Speaking In Concerts

More and more musicians speak in concerts.

This is wonderful!

But why are we speaking and who are we speaking to?

Ostensibly we speak to introduce the music and make it more accessible. That is also wonderful, because our friends often tell us that they don’t go to concerts because they don’t know anything about classical music. I can’t help but think that most of us don’t know anything about Thai food or Tuscan wines either, but we still frequently order it. Little by little, we hone our taste and all of a sudden Chianti and pad thai have become common words.

It is, of course, easy to say that we should speak in a language that everyone understands. But most of us have been using terms like “sonata form” and “late Beethoven” for so long, that we quickly forget that they don’t mean anything to a very large part of otherwise quite educated population. So when we gush about that glorious moment when a composer goes from minor to major key, that firmly shuts the door in front of so many of them. We exclude all of those lawyers, bankers, marketing executives and doctors whose attention and money we desperately seek. This will only confirm their concern that they cannot enjoy classical music, because they haven’t studied it. As a result, it is unlikely that they will go to another concert.

So, what should we say when we speak in public?

Pick someone in your life who is not a musician and has a decent general education. Speak to them. Never refer to other works, no matter how famous they seem to you. Start with basics  – perhaps time when the composer lived. What else was going on at that time? Did they have electricity? So, when we speak about the astounding amount of music that Mozart and Schubert wrote in their tragically short life, perhaps we can mention the fact that it was not easy to write when there was no daylight. If you speak about Haydn or Liszt traveling far away, think about horse-drawn carriages in which they traveled and crack a joke about delayed flights and challenges of our traveling. Set the stage and don’t try to describe the music. If we could describe music, there would be no need to perform it. Look at your program and decide when is a good time to speak. I usually like to start with music and then welcome the audience. Just like your performance, your speaking should not be predictable. You can cover the work you played and the work you are about to play at the same time.

Once you decided what you want to speak about and when, practice it!

Just like any other harmless lunatic, speak clearly and loudly to no one in your home and do it as many times as it takes you to speak fluently. Don’t write and memorize the text. Give yourself points you want to make and, within reason, use different words to get from one to another. Make it concise and direct.

Just like anything else, speaking in public requires thinking and training. We didn’t wake up playing our instruments, so we can’t expect to become public speakers instantly either.

Let’s make sure we open the doors of concert halls as wide as we can and include everyone in experiencing music.