November 30, 2024 • 22 mins
Choral and concert composer Lavinia Kell Parker talks her background in church music, music as a shared experience, the idea of "comprovisation," and much more!
Featured music:
Other Names for Birds, Audio Excerpt (Penderecki String Quartet/Lavinia Kell Parker)
Soli Deo Gloria
Crawford Road
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Hello and welcome to Notes of the North Talks, a series where we get to know our local Canadian
(00:08):
musical talent.
Today, I am here with Lavinia Kell Parker.
Thank you so much, Lavinia, for being here today.
Thank you so much for having me.
First thing first, where are you joining us from today, Lavinia?
Where in Canada do you call home?
I'm here in beautiful southern Alberta in Lethbridge, the city of Lethbridge.
Amazing.
And really quickly, how did you start composing?
(00:31):
What was that moment where you realized, I want to create music?
I think I've always been a creator.
I've always been exploring, even as a kid, even though I didn't really understand about
what it meant to be a composer.
So I remember I was a farm kid.
And so I remember sitting in the tractor with my dad and putting my head against the glass
(00:55):
and feeling that drone within me and just singing and making up my own melodies.
So I guess I've always been creating, but it wasn't until university that I realized
that composition was a viable career option.
Amazing.
Well, you've had quite a diverse career from working with choirs to founding Coulee composers
(01:17):
in southern Alberta.
How did you decide to make southern Alberta your home?
And how does its local landscape and culture influence your music?
Well, we actually lived outside of Canada throughout studies.
We had residencies in the US and in France.
So we were out of the country for almost 20 years.
(01:38):
And it was just such, I think, this longing always to kind of return.
And my husband is a piano professor here at University of Lethbridge.
And when that opened up, it was like really a feeling of coming home because he has roots
in Alberta.
So we're just so happy to be here.
(02:00):
Amazing.
Your compositions are often described as inventive, but also accessible for performers and audiences.
Can you talk about how you try to balance complexity with approachability in your music?
I think it is, especially as you finish your graduate studies, you begin to work with real
(02:24):
life musicians.
And I love that kind of puzzle aspect of making music.
So kind of taking the vision of a commissioner and their ensemble and finding, you know,
they say what they think they want and then finding that idea that fits their ensemble
really well.
(02:44):
But maybe you can like add a little bit of what you know that they need to.
So it's I think, as I'm writing, I always think about the group that I'm writing for
initially.
And I think in that way, that helps accessibility.
(03:06):
Even if you're writing for a really highly advanced ensemble, I think that you need to,
you know, communicate and talk with your performers.
And I enjoy that collaborative aspect of music making.
Amazing.
Could you tell me a little bit about your creative process when composing?
How do you typically start a new piece?
(03:27):
I do write a lot of choral music.
If I'm working on a piece with text, my very first thing is that I memorize that text.
And as we mentioned, I live in southern Alberta.
It is absolutely gorgeous outside my window.
Right now it's a very snowy day, but usually you can see the mountains in the distance
(03:49):
and there's this like vastness to the landscape.
I walk out this area of valleys.
We call it the coulis here.
That's why I have that group, Coulee composers.
And so I take my dog for a walk and we walk.
And as I speak the text over and over, I find the rhythm and the music within the words.
(04:14):
Such a beautiful way to describe it.
Awesome.
You've mentioned before also that composition can be a spiritual necessity and can be agonizing
at times.
How do you navigate challenges that come up during the creative process, especially when
you're starting a new project?
I've talked to other composers and I think it might be a universal thing that your initial
(04:37):
thought process, it's kind of electric.
It's just so exciting to have this idea and possibilities and it's just you have this
energy behind it.
And then so how do you navigate the issues that do come up and why is it sometimes painful?
(04:57):
Because to bring those ideas to fruition is just hard work.
And so I think having some discipline as a composer is necessary.
I think people think that composers just sit down and a bolt of lightning hits us and we
write our music.
But it's actually there is a certain process to that.
(05:21):
And so we do have that initial aspect that I mentioned that you have that excitement
of a new piece and a new idea and that you can kind of see the vision of how it's going
to work.
