NCO’s Interview with Nicholas Ross
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How did you come to play both the trumpet and the violin?
I was very lucky to grow up in a house where I was exposed to lots of music. Singing, musical movement and listening to different types of music where part of my daily life. I asked to play the violin when I was 3. In middle school there was the opportunity to play band instruments. I actually wanted to play the French horn, but I think that the band teacher noticed that I could read music and buzz on a mouthpiece; so he handed me the loud one instead! Violin and trumpet somehow meant different things to me, but I could never bring myself to give either one of them up. And life with both has been so great! What appeals to you about playing music? So many things. I think that the practice of music in general can help anyone to find some sort of meaning in life. It has led me to make a lot of meaningful connections with people and community. And with the instruments themselves I think you are able to find an “abstract voice” which is completely different than words. Describe some similarities or differences in playing the trumpet and the violin? Both instruments have such possibilities for deep expression. But it would be true to say that there are things that are particular to each instrument. The trumpet opens up the world of jazz, which I have always loved. The violin has a seemingly endless amount of incredible music to investigate. You can go back through centuries of repertoire. Are there particular challenges in learning to play each of your two chosen instruments? |
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The sound of the violin appealed to me at a very young age. I remember hearing jazz violinist Stéphane Grappelli and artists like Itzhak Perlman play. I was captivated by the sound. But it can take so long to make an “appealing” sound on the violin. lol. It took a lot of patience. And my parents... I can’t imagine. With the trumpet, it was probably easier for me to get a sound that worked right away. But there is a certain demand for strength needed on the trumpet. It takes a while (and good teachers!) to become comfortable with the idea of how important the flow of air is. Playing the violin is not an anaerobic activity however! lol. It actually is essential to learn breathing on the violin because of how it helps you play a “sentence” of music naturally.
What draws you to the Mozart and the Hovhaness pieces that you will be playing on the NCO program?
I have played a lot of Mozart in my life. But it always seems fresh and an absolute treat to play. This composer was able to put so much of his own humanity and personality into his music. I love to think about what his life was actually like and try to conjure that up somehow by playing his music. The violin concerto that I am going to play was written at a time when he was kind of frustrated, actually. (We know this from letters that he wrote.) He was back living in his hometown at the age of 19, but he was aching to get a job somewhere (like Vienna or Italy) where he could write opera. I can sense in this concerto that there are all sorts of opera characters running around in his music trying to get out!
I love that I’m able to play a piece by a 20th century composer like Hovhaness on the same program as Mozart. We often think of modern classical music as being too complex and intellectually distant to be understood by listeners. But Hovhaness’s style and musical language are actually very simple compared to Mozart; in this piece he is evoking the meditative thoughts of a 4th century Armenian character. There were actually very prominent composers who ridiculed Hovhaness’s music for its simplicity, but I say that you cannot deny its beauty.
Do you have any comments about rehearsals so far with NCO?
The Nanaimo Chamber Orchestra is one of those groups that is really at the heart of Nanaimo’s community. It’s a great joy for me to get the opportunity to play with them. They’re really good and they are dedicated musicians. I loved that we could come together on some of the style of the Mozart within the first rehearsal that we had. They made the mistake of asking me some of the same questions that you are asking now. I tend to talk too much when it comes to music. But they really love it too, so I think they understood.
You mention community and you are pretty new to Nanaimo. What is your experience of the community here?
The wonderful thing about being a musician and teacher is that, if you move, you almost have a ready-made community around you. Nanaimo definitely has such a community. I’ve been lucky to have people come to me for lessons, and to have the opportunity to run musical groups for young people here in the city. It can be so rewarding to share the love of music with others. We tend to love and trust our neighbours much more, I find, when we sing together and make music. I was given such a warm welcome by colleagues in this community too. There is a lot of potential for great things in a city that is capable of supporting groups such as the Nanaimo Chamber Orchestra or the Vancouver Island Symphony.
What draws you to the Mozart and the Hovhaness pieces that you will be playing on the NCO program?
I have played a lot of Mozart in my life. But it always seems fresh and an absolute treat to play. This composer was able to put so much of his own humanity and personality into his music. I love to think about what his life was actually like and try to conjure that up somehow by playing his music. The violin concerto that I am going to play was written at a time when he was kind of frustrated, actually. (We know this from letters that he wrote.) He was back living in his hometown at the age of 19, but he was aching to get a job somewhere (like Vienna or Italy) where he could write opera. I can sense in this concerto that there are all sorts of opera characters running around in his music trying to get out!
I love that I’m able to play a piece by a 20th century composer like Hovhaness on the same program as Mozart. We often think of modern classical music as being too complex and intellectually distant to be understood by listeners. But Hovhaness’s style and musical language are actually very simple compared to Mozart; in this piece he is evoking the meditative thoughts of a 4th century Armenian character. There were actually very prominent composers who ridiculed Hovhaness’s music for its simplicity, but I say that you cannot deny its beauty.
Do you have any comments about rehearsals so far with NCO?
The Nanaimo Chamber Orchestra is one of those groups that is really at the heart of Nanaimo’s community. It’s a great joy for me to get the opportunity to play with them. They’re really good and they are dedicated musicians. I loved that we could come together on some of the style of the Mozart within the first rehearsal that we had. They made the mistake of asking me some of the same questions that you are asking now. I tend to talk too much when it comes to music. But they really love it too, so I think they understood.
You mention community and you are pretty new to Nanaimo. What is your experience of the community here?
The wonderful thing about being a musician and teacher is that, if you move, you almost have a ready-made community around you. Nanaimo definitely has such a community. I’ve been lucky to have people come to me for lessons, and to have the opportunity to run musical groups for young people here in the city. It can be so rewarding to share the love of music with others. We tend to love and trust our neighbours much more, I find, when we sing together and make music. I was given such a warm welcome by colleagues in this community too. There is a lot of potential for great things in a city that is capable of supporting groups such as the Nanaimo Chamber Orchestra or the Vancouver Island Symphony.