#293. Honoring A Sentiment

The renowned tenor, Andrea Bocelli, once said, “If an artist wants to move the listener, he or she must have something intense and convincing to tell through the singing.  This something comes from experiences and insight: it is the inner wealth that you can acquire by living.”

There is so much to unpack in that fabulous quote. First, that we must “move” the audience, so that they will experience a profound depth of feelings. To that end, our technique must be refined enough to serve as the vehicle for our moving the listener to experience the emotional content of the music. Second, that the performers “must have something intense and convincing to tell.” That the conductor, each performer, and the ensemble as a whole has solidified an interpretation based on the intent of the composer and has agreed on how that will be presented. And third, that our individual and collective life experiences are what we draw from as that “inner wealth” we use to inspire our music making.

Bocelli’s words are as profound as they are obvious, as easy to understand as they are difficult to fully grasp. But to me, honoring his sentiment makes what we do so intensely human and powerful.

Peter Loel Boonshaft, Director of Education
KHS America