But the work itself requires that discipline of daily effort.
(05:41):
So that's what I would suggest is that it's something to work on every day.
Amazing.
Do you find that that spiritual aspect is something that you hold really close to your
heart and how has that influenced your work?
So I don't know if it's because I grew up on a farm where I had like a lot of space
(06:05):
to roam as a kid, but I have this kind of connection to the land and where I am.
And I feel like especially when I go on those walks with my dog, I feel that real personal
connection to like that maybe there is something more than us and that maybe that's how we
(06:27):
recreate music.
I don't know that it's such a wonderful thing.
I just I enjoy creating and being part of that act of creation.
And I have always been involved in church music from a young age.
I was given lots of opportunities and I love like working with Latin text.
(06:52):
I just think it's so much fun and especially like how you can fit that with the voice and
the possibilities are endless.
So it just it's a constant joy for me.
It's amazing.
How do you go about putting these Latin texts to music?
(07:16):
It really depends on the text and I might like take a look at it and find like what
is the meaning and how it sits for me.
I love texts that even if I'm working with English text, things that are repetitive so
that I can repeat different phrases.
(07:37):
I tend not to gravitate to really long poems when I'm looking for text.
I think about syllabic emphasis and like how you can sing on the vowel and make things
gorgeous.
And so it's one of the things that is always a mystery and it's also kind of also immediate.
(08:07):
Like you look at a text and you just know it's going to work.
This is musical and you can kind of see the potential and music, I don't know, within
the words.
So it's a fun thing.
I believe you also write concert music, right?
(08:27):
Is that process a little different from writing choral music?
I'm sure it is, but do you also get inspired textually before starting that process?
I do.
I think I was talking with another musician who said that she could only hear one line
at a time.
And I do really think harmonically.
(08:48):
Like when I'm writing a piece, I can hear everything before I write a single note.
Like I'm really listening and creating and trying to be open to the sounds that are around
me too.
Like how do you open yourself to those possibilities?
(09:09):
So I think it is a very similar process, even when it's concert music.
And I love writing concert music.
I love writing for choirs.
And I think that creative process is really the same.
You don't have the element or the restriction of the text.
So maybe there's a little more freedom.
(09:30):
That is so interesting.
Okay, switching gears a little bit.
So in many of your pieces, there's a strong sense of personal connection that I feel.
How do you draw from your own life experiences to create music that is at the same time personal
but also universal?
When words escape us, you know, things come out as song.
(09:51):
Like this idea of hardship that we all face, I think that's universal.
And that we can, you know, find our community and find our own personal voice through singing.
I just find that very inspiring.
Beautiful.
You've also composed works that reflect local history and personal stories.
(10:11):
For example, I think you have Crawford Road that's inspired by the history surrounding
Clemson Tillman Bells.
So can you speak about how you approach the intersection of music, history, and social
causes in your work?
So I thought was such a fun commission.
We were living in South Carolina at the time.
(10:33):
And so we were, you know, about an hour away from Clemson University.
And I took about six months to taking lessons for it was written for carillon, which is
an instrument that you it has a keyboard that you kind of play with these dowels, you play
it with your fists.
And they're attached to a set of bells, and in this case, like 52 bells.
(10:58):
And it's a very public instrument, because when you play it, the whole town can hear.
And so I wanted something that really connected with Clemson University specifically.
So it was kind of like a pivotal time and this moment in history.
And but for me to get to Clemson, I drove from this little teeny tiny dot of a town
(11:24):
due west and I had to take this road called Crawford Road.
And so I was driving it back and forth all the time.
And Crawford Road is is not named for Anthony Crawford.
But it was maybe the African American families took on the names of their slave owners.
(11:44):
So it kind of had that history.
And Anthony Crawford was lynched right in the place where I was living, Abbeville County.
And so it was just a really interesting time period because Obama had just been elected.
And I wanted to create something that was for bells that would be heard by the entire
(12:10):
community.
And so we could have this shared experience with a topic that's really difficult because
I think music has the ability to transcend division and it kind of brings us together
and it opens the possibility for dialogue, even if we have different viewpoints about
(12:32):
things.
