play some you tube versions of therapy and that
we could discuss them altogether and that the event might become more alive,
more alive than having me simply drone on.
Not that I droned on but I had worried that students these
days do not value being lectured to.
They prefer interaction. And indeed things came more alive after I had
explained where I was coming from and launched into a discussion of other
people’s performances as therapists as portrayed online.
days do not value being lectured to.
They prefer interaction. And indeed things came more alive after I had
explained where I was coming from and launched into a discussion of other
people’s performances as therapists as portrayed online.
To my surprise when it was all over
the disruptive man came down to me at the podium and expressed his gratitude
for my talk. He introduced himself
and offered to show me his written feedback, which he must have written during my talk.
the disruptive man came down to me at the podium and expressed his gratitude
for my talk. He introduced himself
and offered to show me his written feedback, which he must have written during my talk.
It was the strangest of feedback wherein he described the first part of my talk
as like ‘Skyhooks – Living in the seventies’, because I had described in some
detail my origins in the field, and then he told me that the discussion part where I
explained my position had completely changed his view on ‘this caper’, as he
called it, this caper by which I presume he meant psychology.
as like ‘Skyhooks – Living in the seventies’, because I had described in some
detail my origins in the field, and then he told me that the discussion part where I
explained my position had completely changed his view on ‘this caper’, as he
called it, this caper by which I presume he meant psychology.
He was fifty years old he told me
and new to the field. How
strange. I could not get him out
of my mind for some time. I still do not know whether he was critical or
pleased. He seemed to hear my
words despite his chatter but what he has made of them I suppose I will never
know.
and new to the field. How
strange. I could not get him out
of my mind for some time. I still do not know whether he was critical or
pleased. He seemed to hear my
words despite his chatter but what he has made of them I suppose I will never
know.
The person organising the course
made a fuss of distributing the feedback sheets before the talk and her intern
collected them after the event.
Somehow to me the collection of feedback sheets so close on the heels of
my talk felt a little like people throwing money at me as if I had become a
busker. The more money paid the
more successful I would be. The
better the feedback the more I deserved to be paid. Another strange feeling.
made a fuss of distributing the feedback sheets before the talk and her intern
collected them after the event.
Somehow to me the collection of feedback sheets so close on the heels of
my talk felt a little like people throwing money at me as if I had become a
busker. The more money paid the
more successful I would be. The
better the feedback the more I deserved to be paid. Another strange feeling.
I do not intend to make a habit of
these talks and so I tell myself the feedback is not of such huge consequence but of course I dread the thought I may have bored them silly.
these talks and so I tell myself the feedback is not of such huge consequence but of course I dread the thought I may have bored them silly.
I am no Eric Whitacre, such a
talented man, but I thought I had something worthwhile to say. My only hope now is that I could be
heard. Isn’t that why any of us do
these things? To be heard?
talented man, but I thought I had something worthwhile to say. My only hope now is that I could be
heard. Isn’t that why any of us do
these things? To be heard?