Interview with bassist-composer Pawel Knapik

Pawel Knapik is an established double bass player and composer who lives in New York City and has performed in four continents.

When did you start playing the bass?

Pawel: Initially, I was supposed to be a physicist. While attending a special school for math and physics our math teacher, who was an avid harmonica player, suggested that my friends and I form a blues band. I was always drawn to the low register’s depth and richness, so I picked up the bass guitar. I was 15 years old then and lived in Wroclaw, Poland. As I was coming from a scientific background, I felt a need for a formal music education, so I applied to a music school. But to my dismay, there was no bass guitar taught at the school and I was offered the double bass instead. I like challenges so I decided to pick up the double bass. I immediately fell in love with it and never looked back. I find performing much more interesting and rewarding than solving mathematical riddles and equations.

How did you end up coming to the United States?

Pawel: After finishing my Master of Arts degree in Poland in an accelerated path I was offered scholarships in three different places: Oslo, Berlin, and New York. As I always wanted to come to New York as a musician, I chose the latter. And in 1999, I proceeded to receive my Master’s of Music at Manhattan School of Music in New York City.

How do you promote yourself as a musician?

Pawel: Besides all old-world networking techniques, I keep a very active online profile. Since the year 2000, I have a website and I maintain it quite regularly. In fact, I just updated it yesterday following last Sunday’s premiere of my original piece for double bass solo entitled “Westbeth Capriccio” at the St. Mark’s in-the-Bowery Church.

What else?

Pawel: I also belong to several social and professional online communities such as: MySpace music, which allows musicians to post sound files, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc.

What do you do on Facebook?

Pawel: I keep in touch with friends through messages, wall posts, and image exchange. But I don’t like to get obsessive about it, meaning I don’t inform everybody when I barbecue my chicken, water my plants, or rosin my bow. That's what Twitter is for.

Do you promote yourself on Facebook?

Pawel: Yes, I do, but in moderation.

So how?

Pawel: I post my most important performances as posters or fliers and I invite people to those events by using Facebook’s applications that allow me to reach people across the globe easily. As a result, even those who are not able to attend the performance are aware of it; they can see the images and virtually participate.

Do you prefer one social network to another?

Pawel: These days social networks are mushrooming at an amazing pace. You are being inundated with invitations to join every week. My take on it is that more and more desperate people realize that there is money to be made and that’s why they create those websites. It seems to me that at the moment Facebook is the best alternative because it’s more direct and user friendly than other sites.

How do you know that your efforts online make a difference in your career?

Pawel: I know that it saves me time and that it has a global grasp. Also, it gives me the tools to promote myself in a more efficient manner that otherwise I would not have done.

Do you notice other musicians’ promotion online?

Pawel: Yes, they promote themselves in a similar way, but some overdo it. They may flood your mailbox, and the tackiest ones might flood your cell phone inbox, which you have to pay for, with tons of their promotional material. It’s like in the story about a boy calling to be rescued from a non-existing wolf. When the wolf finally shows up nobody bothers to listen to the boy’s cry for help. I think that there is a fine line that one should be close to, but not overstep in promoting yourself.

Would you like to see an application that helps measure how effective your online efforts are?

Pawel: It could be helpful, but it’s not necessary.  For musicians, awareness is as important as attendance, as it can lead to future performance opportunities. As with all technology or advance, you really benefit from it only when you are one of the very first few to have it at your disposal.

Anything to add or any suggestions?

Pawel: Don’t forget to live your lives! 

Update to interview with cellist Yoed Nir

Just wanted to post the link to Yoed Nir's Myspace profile. http://www.myspace.com/yoednir

Interview with violinist Anna Elashvili

Anna Elashvili is a great violinist that lives in New York and recently joined the Bryant Park Quartet as the first violinist.

When did you start playing the violin and why?

Anna: I started when I was three years old. I actually went to a concert of the Baltimore symphony and the violinist Itzhak Perlman was playing solo. After the concert my sister and I both declared that we wanted to play the violin. I was two at the time so I was too young to start but my mom made me a cardboard violin, it was pink and red and I played with it until they got me a real violin for my third birthday

What did you end up doing with the cardboard violin?