So it just because we lived there, it was it felt like it was kind of our history, too.
I was driving that road every day and had this connection.
And so we had the Greenville News come out and the concert itself was just so beautiful
(12:52):
because we were all out on the lawn.
It was like a public place.
Some people had brought picnics.
And I think in that way, music can really bring us together as a community.
That is so beautiful.
As a composer who's deeply involved in education, how do you see the role of music education
in shaping, say, the next generation of musicians and composers in Canada?
(13:18):
I think we live in such an interesting time because when I was a music student, I learned
all these pieces.
I was learning Beethoven and Bach and but not realizing that, hey, there was some connection
with me with these people who've been dead forever.
(13:41):
I think the first time I was in a festival as a kid and I'm not sure that they have them
anymore, but it was like a quick study class.
And so it was something that was written by a composer just for that.
And it was so it was my very first time to meet a real live living composer.
(14:03):
And I think in private studio, there are a lot more opportunities to connect with composers.
We just had this past week, it was Canada Music Week here across Canada for the registered
music teachers association.
(14:24):
And so all kids who were in private lessons had a chance to connect with a Canadian composer
and to you know, yesterday was the final day and there was like a concert presented of
only Canadian works in every single region in Canada.
So I just think that that is something that 30 years ago, we didn't, you know, place that
(14:47):
importance.
And I think it just really makes me hopeful that one of the questions that the concert
was all right, if you are a Canadian composer, please stand up.
And so a few people stood up and then the question was, if you have ever composed music,
and so that's part of all of these students lessons, please stand up.
(15:08):
And it was like the majority of the room was standing and it just was such an inspiring
moment.
That's so beautiful.
How do you see this role of Canadian composers in fostering a sense of cultural identity
and unity across such a diverse country that we have?
I think especially because we lived outside of Canada and we've kind of returned, I think
(15:34):
that there is something significant about being a Canadian composer.
I think that we have more freedom to express our own individuality and we're encouraged
to do so.
And I really kind of appreciate some of the supports that we have like through the Canadian
Music Centre.
(15:54):
I just am really excited about what's happening in our Canadian landscape and the fact that
we're also recognizing that certain composers have been excluded, you know, even from our
Canadian Music Centre, even as many as like 15 years ago.
So there is this kind of process that's taking place now to recognize that.
(16:19):
And so I'm very hopeful for the future.
That's amazing.
So moving ahead, how can the industry, you kind of already touched on it, but how can
it continue to support and amplify the voices, especially these underrepresented composers
in Canada?
I think that recognizing our history is very important.
(16:41):
And so we've just, you know, really that's in its infancy.
We're just starting to do that now.
And I think that there are still a lot of barriers for certain composers who maybe like
15 or 20 years ago did not have the same opportunities as other composers.
(17:03):
And so a lot of opportunities that come up, they used to have age restrictions or restrictive
language.
And I think more and more ensembles are realizing that that's important to take away so that
we have a more possibilities for more composers, because we all have different backgrounds
(17:28):
too.
I think we're now realizing that there are some composers who maybe don't use traditional
notation or have different aspects to music or this idea of improvisation, which is really
central to my work.
In the past that wasn't recognized.
So I think that different composers of different backgrounds utilize music in different ways.
(17:56):
And so we have to realize that there is inherent value, even though maybe it doesn't follow
our Western traditions.
Now that you mention it, improvisation does play an important role in your work.
How does it inform your composition process?
Does it like bring this unique dimension?
I've always loved, so I didn't really have a traditional start to music.
(18:24):
I was one of the lucky ones; I was with...
Music For Young Children is now a big thing in Canada.
But I got to study with Frances Balodis.
She was the founder of that.
And so I had those group classes as a kid, and I think it was kind of a different approach
because you got to everybody sitting at your keyboard, but you're in a classroom with other
(18:46):
people and just this idea of how to make music together.
And maybe we didn't all read music, but we were making music.
And I think that kind of gave me the start to just sit down and play.
I got to play for our church at a very young age, and I'm really thankful that I was given
(19:08):
those opportunities.
