I approach everything as chamber music. Even with Beethoven symphonies, I lead from the violin and basically encourage the orchestra to think of it as a giant string quartet.
Interpretation
The quote emphasizes collaboration and a personal touch in music, even with grand compositions.
Joshua Bell likens his approach to conducting orchestras to that of chamber music, suggesting a focus on intimacy and collaboration, rather than hierarchy. By leading from the violin and encouraging the orchestra to see themselves as part of a smaller, cohesive group, he highlights the importance of communication and unity in creating music, even in larger symphonic works like those of Beethoven.
In practice
Using this quote in a workshop on music collaboration to emphasize the importance of teamwork.
I always have loved the Stradivarius. My teacher, Josef Gingold, he had a Stradivarius. As a treat, he would put it under my chin and let me play a few notes, and I remember that feeling of the overtones, the complexity of the sound. It's like a great wine.
So much of performing is a mind game. You're memorizing thousands of notes, and if you start thinking about it in the wrong way, everything can blow up in your face.
People in bands don't have the kind of conversations people might think they have. The best things about being in a band are the things that are unsaid.
It's very strange how electronic music formatted itself and forgot that its roots are about the surprise, freedom, and the acceptance of every race, gender, and style of music into this big party. Instead, it started to become this electronic lifestyle which also involved the glorification of technology.
I always felt rock and roll was very, very wholesome music.
Obviously you have to have rhythm. If you have rhythm, then you can play anything you need. If you have rhythm and you love music, then play and play and play until you get to where you want to get. If you can pay the rent, great. If you can't, then you'd better be having fun.
'Society's Child' was a real hard record to start with. That's all you want is for you to put your first record out and have people screaming at you in the streets. But it taught me right away that what I was doing was valuable and important.
When you hear the music ringin' in your soul_x000D_ And you feel it in your heart and it grows and grows_x000D_ And it comes from the backstreet rock & roll and the healing has begun...
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