Anna: I kept it for a long time but eventually I got rid of it, I still remember exactly what it looked like. I also remember my mom sitting on the porch and making it for me.

So how was it at the beginning?

Anna: I really loved it, I guess I had a stage personality. Something about playing for public inspires me.

Do you get nervous when you perform today?

Anna: Of course, sometimes more and sometimes less. I usually get more nervous for house concerts than for anything else. But it’s always worth the nerves.

What are your career goals?

Anna: Now that I’m a member f the Bryant Park Quartet I hope that this will fill the majority of my performance. I see myself as a chamber musician!

How do you promote yourself?

Anna: As a quartet a lot of our promotion is through contacts that are already established. For myself I have a website and I try to play for a lot of people. I don’t feel that I do PR staff, I think I should do more of it. I always felt that I present myself better when I’m part of something I really believe in, like the quartet.

Do you use social networks to promote yourself?

Anna: I use them a little bit. I don’t like to spend a lot of time on the Internet. I prefer face to face contact. I have a profile on Myspace but I don’t really use it anymore.

Why?

Anna: I don’t talk the Internet talk. I also prefer Facebook to Myspace. In Myspace you get a lot of junk. Facebook is a more connected system. It somehow seems different to me. Facebook helps me to reconnect with old friends. I usually don’t look at Facebook invites. I prefer email or phone invitation. I’m lazy about the Internet.

Do you notice other musicians’ promotion online?

Anna: Yes, some people , especially the independent rock groups do a lot of promotion online and it really works for them. The classical world still functions more by word of mouth and reputation. It’s really a different energy.

Do yo think it’s good that classical music is behind?

Anna: It’s probably not good, but it’s a package deal. For example Le Poisson Rouge, a venue space down town, almost always packs the space. They combine new classical music with independent Rock. It’s packed because it’s hip and experimental. SO I think it's very important to remember that your venue and its presentation should connect to how you promote yourself especially online.

Interview with oboist Roni Gal-Ed

Roni Gal-Ed is a very accomplished oboist who plays as an orchestral as well as a chamber musician in all continents. She is currently an oboist with the Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra in Israel.

When did you start playing?

Roni: I started playing when I was twelve years old. I was eight when my dad took me to a concert of a baroque oboe player and I fell in love with the oboe. My dad took me back stage and I tried playing the oboe there and by sheer luck I made a good sound immediately. Since then, I was obsessed with the oboe until I was old enough to start playing it.

So how was it at the beginning?

Roni: I didn’t actually love it at the beginning. It was difficult to make a goods sound and my brothers made fun of me all the time. They would stand outside of my room and imitate my sound when I practiced and they kept telling me that I sounded like a dying duck.

Do you use Facebook?

Roni: I have a profile on Facebook but I don't promote myself as a musician on it. If someone google me he sees a program or a festival I participated in and there he can see my CV and all the relevant information. I also don’t have a website.

Do you promote yourself online?

Roni: I have a fixed orchestra job and after studying in Europe and working there for a few years I have my connections there as well, so I don’t feel that I need to promote myself online.

What do you use Facebook for?

Roni: I use it just so I can stay in touch with friends.

Do you use any other social networks?

Roni: No.

Do you notice other musicians’ promotion online?

Roni: I noticed that other musicians write on their Facebook profile what they play, where they perform or with which orchestra. I think it’s a good thing. But I don’t think it’s really necessary.

What if you don’t have an orchestra job?

Roni: I think I’ll have to promote myself online when I move here to New York because I won't have an orchestra job and I'll be new here.

What will you do?

Roni: I'll probably have a website. I’ll also get in touch with musicians I know here and let them know that I’m here and looking for work.

How do you explain performing a lot without promotion?

Roni: I was never trying to be a big soloist and in Germany I was in a really good oboe class so if someone needed an oboist they knew about me through the class.