And then when I went to university, I got to study organ improvisation with Yann Overdwin.
I had a composition professor, Glenn Beer, who he just like really encouraged me to play
on the piano lots.
He's like, you have to practice all the modal scales.
And I at the time, I didn't really I was like, why do I have to do this?
(19:33):
And I'm so thankful that he gave me the facility to sit down and explore the ideas that I want
to present.
And so I have created a lot of works that I want to bring improvisation to ensembles
and working with other people.
(19:54):
I had this piece that I did called Failure Is Impossible, and I collaborated with another
Canadian composer, Catherine Emmons, and she's also a dancer.
And we just, you know, worked together, me at the organ and her dancing and creating
(20:16):
sounds with mixed media.
And then I progressed to like, how can I facilitate this with a larger ensemble?
So I have created some works recently with the Allegra Chamber Orchestra, my piece Turning
of Earth, that I there's a full, it has a lot of graphic notation, so that it implies
(20:41):
direction and but it also gives freedom.
And then in this central part of it, there's a tonal improvisation, which is more of my
background, which they were pretty uncomfortable with.
So I think too, you have to think, I like the word improvisation.
It wasn't coined by me, but it's like taking these two worlds and that we think are opposite
(21:04):
and bringing them together.
And then how do you facilitate that in a way that fits the comfort level of classical musicians
who haven't had this training?
So I've been exploring lots of possibilities.
Amazing.
Lastly, Lavinia, what's a piece of advice that you maybe received earlier in your career
that you carry with you today?
(21:26):
That's a good one.
I think that I've connected with a lot of really amazing people who have been supportive.
And I've been told, don't forget that you have this inner voice.
And so I think that when you are especially a student, you're being told all these different
(21:48):
things, and there are rules that you have to follow and you have to learn your theory,
and all of the things that will make you a great musician.
But then to realize that you are a person, the composers that you study, they also were
people, and that you have this long connection and history, and you also have an inner voice
(22:08):
and that what you have is important.
And I think that encouragement has stayed with me and I'm really thankful for it.
Amazing.
Well, that brings us to the end of today's episode.
So thank you so much, Lavinia, for sharing such beautiful pieces of your art and heart.
Thank you so much.
Until next time, folks, keep listening for the notes of the North.
Hello and welcome to Notes of the North Talks, a series where we get to know our local Canadian
(00:08):
musical talent.
Today, I am here with Lavinia Kell Parker.
Thank you so much, Lavinia, for being here today.
Thank you so much for having me.
First thing first, where are you joining us from today, Lavinia?
Where in Canada do you call home?
I'm here in beautiful southern Alberta in Lethbridge, the city of Lethbridge.
Amazing.
And really quickly, how did you start composing?
(00:31):
What was that moment where you realized, I want to create music?
I think I've always been a creator.
I've always been exploring, even as a kid, even though I didn't really understand about
what it meant to be a composer.
So I remember I was a farm kid.
And so I remember sitting in the tractor with my dad and putting my head against the glass
(00:55):
and feeling that drone within me and just singing and making up my own melodies.
So I guess I've always been creating, but it wasn't until university that I realized
that composition was a viable career option.
Amazing.
Well, you've had quite a diverse career from working with choirs to founding Coulee composers
(01:17):
in southern Alberta.
How did you decide to make southern Alberta your home?
And how does its local landscape and culture influence your music?
Well, we actually lived outside of Canada throughout studies.
We had residencies in the US and in France.
So we were out of the country for almost 20 years.
(01:38):
And it was just such, I think, this longing always to kind of return.
And my husband is a piano professor here at University of Lethbridge.
And when that opened up, it was like really a feeling of coming home because he has roots
in Alberta.
So we're just so happy to be here.
(02:00):
Amazing.
Your compositions are often described as inventive, but also accessible for performers and audiences.
Can you talk about how you try to balance complexity with approachability in your music?
I think it is, especially as you finish your graduate studies, you begin to work with real
(02:24):
life musicians.
And I love that kind of puzzle aspect of making music.
So kind of taking the vision of a commissioner and their ensemble and finding, you know,
they say what they think they want and then finding that idea that fits their ensemble
really well.
