Percussionist Sandra Joseph (MMus鈥�10) joins the 不良研究所 Symphony Orchestra (MGSO) as soloist for the final concert of the Fall semester. This is a reunion 15 years in the making.
Maestro Alexis Hauser fondly recalls when, back in November 2006, the MGSO played Shostakovich鈥檚 Fourth Symphony 鈥� one of the composer鈥檚 most challenging and largest works 鈥� and how he was struck by the sound of the xylophone. The instrument has special exposure right from the beginning until the coda with its tragic and climactic outbreak in the finale. 鈥淚 still remember the opening bars of the first rehearsal where one musician instantly electrified all of us by performing her part with such rhythmic precision, tonal expression, and complete musical understanding that it immediately left a mark on the entire orchestra bringing the ensemble to a higher level and unity much faster than usual in a particularly complex work.鈥� Hauser continues, 鈥淚n all these years I have never forgotten the impact she made with her outstanding musicianship, brilliance as a performer and on top of it, audibly putting so much passion and soul into her playing, such as I had never before experienced with that instrument.鈥�
A native of Montreal, as a freelance musician Sandra has performed with several ensembles in a variety of genres, most notably with the Orchestre symphonique de Montr茅al. She has also performed with the Orchestre M茅tropolitain and the Orchestre symphonique de Qu茅bec. In addition, she was a member of the Drummondville Symphony Orchestra, as a timpanist, and of the percussion ensemble Sixtrum from 2010 to 2012. Sandra is also a lawyer and member of the Quebec Bar since 2020.
We are thrilled to welcome Sandra back to her alma mater and took the opportunity to connect with her over email about playing with the orchestra again, how preparation is key, and what鈥檚 great about making music together.
De quoi avez-vous le plus h芒te 脿 votre premi猫re r茅p茅tition ? / What are you most looking forward to at the first rehearsal?
J鈥檃i tr猫s h芒te de rencontrer les musiciens qui forment le MGSO, ainsi que de retrouver Maestro Hauser dans la belle salle Pollack. La premi猫re r茅p茅tition d鈥檕rchestre est toujours un moment sp茅cial o霉 tout le monde est assez f茅brile, une premi猫re rencontre 脿 laquelle on apprend 脿 se conna卯tre.
I'm really looking forward to meeting the musicians who make up the MGSO, as well as to see Maestro Hauser again in beautiful Pollack Hall. The first orchestra rehearsal is always a special moment when everyone is fairly excited; a first meeting where we get to know each other.
Quels sont les trois mots pour d茅crire la pi猫ce que vous allez interpr茅ter avec le MGSO ? /听What are three words to describe the piece you鈥檙e playing with the MGSO?
N茅o-romantisme; post-minimalisme; d茅sertique.
Neo-Romanticism; post-minimalism; barren.
Quels sont trois choses que vous aimez dans le fait de faire de la musique avec les autres ? / Tell us 3 things you love about making music with others.
Jouer de la musique avec d鈥檃utres musiciens est une belle fa莽on de vivre dans l鈥檌nstant pr茅sent ; la musique est un excellent moyen de communication qui nous am猫ne 脿 aller 脿 la rencontre de l鈥檃utre; avoir beaucoup de plaisir 脿 simplement jouer de la musique ensemble.
Playing music with other musicians is a great way to live in the moment; music is an excellent way to communicate and enables us to reach out to others; having a lot of fun simply by playing music together.
Quels sont les 茅l茅ments qui ne changent pas, que vous fassiez partie d'un ensemble (comme lorsque vous jouiez avec le MGSO en tant qu'茅tudiante) ou que vous soyez au premier plan en tant que soliste ? / What elements remain the same no matter whether you鈥檙e in the ensemble (like when you played with the MGSO as a student), or front and centre as soloist?
La pr茅paration : peu importe si on est soliste, musicien au sein d鈥檜n ensemble ou dans l鈥檕rchestre, c鈥檈st important de faire preuve de rigueur et de bien se pr茅parer.
Preparation: whether you are a soloist, a musician in an ensemble or in an orchestra, it is important to be disciplined and well prepared.
Quelle est un des meilleurs aspects d鈥櫭猼re percussionniste ? / What鈥檚 the best thing about being a percussionist?
Ce que je trouve particuli猫rement g茅nial avec le fait d鈥櫭猼re percussionniste, c鈥檈st que nous jouons une grande vari茅t茅 d鈥檌nstruments : on ne peut jamais s鈥檈nnuyer. Aussi, la percussion peut jouer diff茅rents r么les dans la musique : rythmique, m茅lodique, cr茅er des ambiances sonores, ponctuer la musique, etc. C鈥檈st tr猫s stimulant comme musicien de porter ces diff茅rents chapeaux.
What I find particularly great about being a percussionist is that we play a wide variety of instruments: you can never get bored. Also, percussion can play different roles in music: rhythmic, melodic, creating soundscapes, punctuating the music, etc. It is very stimulating as a musician to wear these different hats.
Votre int茅r锚t pour le th茅芒tre vous a amen茅 脿 participer 脿 plusieurs projets int茅grant la musique de chambre, l'histoire, le mouvement cr茅atif, le chant et la danse. Nous souhaitions savoir comment vous laissez les percussions raconter l'histoire. / As your interest in theatre has brought you into several projects that integrate chamber music, story, creative movement, singing and dance, we wanted to know how you let percussion tell the story.
Je trouve que l鈥櫭﹙entail sonore des instruments de percussion offre beaucoup de possibilit茅s aux percussionnistes pour interpr茅ter de la musique dit th茅芒trale. J鈥檃i toujours aim茅 jouer des 艙uvres qui int猫grent d鈥檃utres aspects des arts de la sc猫ne. De plus, cela aura 茅t茅 tr猫s formateur pour moi, et ce, autant pour ma carri猫re de musicienne que pour mon d茅but de carri猫re en tant qu鈥檃vocate. Interpr茅ter des 艙uvres musicales qui incorporent des 茅l茅ments de th茅芒tre comme la r茅citation de textes, la danse et le chant m'a appris 脿 锚tre plus 脿 l鈥檃ise sur sc猫ne et devant un public, et 脿 jouer de notre instrument avec une plus grande assurance 茅galement.
I find that the sonic range of percussion instruments offers many possibilities for percussionists to perform so-called theatrical music. I have always enjoyed playing works that incorporate other aspects of the performing arts. It has also been very educational for me, both in my career as a musician and in my early career as a lawyer. Performing music that incorporates elements of theatre such as recitation, dance and singing has taught me to be more comfortable on stage and in front of an audience, and to play our instrument with greater confidence as well.