My network was basically created through word of mouth. I played in the Munich Philharmonic under James Levine so this gave me a good reputation in Germany and in Europe.

I also think that when someone promotes themselves too much or in an aggressive way it makes people suspect that they are not too good. It can really get to you when one sends pictures and messages constantly.

The most important thing is how you play.

How about networking?

Roni: I think it's important to network. You can do it by playing for conductors and leading musicians. But mostly when you’re young. I used to do that before I was 20. That’s when you build your career and these people can help give your career the desired direction.

Since the age of 23 my aim was to be a principle oboist in an orchestra. Before than I played some solo. When you play principle oboe you can play in orchestra and play some solo as well.

Any suggestions for musicians?

Roni: Young musicians should try to participate in many festivals so they can play for important soloists and teachers and create connections. They should play chamber music with musicians that are on their level and higherr. And it’s very important to be on good terms with everybody because the music world is a small world and you end up meeting the same people over and over. You never know who you’ll need one day.

Interview with cellist Yoed Nir

Yoed Nir is a great cellist who plays classical as well as jazz and pop music. He also improvises, writes and arranges music in all styles.

When did you start playing?

Yoed: I started playing when I was eight years old. I went to the conservatory in Tel Aviv and the cello teacher was nice so I picked the cello.

Did you love it?

Yoed: At the beginning I was too young to know. But the teacher was so nice that I kept going to the lessons. After a while I stated to really like the cello.

What are your career goals?

Yoed: I am a freelance cellist. I am a very versatile cellist. I can play classical, jazz, rock, pop and world music. So I'm doing my own recitals and I also record and play shows with singers and bands. I arrange different songs and pieces for strings instruments, quartets or small orchestras. I arrange a piece for a cello ensemble and record all the parts by myself and make it sound like a small string ensemble. For example, in the singer Yael Naim's album I recorded all the string parts myself.  You can hear it in the songs "Shelcha" and "Pachad."

How do you promote yourself?

Yoed: I have a website and I posted some YouTube videos. I make connections with many musicians that I meet every time I play a concert. People call me and hire me for concerts and recordings. I sometimes send an email with all my information to a contractor or to composers.

What's in theses emails?

Yoed: I write three or four sentences about the highlights of my career and I put a link to my website and to my videos. This is the most important thing for me, that the person I'm contacting could actually listen to my music.

When did you start promoting yourself online?

Yoed: I started it about three years ago. When I lived in Israel people knew me and I recorded in more than 200 albums in Israel and Europe. But when I came to NY I understood that I have to use a website and post my music online so people who don't know me can quickly understand who I am as a musician and what I sound like.

What did you use offline?

Yoed: Nothing.

Do you use social networks to promote yourself?

Yoed: I use Myspace.

Why Myspace as opposed to Facebook?

Yoed: First of all because Myspace was around before Facebook. I think that every respectable musician should have Myspace.

Why?

Yoed: Myspace is one step before a website. Or it's an addition to a website.

But why is my space better than Facebook?

Yoed: Because you can put music on Myspace. The interface of Myspace is very comfortable.

Does it help?

Yoed: From time to time people contact me through Myspace and ask me for a recording session or for an arrangement. It is mostly for non classical music.

Do you notice other musicians' online promotion? 

Yoed: More or less the same as me.

Do you have any advice to give to musicians who promote themselves online?

Yoed: My advice is keep working hard on your music and practice your instrument, doesn't matter what kind of music you play. You should always try to be at your best. At the same time it is just as important to keep active networking and learn how to best promote yourself with the same intensity that you invest in your music.

Interview with violist, Victoria Voronyansky

This week, I interviewed Victoria Voronyansky, an established violist and pedagogue.

When did you start playing?

Victoria: I started playing the violin when I was five and a half, almost six. In my school in Kiev, Ukraine, they started you first in theory and ear training to see if you have good pitch. If you were good they told you to play the violin if you didn't have such good pitch they told you to play the piano. When I came t0 the US at the age of 13, I started playing the viola as well. I got into the Manhattan School of Music pre-college and I was promised a scholarship if I were to play the viola in addition to playing the violin. That's how I started playing the viola.