(02:44):
But maybe you can like add a little bit of what you know that they need to.
So it's I think, as I'm writing, I always think about the group that I'm writing for
initially.
And I think in that way, that helps accessibility.
(03:06):
Even if you're writing for a really highly advanced ensemble, I think that you need to,
you know, communicate and talk with your performers.
And I enjoy that collaborative aspect of music making.
Amazing.
Could you tell me a little bit about your creative process when composing?
How do you typically start a new piece?
(03:27):
I do write a lot of choral music.
If I'm working on a piece with text, my very first thing is that I memorize that text.
And as we mentioned, I live in southern Alberta.
It is absolutely gorgeous outside my window.
Right now it's a very snowy day, but usually you can see the mountains in the distance
(03:49):
and there's this like vastness to the landscape.
I walk out this area of valleys.
We call it the coulis here.
That's why I have that group, Coulee composers.
And so I take my dog for a walk and we walk.
And as I speak the text over and over, I find the rhythm and the music within the words.
(04:14):
Such a beautiful way to describe it.
Awesome.
You've mentioned before also that composition can be a spiritual necessity and can be agonizing
at times.
How do you navigate challenges that come up during the creative process, especially when
you're starting a new project?
I've talked to other composers and I think it might be a universal thing that your initial
(04:37):
thought process, it's kind of electric.
It's just so exciting to have this idea and possibilities and it's just you have this
energy behind it.
And then so how do you navigate the issues that do come up and why is it sometimes painful?
(04:57):
Because to bring those ideas to fruition is just hard work.
And so I think having some discipline as a composer is necessary.
I think people think that composers just sit down and a bolt of lightning hits us and we
write our music.
But it's actually there is a certain process to that.
(05:21):
And so we do have that initial aspect that I mentioned that you have that excitement
of a new piece and a new idea and that you can kind of see the vision of how it's going
to work.
But the work itself requires that discipline of daily effort.
(05:41):
So that's what I would suggest is that it's something to work on every day.
Amazing.
Do you find that that spiritual aspect is something that you hold really close to your
heart and how has that influenced your work?
So I don't know if it's because I grew up on a farm where I had like a lot of space
(06:05):
to roam as a kid, but I have this kind of connection to the land and where I am.
And I feel like especially when I go on those walks with my dog, I feel that real personal
connection to like that maybe there is something more than us and that maybe that's how we
(06:27):
recreate music.
I don't know that it's such a wonderful thing.
I just I enjoy creating and being part of that act of creation.
And I have always been involved in church music from a young age.
I was given lots of opportunities and I love like working with Latin text.
(06:52):
I just think it's so much fun and especially like how you can fit that with the voice and
the possibilities are endless.
So it just it's a constant joy for me.
It's amazing.
How do you go about putting these Latin texts to music?
(07:16):
It really depends on the text and I might like take a look at it and find like what
is the meaning and how it sits for me.
I love texts that even if I'm working with English text, things that are repetitive so
that I can repeat different phrases.
(07:37):
I tend not to gravitate to really long poems when I'm looking for text.
I think about syllabic emphasis and like how you can sing on the vowel and make things
gorgeous.
And so it's one of the things that is always a mystery and it's also kind of also immediate.
(08:07):
Like you look at a text and you just know it's going to work.
This is musical and you can kind of see the potential and music, I don't know, within
the words.
So it's a fun thing.
I believe you also write concert music, right?
(08:27):
Is that process a little different from writing choral music?
I'm sure it is, but do you also get inspired textually before starting that process?
I do.
I think I was talking with another musician who said that she could only hear one line
at a time.
And I do really think harmonically.
(08:48):
Like when I'm writing a piece, I can hear everything before I write a single note.
Like I'm really listening and creating and trying to be open to the sounds that are around
me too.
Like how do you open yourself to those possibilities?
(09:09):
So I think it is a very similar process, even when it's concert music.
And I love writing concert music.
I love writing for choirs.
And I think that creative process is really the same.
You don't have the element or the restriction of the text.
So maybe there's a little more freedom.
(09:30):
That is so interesting.
