- So, if you're interested in string quartets
and don't have a group or perhaps have recently formed one,
what can you do to proceed with that
to help build it to move forward
and perhaps even begin a career as a string quartet?
As we spoke earlier, there are the issues of chemistry,
the issues of similarity of outlook of ability.
But now it's important to begin connecting
with other people who care about this kind of music
as much as you do.
And this involves, of course, your teachers
and teachers/mentors, really
and also your own colleagues who are the ones
who are gonna share this passion with you.
And the way to find that often is again
through these various programs within your own school.
Be proactive in the chamber music program.
The faculty, people like myself and my colleagues here
do as much as we possibly can,
but we can never do enough.
If we see you one hour or two hours, three hours a week
that's actually very little out of your time.
So it's really up to you and your colleagues
to take what we can give in those few minutes
and make absolutely the most of it.
In summertime things can be a little bit more intense
because there's not so much else in the program
happening and you can focus right in.
So look for summer programs that
focus on what you're doing if you possibly can.
Find the ones with the best faculty.
It may not even be the most famous program,
but it might be the most famous faculty
and get to know these people
and get to have them be mentors on your side.
Someone you know that you can go here,
that you can call and ask advice along the line.
I love doing that actually, when people will call up
and say, you know, here's a thought, here's an idea,
here's an option and opportunity.
What do you think?
Eventually the colleagues that you're
growing with now become your professional colleagues.
So get to know them well.
Who are the ones most caring, most involved like yourself?
And then for the faculty, seek them out
always at the highest level.
When your group gets rolling on that kind of attack
then you really can begin to proceed as a group.
Just trying to think how you would go on
let's say, as an undergraduate, going to a graduate school.
Sometimes people are still learning the instrument
at that level, actually very often.
And where there's the best cello teacher
for this cello student,
perhaps isn't the best violin teacher
for one of the violinists in your quartet.
It's not unknown for groups to go to different schools,
stay in touch for two years and reconvene,
every winter break, during the summer, go to programs,
try to play a concert during spring break.
And so there, it's not easy, but of course
quartets are not easy either.
And so that's not impossible to do.
Stay together as much as possible,
and then find a graduate quartet program
such as the ones we spoke about earlier.
In the case of a string quartet that already exists,
it's quite a different process to join.
There are some groups that will advertise.
I've seen in the International Musician newspaper
string quartet seeking second violin.
I think that's more rare.
The nature of the professional world is such that
it's pretty important generally to have
the full group announced at the time of a change
so that sponsors who are presenting you in concert,
audiences who have grown to love the ensemble
are not alarmed that there is a change coming,
but we don't know what it is.
Certainly in both of my quartets, the Sequoia quartet
and the Cleveland quartet felt that it was better to say
we have a change.
This member is changing their lifestyle
and not going to be traveling with quartets any longer.
We are delighted to have the following member
to take their place and it feels complete.
It's not manipulative,
but it is a little bit secret.