It happened to me during a master course, some years ago. I had to conduct some solo concertos (Marcello, Mercadante...) during the final concert, and as a general rehearsal we had the rooms of a house for elderly people, that were present at the rehearsal. So it became a little concert, with audience and applause, bows and ceremonies. And finally an old lady came to me saying: "I like orchestra... it brings happiness".
Needless to say, I think of these words everytime I go conducting something. Regardless of many handbooks written by famous conductors of the past, that probably would have despised this habit of mine!
There was a deaf-dumb child that felt the vibrations keeping his hand on my cello - and he was happy: I remember his bright and lively eyes, and I bring this image with me at my concerts. That's a way not to play only notes - I think playing notes is not enough.
Dear Chiara,
finally I could play at Cottolengo: I had a lot of pleasure, sister Gabriella was hospitable and enthusiast and this trult special pubilc seemed to be very involved and partaking. I felt through my harp strings the true power of music: it truly knows how to arrive everywhere!!!
Dear Chiara,
we were to Cottolengo with a delegation of our choir (14 people). [...]
I would say our participation had a good result, but it could not be otherwise, thanks to the extraordinary verve of this sister, God-loving and mankind-loving, and to the sparkling environment. My choir singers were very happy, and at the end we were presented with a great cup, like at football matches...
Dear Chiara,
Even if I already had experiences as a volunteer, it was the first time I played for children. I did it already in another hospital in Rome, but playing as a soloist the impact was of course different, because there was a more direct contact with children, parents, and the medical staff.
It was a quite stressing experience, but in the meanwhile to see how music succeeded in enlight, even for a little time, the little and great grieves, in giving a bit of joy, and in making both children and adults smile, made of that concert an extraordinary experience.
I would like to describe two images that lasted in myself and that I will always bring with me.
While Massimo and Brunello were playing, I saw a mother, keeping her child in her arms: it was beautiful to see how she let the music keep herself. I strongly hope that, in that moment, her worries were kept off by music...
And a little before I was beginning to play a piece, a Libanian child, on a wheelchair in front of me, gave me the beat: one, two, three, four... and I suddenly began!
At the end of the concert, parents asked us to come again: a sign that music, once more, came into the heart of people having a good effect.
And it is wonderful to think that children will associate a beautiful memory to that place, of which normally you don't think with pleasure.
I hope that Portare la Musica will have a great future, because I believe it will be useful!
Best wishes,
Daria
The experience at the children hospital was truly one of the strong ones that touch deep strings. To see ill children smile gives a great pleasure, especially if this is a consequence of what you played and how you proposed it to children. Their mothers asked us to come again, because they said we made a great pleasure to themselves and their children.
If we would regularly go to play in that hall at the hospital, we could continue keeping this so direct contact with children through music. I think we may help children to feel better and perhaps in recovering more quickly.
And we would help also their parents, that of course are very anguished by the situation they are living.
Mariacinzia Bauci, contralto:
Hello everybody, and especially to Santina that I often spoke with by phone. The experience was tiring but totally positive. We understood that thirst for music (and, who knows, perhaps also for other forms like theatre, dance... I'm just suggesting that Portare la Musica could enlarge its horizons) is very big.
The warmth and sunny-like atmosphere at Ax� (a help center for disabled adults, mostly Down) were wonderful, and the human complexity of Nefesh (a community for problems bound with prison, toxicodependence, alcoholism, mental diseases) was fascinating.
We, as musicians, understood also that bringing music is important, but that the most important is to communicate, and to be warm, perhaps with less virtuosity. And I am sure this will be most useful also in the professional soir�s that Pierantonio and I are making
During last 14th December I experienced some emotions that I will hardly forget. I had the privilege of bringing to music and to the piano for the first time some children and teen-agers: some of them were normal-gifted, other seriously ill, other with many disabilities.
I saw music as a little "myracle", that painted wonderful smiles on the faces of children that participated to the concert and the workshops.
The children with whom I worked were wonderful, and showed me how the capacity of loving and get acquainted with art is able to transced all the limits imposed by nature.
Little L., that was born without his hesofague, and now, at the age of six, is full of tenderness and sympathy, embrassed me with strenght to show me his gratitude; young T., that at 16 is blind and with a renal transplant, happily smiling; the smile of S., on the wheelchair, but shining of joy; little D., that did not answer when I spoke to him, but that after the concert came to embrace me; and L., seriously autistic, that was "thumping" the piano to show his difficulty in communicate, but that wonderfully got calm when I began playing Schubert keeping him on my knees... and all the other emotions of the day and of the beautiful "concert", in which these same children played a wonderful 10-hands improvvisation, happy of having been able to learn how to play the piano in a single day.... these are emotions that are written with fire in my heart and that will stay there for a long long time!