Okay, switching gears a little bit.
So in many of your pieces, there's a strong sense of personal connection that I feel.
How do you draw from your own life experiences to create music that is at the same time personal
but also universal?
When words escape us, you know, things come out as song.
(09:51):
Like this idea of hardship that we all face, I think that's universal.
And that we can, you know, find our community and find our own personal voice through singing.
I just find that very inspiring.
Beautiful.
You've also composed works that reflect local history and personal stories.
(10:11):
For example, I think you have Crawford Road that's inspired by the history surrounding
Clemson Tillman Bells.
So can you speak about how you approach the intersection of music, history, and social
causes in your work?
So I thought was such a fun commission.
We were living in South Carolina at the time.
(10:33):
And so we were, you know, about an hour away from Clemson University.
And I took about six months to taking lessons for it was written for carillon, which is
an instrument that you it has a keyboard that you kind of play with these dowels, you play
it with your fists.
And they're attached to a set of bells, and in this case, like 52 bells.
(10:58):
And it's a very public instrument, because when you play it, the whole town can hear.
And so I wanted something that really connected with Clemson University specifically.
So it was kind of like a pivotal time and this moment in history.
And but for me to get to Clemson, I drove from this little teeny tiny dot of a town
(11:24):
due west and I had to take this road called Crawford Road.
And so I was driving it back and forth all the time.
And Crawford Road is is not named for Anthony Crawford.
But it was maybe the African American families took on the names of their slave owners.
(11:44):
So it kind of had that history.
And Anthony Crawford was lynched right in the place where I was living, Abbeville County.
And so it was just a really interesting time period because Obama had just been elected.
And I wanted to create something that was for bells that would be heard by the entire
(12:10):
community.
And so we could have this shared experience with a topic that's really difficult because
I think music has the ability to transcend division and it kind of brings us together
and it opens the possibility for dialogue, even if we have different viewpoints about
(12:32):
things.
So it just because we lived there, it was it felt like it was kind of our history, too.
I was driving that road every day and had this connection.
And so we had the Greenville News come out and the concert itself was just so beautiful
(12:52):
because we were all out on the lawn.
It was like a public place.
Some people had brought picnics.
And I think in that way, music can really bring us together as a community.
That is so beautiful.
As a composer who's deeply involved in education, how do you see the role of music education
in shaping, say, the next generation of musicians and composers in Canada?
(13:18):
I think we live in such an interesting time because when I was a music student, I learned
all these pieces.
I was learning Beethoven and Bach and but not realizing that, hey, there was some connection
with me with these people who've been dead forever.
(13:41):
I think the first time I was in a festival as a kid and I'm not sure that they have them
anymore, but it was like a quick study class.
And so it was something that was written by a composer just for that.
And it was so it was my very first time to meet a real live living composer.
(14:03):
And I think in private studio, there are a lot more opportunities to connect with composers.
We just had this past week, it was Canada Music Week here across Canada for the registered
music teachers association.
(14:24):
And so all kids who were in private lessons had a chance to connect with a Canadian composer
and to you know, yesterday was the final day and there was like a concert presented of
only Canadian works in every single region in Canada.
So I just think that that is something that 30 years ago, we didn't, you know, place that
(14:47):
importance.
And I think it just really makes me hopeful that one of the questions that the concert
was all right, if you are a Canadian composer, please stand up.
And so a few people stood up and then the question was, if you have ever composed music,
and so that's part of all of these students lessons, please stand up.
(15:08):
And it was like the majority of the room was standing and it just was such an inspiring
moment.
That's so beautiful.
How do you see this role of Canadian composers in fostering a sense of cultural identity
and unity across such a diverse country that we have?
I think especially because we lived outside of Canada and we've kind of returned, I think
(15:34):
that there is something significant about being a Canadian composer.
I think that we have more freedom to express our own individuality and we're encouraged
to do so.
And I really kind of appreciate some of the supports that we have like through the Canadian
Music Centre.
(15:54):
I just am really excited about what's happening in our Canadian landscape and the fact that
we're also recognizing that certain composers have been excluded, you know, even from our
Canadian Music Centre, even as many as like 15 years ago.
