What does it mean to be a musician?

By Tyler Song

Summer is often a time of rest for musicians, but it can also be the perfect time for us to reflect on our artistry! Recently, I had the incredible experience of participating in the 2024 National Arts Centre Orchestra Mentorship Program in Ottawa, Canada. To say this was one of my most inspiring musical experiences would almost certainly be an understatement. For three weeks I had the opportunity to learn from and make music alongside one of the best orchestras in North America, whose musical cohesiveness struck me to my core. Artistic Director Alexander Shelley and the NACO musicians seemed hellbent on extracting artistry from every single millisecond of sound.

As I reflect upon the things I learned and heard during my time in Ottawa, I’ve been thinking a lot about the nature of music. One of the key aspects of music-making repeatedly emphasized by Shelley was community. Community between the orchestra and audience, between the musicians within the orchestra, between different orchestras, composers, soloists and so on. Music is fleeting, it isn't a painting that you can run your eyes over again and again. Once the moment is past, it's gone and can never be again. Neither you nor your audience will ever be in the same place mentally, emotionally, and physically. I believe the true essence of music-making lies in that collective gathering of our attention to each moment of sound.

I feel that often during our efforts to perfect our craft, that marvel of music-making gets lost somewhere past the 500th time we’ve drilled an excerpt. So as you recuperate in the summer, take the time to get back in touch with your love for music! Listen to recordings that have a special place in your heart, read through music that you truly love playing, and play a performance or two for loved ones that perhaps aren’t perfect, but create that sense of collective attentiveness!

If you’re wondering if that type of music-making is tangible to the audience: I remarked how full the audience was before a show with clarinetist Sean Rice, who informed me that while many other arts organizations saw their numbers fall post-COVID, NACO’s attendance numbers have risen significantly compared to pre-pandemic!

Happy Reflecting!