WorkshopLive interview with Leo Marchildon
Education:
Started: Age 7 in 1969
Education: Toronto Conservatory of Music: A.R.C.T. in Violin
Western Conservatory of Music: Associate Degree in Organ
Western Conservatory of Music: Associate Degree in Piano
Royal Canadian College of Organists: Fellowship Degree (1986)
University of Toronto: Bachelors of Science (1985)
University of Toronto: Bachelors in Music Composition (1988)
University of Southern California: Advanced Studies in Scoring for Motion Pictures and Television (Certificate 1990)
When did you start to play? I started piano when I was 7, violin when I was 10, and organ when I was 13.
When did you start to notice that your playing was different from everyone else's? My identity as a composer/performer really surfaced once I started improvising in my church work, both on the organ and on the piano, since I was about 20 or so.
How do you keep your playing fresh? I always play around the notes on the page, to infuse it with my own compositional take on it.
What do you do when you get stuck? Leave it alone for a while, and come back to it with fresh ears.
What do you still find hard to do?Being classically trained, I find jazz challenging because it's hard to completely let go of all those years of rigid training.
How often are you surprised by your playing, or what you're listening to, or music in general? I'm surprised every time I hear a recording of my playing. I keep saying to myself, "Did I really play it THAT fast?"
Regarding music in general, I always thrill to music that explores new sonorities and music that tells a story or evokes a powerful emotion. Music conceived strictly as an intellectual exercise rarely does anything for me.
Do you have a regular practice regimen? Do you have a practice "tool-kit" - metronome, tuner, recorder, etc.? Do you have a special place for practice set-aside in your home? How do you practice on the road or when you travel?When I do have the time to devote to practicing (which I must confess is rare, since it seems that most of the time I'm actively performing) it's usually on the Nordiska baby grand in my living room.
Is there a piece of gear you just can't live without? Well, I couldn't live without a piano, but I don't think that strictly qualifies as gear now, does it?
Are there one or two core ideas that are central to your teaching that you make sure every student learns? "Slow Practice and Rhythms" were the key buzzwords of my own piano teacher in high school and I guess I saw the value of it and so now I subscribe the same ideas to my own students. This is especially helpful when you have long, ratty sections of non-stop finger runs. Take it slow and allow your brain to assimilate the notes right the first time, instead of having to later unlearn what you learned wrong by racing through recklessly.
Do you find yourself returning to listen to the artists who inspired you when you first started to play? Who are they? Occasionally I'll find myself revisiting the recordings of Emmanuel Ax, Peter Serkin, Vladimir Horowitz and Ashkenazy for inspiration.
Does your playing change when you switch instruments? Definitely! Every piano has a different response and action… and the acoustics in the room will affect how I play the instrument.
How often, when you're playing, do you find those moments of pure music, when your head is clear, your fingers are working, there are no distractions, and it's just you and the music? Believe it or not, I find I get lost in the music most of the time when I'm performing in public, particularly if I'm engrossed in one of my improvisations.
We have a feature called "Big Ears", where we suggest interesting music to our members that they might not have heard before. What would you suggest for them? I'll have to check out Big Ears myself!
What are you listening to these days? Do you search out music that's new and unfamiliar to you? I'm always looking for new directions in music. I go through stages in my listening. I'm currently in my classic film score phase.
Do you have a musical wish list - other instruments to learn, people to play with, artists or styles to explore? I'd like to become more proficient at jazz. And probably at some point I'd like to take up the guitar. Already being a violinist makes me suspect that it may not be that difficult for me.
Have you ever had a really great teacher? What made him/her so good? My organ teacher at University of Toronto was John Tuttle, and he was the finest organist I have ever worked with. His approach to teaching the instrument was detailed but fun. He had an appreciation for sound palettes and orchestration, which helped to bring the emotion out of the music.
How do you learn best? I like to assimilate a style of music by listening to various different samples of similar music. I try to look at a new piece by assessing its overall structure and try to get behind the mind of the composer to see what he was trying to say in his music.
Do you have any practice tips we can share with our subscribers? When working on a piece, isolate and drill those few problem sections out first before plowing through the whole piece and glazing over the areas you really need to centre on.