So there is this kind of process that's taking place now to recognize that.
(16:19):
And so I'm very hopeful for the future.
That's amazing.
So moving ahead, how can the industry, you kind of already touched on it, but how can
it continue to support and amplify the voices, especially these underrepresented composers
in Canada?
I think that recognizing our history is very important.
(16:41):
And so we've just, you know, really that's in its infancy.
We're just starting to do that now.
And I think that there are still a lot of barriers for certain composers who maybe like
15 or 20 years ago did not have the same opportunities as other composers.
(17:03):
And so a lot of opportunities that come up, they used to have age restrictions or restrictive
language.
And I think more and more ensembles are realizing that that's important to take away so that
we have a more possibilities for more composers, because we all have different backgrounds
(17:28):
too.
I think we're now realizing that there are some composers who maybe don't use traditional
notation or have different aspects to music or this idea of improvisation, which is really
central to my work.
In the past that wasn't recognized.
So I think that different composers of different backgrounds utilize music in different ways.
(17:56):
And so we have to realize that there is inherent value, even though maybe it doesn't follow
our Western traditions.
Now that you mention it, improvisation does play an important role in your work.
How does it inform your composition process?
Does it like bring this unique dimension?
I've always loved, so I didn't really have a traditional start to music.
(18:24):
I was one of the lucky ones; I was with...
Music For Young Children is now a big thing in Canada.
But I got to study with Frances Balodis.
She was the founder of that.
And so I had those group classes as a kid, and I think it was kind of a different approach
because you got to everybody sitting at your keyboard, but you're in a classroom with other
(18:46):
people and just this idea of how to make music together.
And maybe we didn't all read music, but we were making music.
And I think that kind of gave me the start to just sit down and play.
I got to play for our church at a very young age, and I'm really thankful that I was given
(19:08):
those opportunities.
And then when I went to university, I got to study organ improvisation with Yann Overdwin.
I had a composition professor, Glenn Beer, who he just like really encouraged me to play
on the piano lots.
He's like, you have to practice all the modal scales.
And I at the time, I didn't really I was like, why do I have to do this?
(19:33):
And I'm so thankful that he gave me the facility to sit down and explore the ideas that I want
to present.
And so I have created a lot of works that I want to bring improvisation to ensembles
and working with other people.
(19:54):
I had this piece that I did called Failure Is Impossible, and I collaborated with another
Canadian composer, Catherine Emmons, and she's also a dancer.
And we just, you know, worked together, me at the organ and her dancing and creating
(20:16):
sounds with mixed media.
And then I progressed to like, how can I facilitate this with a larger ensemble?
So I have created some works recently with the Allegra Chamber Orchestra, my piece Turning
of Earth, that I there's a full, it has a lot of graphic notation, so that it implies
(20:41):
direction and but it also gives freedom.
And then in this central part of it, there's a tonal improvisation, which is more of my
background, which they were pretty uncomfortable with.
So I think too, you have to think, I like the word improvisation.
It wasn't coined by me, but it's like taking these two worlds and that we think are opposite
(21:04):
and bringing them together.
And then how do you facilitate that in a way that fits the comfort level of classical musicians
who haven't had this training?
So I've been exploring lots of possibilities.
Amazing.
Lastly, Lavinia, what's a piece of advice that you maybe received earlier in your career
that you carry with you today?
(21:26):
That's a good one.
I think that I've connected with a lot of really amazing people who have been supportive.
And I've been told, don't forget that you have this inner voice.
And so I think that when you are especially a student, you're being told all these different
(21:48):
things, and there are rules that you have to follow and you have to learn your theory,
and all of the things that will make you a great musician.
But then to realize that you are a person, the composers that you study, they also were
people, and that you have this long connection and history, and you also have an inner voice
(22:08):
and that what you have is important.
And I think that encouragement has stayed with me and I'm really thankful for it.
Amazing.
Well, that brings us to the end of today's episode.
So thank you so much, Lavinia, for sharing such beautiful pieces of your art and heart.
Thank you so much.
Until next time, folks, keep listening for the notes of the North.
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