London Symphony Orchestra Commissions New Visual Listening Guides for Autumn 2021 Half Six Fix Concerts

Last autumn, I was delighted to have the London Symphony Orchestra feature my Visual Listening Guides in their programs for their Half Six Fix concerts!

The London Symphony Orchestra’s Half Six Fix concerts, each an hour long, are “a different way to experience the LSO, with introductions to the music from the conductor, a relaxed atmosphere, and digital programme notes.”

Of the four VLGs to be featured, three were new commissions—for Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6 (“Pastoral”), Mahler’s Symphony No. 4, and Bartók’s Concerto for Orchestra. These are substantial, complex works, so I was excited for the intellectual challenge to render my analysis into the visual language of the Guides. A shout out here to Gareth Fowler, the graphic designer who helps me make the VLGs come to life!

These were all rewarding projects to undertake but the experience of creating the Guide to Mahler’s Fourth Symphony was particularly special for me. I initially discovered this piece through playing it in orchestra (a long time ago!), and the process of listening and analysis brought those fond memories back, while also bringing new insights. The slow (third) movement of this symphony is, in my opinion, one of Mahler’s most devastatingly beautiful.

A glimpse into what it often looks like when I'm in the midst of creating a new Visual Listening Guide—there's method to the madness!—and the final result.

“I went last night (8th December) to hear the London Symphony Orchestra performing Mahler’s 4th symphony. They made your visual listening guide available and I followed it throughout the performance; I already knew the symphony well, but the guide added immeasurably to my understanding and appreciation. I congratulate you on producing such a wonderful series of guides, and I will look out for them when attending future concerts.”
— Via email from a concert-goer

The three new Visual Listening Guides will soon be made available in the Symphony Graphique shop. Watch for an update to this post and an announcement on Facebook, Twitter, and by email—do follow or subscribe to keep in the loop!

UPDATE!

January 28, 2022 — The new Visual Listening Guides to Bartók Concerto for Orchestra, Beethoven Symphony No. 6 “Pastoral”, and Mahler Symphony No. 4 are now available for purchase in the SHOP and for LICENSING!

The Visual Listening Guide in The Oxford Handbook of Public Music Theory

I’m delighted to announce the online publication of my chapter about the Visual Listening Guides for The Oxford Handbook of Public Music Theory, edited by music theorist J. Daniel Jenkins! The print volume will be available in 2024.

Online access to this article is limited to those who have a subscription to Oxford Handbooks Online (many academic institutions will have access). If you can’t access it and are interested in reading the chapter, please contact me.

Musical U Living Music Workshop: “Visualizing Music” and Active Listening

When the COVID-19 pandemic caused the cancellations of thousands of live performances, including of classical music, across the globe from March 2020, it greatly reduced opportunities for the Visual Listening Guide to be made available to audiences at concert halls. I’m happy to say, though, that individual interest and use of the Guides for at-home listening and pedagogical purposes remained steady during this period—a big thank you for your support!

During this challenging period, some people saw an opportunity to deepen their musical listening skills. That’s what Adam Liette, Director of Operations at Musical U, a thriving online musical training platform, told me in late March 2021. (I was previously interviewed by Musical U about my Visual Listening Guides in 2017.) Recently, Musical U successfully launched a new program for their members called Living Music. A series called “Active Listening” was underway and Adam asked if I could do a live virtual workshop presentation on the topic of “visualizing music”—with the Visual Listening Guides—as a practice for facilitating active listening. As this topic is a passion of mine, of course I said yes!

On April 28, I gave my presentation via Zoom, taking an engaged and enthusiastic audience through how the Visual Listening Guide is designed and then showing how it works with audio excerpts, focusing particularly on Mozart’s Symphony No. 40 and Dvořák’s Symphony No. 9 “From the New World”. My hope and goal was that showing this process would give them a way into developing a deeper understanding and appreciation of the art and craft of the symphony, and to approach listening to these works with greater confidence and enjoyment.

Here’s some of the lovely feedback the workshop received:

“This workshop is a journey from darkness to light for me. I know so little about symphonic structure, etc. that this is all new. Very interesting. Learning much. Thank you.”

“The visuals REALLY ADD to listening understanding and enjoyment!”

“This is amazing. I feel inspired.”

“You make these giants of music so legible and accessible—we are really looking forward to digging in.”

“I so admire how you have brought together your insights from performance and study to create a way to bring non-musicians into the fold that also helps musicians deepen their understanding of classics. So grateful!”

Thank you, Musical U, for this opportunity to share my work with your wonderful community of music learners!

Note: This live workshop was recorded and will continue to be displayed for Musical U students.