A thread in celebration of @BBCYoungMus. I think we can all agree that last night’s final really showcased the best of what it means to be a young musician. Creativity, imaginative programming, commitment & the sheer joy of music-making were all present in abundance.
The 3 finalists deserve every ounce of praise we can give them. Playing a televised concerto with a professional orchestra is a big ask at the best of times, let alone following a year of lockdown. To see them treat the music with such respect was unbelievably moving.
The @BBCPhilharmonic made it seem as if playing socially-distanced was the easiest thing in the world. Every person played as if a soloist & yet never lost the sense of a collective unit, moving & breathing together.
That is, of course, largely thanks to the amazing Mark Wigglesworth who not only brought his extraordinary musical brain, but also brought calm, focus, & immense support to all the finalists. What a phenomenal musician.
Huge thanks has to go to the amazing team I had the pleasure of presenting alongside. THANK YOU @JessGillamSax & Josie for your endless smiles, laughter & enthusiasm, & @ndanielmusic for not being afraid to be sincere & show your true emotional response.
I must mention the judges too! How tough to be in that situation, but how eloquent they all were in vocalising their thoughts & praise for all of the finalists. Special thanks to @AngelaDixon_SH for carrying the weight of every decision. I hope you can breathe now!
A personal thanks has to go to @PJB61@deepblue710@RhodriHuw1 & @reesanwen for their patience, friendship & trust as I learn how to do this! They are the most wonderful team anyone could hope for & make every day on set a total joy. It’s an honour & a privilege to work with you.
And lastly: there are so many extraordinary people who work tirelessly to make YM happen behind the scenes. Every single one does it because they believe in these young people & the power of music. We HAVE to keep fighting for the music industry we know & love ❤️
(Can you tell I’m missing everyone just a little bit?!)
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THREAD: I’ve had a lot of messages about practice over the last couple of days - it seems pretty universal that musicians are struggling with motivation & focus at the moment. ME. TOO. So I thought I would share some things I’ve found helpful in case they help you too:
1: At the start of your day, take 15 mins to write a couple of pages in a notebook - just a stream of consciousness, getting rid of all the thoughts whizzing around your head. I do this last thing at night too.
2: I know I’ve already covered this, but don’t have your phone with you when you’re practising. It really doesn’t help. Need a metronome? They’re cheap online. Need to keep an eye on the time? Move a clock or get a watch.
THREAD: I've just had the most extraordinary morning. I was waiting to get on the train to work & an elderly man asked me if the train was going to Cambridge. I said it was, & we got chatting - his name is JJ.
He had been shielding for 5 1/2 months & said his mental health had hit rock bottom. He dropped his phone 1 week in while cleaning it & the screen smashed, but he had no way of contacting anyone to arrange a replacement so he just didn't speak to anyone that whole time.
He has no family, & struggled to get food because he couldn't go to a cash machine for money to pay food delivery.