Did you love it? 

Victoria: Initially I was really confused. I didn't speak English very well and I wasn't sure what I was suppose to play. I thought I was going to play the cello. On the first day of school I showed up at the chamber music class and was upset to find out that there is already a cellist there. Then my coach gave me the viola, a $40 a year rental.

What are your career goals? 

Victoria: At this moment I mostly teach and I have my own private studio, which took years to build. I have close to 40 students. I really love teaching and I enjoy it very much. I played chamber music for many years and I was a member of a string quartet that was very successful for two years. I also had a duo with a pianist for several years and enjoyed it very much. 

As my studio began to grow I had to make a conscious decision to dedicate more of my energy to teaching. Currently I am working on my own CD and once I finish the CD I will resume my performance career and do my best to balance it with teaching. I have several students who would like to be my teaching assistants, so once I resume a full scale performing schedule I know that I can count on them to make sure that the studio continues to thrive and my students get the attention that they need.

How do you promote yourself?

Victoria: As a teacher I don't promote myself. All my students came to me through recommendations of other students, parents or teachers. I used to work as an assistant for professor Heidi Castleman in the Juilliard school and she recommended me to several people. 

As a performing artist I have a website on which I have a mailing list. People who hear my performances can go to my website and sign up to be on my mailing list. 

So what happens if people are on your list?

Victoria:  If I have a new recording or a performance coming up or anything that would be of interest to fans, I write to the people on my list and let them know. When you perform you need to establish a fan base, people who will almost always come o your performances, and you have to continuously keep in touch with them and have something interesting and of high quality to offer them. In my experience I felt that bombarding people with too much information annoys people and makes them feel that your events are not special. Try to balance their desire for seeing you on stage with how often you appear.

When did you start promoting yourself online?

Victoria: I started promoting myself online around the year 2000. First it was like having a business card online. It was just a desire to have a website to advertise what I do and keep track of it. Shortly after that I started teaching a class in Juilliard called "The Recording Project," which was aimed at students presenting themselves in the best possible light when recording. 

What do you mean?

Victoria: Students had to be screened for competitions and auditions by submitting a tape, so the goal was to help them learn what they needed to do differently when recording versus when performing on stage. I started putting the course material online for students to use as reference and I was published by the Journal of the American Viola Society, so I started putting these articles on my website as well. 

As I  started to perform more I needed to promote myself in order to bring in an audience.

What did you use offline?

Victoria: Before a concert or a workshop I would send out press releases to local newspapers and I would get in touch with local businesses, and offer them discounted tickets if they allowed me to hang fliers for the event in their business.

Do you use social networks to promote yourself?

Victoria: No, but somebody started a fan group for me on Facebook. It wasn't my initiative but I'm grateful that he did that.

Why?

Victoria: He has been publicising my events.

Does it help?

Victoria: Yes, I get audience from many different sources. 

D o you notice other musicians' online promotion?

Victoria: Yes, I notice that I really enjoy when musicians have their own blog. I would like to do it in the near future. It's an excellent way for the audience to connect with the artists because it gives them a direct connection and humanises the artists, takes them off the stage and presents them as humans.

Do you have any advice to give to musicians who promote themselves online?

Victoria: First, make sure you have a website and a highly qualified person to design and maintain the website. 

Anything else to say?

Victoria: I wish musicians would feel at ease with the process of developing a flexible approach to a music career. Right from the start, they should familiarize themselves with chamber music, orchestra, teaching and performing solo. I wish musicians tried to develop love and passion for the many facets of the profession. 

Why?

Victoria: Because their career can be significantly more fulfilling if they develop this approach and broaden their interest in music and in other people.  I wish they would become more aware of the joy of sharing their music with others rather than fixating on a perfectionist attitude. Basically, they should take the focus off of themselves and shift it to music and those with whom they share their music.