24-Hour Piano Recital: A (whole) Day at the Office
Donation protected
A Brief Introduction
I am a pianist currently studying the final year of a Masters of Performance course at the Royal College of Music. Having graduated from Royal Holloway in 2016 with the Alice Dougherty-Chaplin Prize for Performance, I worked full-time as a graduate/music assistant at both Bishopsgate School (Egham) and St George’s School (Windsor Castle) for the best part of the three-year interim before starting at the RCM last September.
During these three years I was without a piano teacher, and for the greater part of my employment had either minimal resources or minimal time to practise on a piano. While these years were invaluable, I never lost my enjoyment of playing the instrument, and so I made the decision to capitalise and apply for conservatoire Masters courses at the end of 2018. Through being accepted for interview while working at St George’s, I had approximately three weeks to choose, learn and memorise 50 minutes’ worth of music alongside a 60-hour working week, and so I was thrilled to be offered places at both the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and the RCM. I continue to be hugely grateful to have been accepted to the College, and the contacts I have made and people I have worked with here have been among the most rewarding experiences of my musical life so far.
Why I’m Crowdfunding
I knew that the decision to move to London for the course was a risk, and having received no academic scholarships or bursaries I have funded my course so far with the savings made from my previous employment with the assistance of a Postgraduate Loan; I have also been able to continue my studies this term through the generosity of the RCM's hardship funds. With the outbreak of the pandemic, as with so many others, my primary methods of securing finances for this year were considerably compromised; the closure of educational institutions halted one of my primary sources of income (accompaniment), and the numerous musical charities and trust funds to which I applied for assistance and prepared for have been either unsuccessful or indefinitely postponed.
I have always felt apprehensive in turning to crowdfunding as an option, particularly during a period in which financial predicaments have become a genuine concern for so many, and from first-hand experience I am very aware of the problems musicians in particular are facing in the current climate. Therefore, to justify this particular crowdfunder, I want to ensure I do something substantial enough to demonstrate my commitment to what I hope to achieve through my studies, and that I hope will also be of interest and value to my peers and the public alike: by preparing, performing and livestreaming a 24-hour solo piano recital.
24-Hour Recital
I have had the idea of a 24-hour recital in my head for some time as a potential fundraiser, though in the current circumstances the driving forces are not just purely financial. I have a diverse repertoire library that I would be thrilled to have a reason to practise in greater depth and share and, for all its woes, lockdown provided the ideal circumstances in which to begin doing this. I am very conscious that, beside the mammoth task of learning a day’s worth of repertoire in the space of a few months, there will be great challenge in developing the physical endurance that will be needed to play for this length of time, and so I am hugely grateful to all my friends and professors who have so far supported me in preparation of this endeavour.
When/Where?
I am looking to play/livestream in January 2021, most likely using Facebook Live, Instagram or YouTube to stream (and possibly on more than one service if I can acquire the tech), though I am open to suggestions if there are more suitable platforms. I will confirm this information and of course provide the link/s nearer to the date. I also plan on recording the recital to a separate device to later share on YouTube, should anyone be unable to tune in on the day.
I am currently awaiting confirmation from a local church with a grand piano that has very kindly offered me the space to perform; while this is of course dependent on how the pandemic situation is handled over the next few weeks, I am anticipating January 17th 2021 to be the date of the recital. If, in due course, circumstance renders this option impossible, I will instead look to play on one of the upright pianos in my halls of residence which I can guarantee will be available for 24-hour use. I will confirm the venue and date as soon as I am able to.
The Livestream/Online Elements
While there will most likely not be direct interaction during the actual stream, there are certainly elements to online sharing that I can exploit in preparation that I hope will make this project feel more involving and interpersonal:
· I have created a public event on Facebook - https://fb.me/e/U3yFnr9i - which outlines details of the project, includes the base list of pieces, the terms of the marathon as regards things such as eating/breaks and to which I will share the link/s to the stream/s in due course. I will be using this page for any general updates on the event, but also to gauge thoughts from others on things such as preparation of a final programme, for instance.
· While the programme will be exclusively classical, I have included a broad array of works from varying periods featuring familiar pieces alongside those less well-known, which I hope will be of interest to listeners. The base list of pieces I will be playing can be found through the link below:
https://1drv.ms/b/s!AsVplQqAhO3FgZIQvHZjOCqpQ6E2GA?e=xWWSkD
· When the order is finalised, I will publish the programme list with the inclusion of timestamp estimates (GMT) for when I anticipate playing different works, in case there are particular pieces listeners might like to tune in for specifically. My core intention for the livestream is that it will act as a concert that anybody can tune into and out of at will.
· With many friends and associates in different time zones across the globe, I hope that I may be able to tailor parts of the programme to the peak times in these different regions, should they be requested.
· I will be uploading media to both Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/OCPiano) and Instagram (‘oc.piano’) of my progress and updates; these will be the best methods for public interaction and involvement in the run-up to the event, so do feel free to give them a follow to stay in the loop! In the case that I use YouTube to stream, or if you'd just like to see some of the things I've been keeping busy with over the past year, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQG-TzlaKmCwYVRfZ2G58OQ is the link to my channel.
Besides being a great opportunity to share music and help finance my study, to livestream would serve as both an evaluation and continuation of my own personal development; through the opportunities provided by the RCM, I began to see a substantial difference in my public playing pre-lockdown. Measures in place due to the pandemic have left large-scale performance opportunities all but impossible for performers and audiences alike, and so I hope to use this project as a means of propping open the gates again, if only temporarily, for both.
Thank you for reading, and I thank very much in advance any and all support of this project!
~
Oli Cuttriss
I am a pianist currently studying the final year of a Masters of Performance course at the Royal College of Music. Having graduated from Royal Holloway in 2016 with the Alice Dougherty-Chaplin Prize for Performance, I worked full-time as a graduate/music assistant at both Bishopsgate School (Egham) and St George’s School (Windsor Castle) for the best part of the three-year interim before starting at the RCM last September.
During these three years I was without a piano teacher, and for the greater part of my employment had either minimal resources or minimal time to practise on a piano. While these years were invaluable, I never lost my enjoyment of playing the instrument, and so I made the decision to capitalise and apply for conservatoire Masters courses at the end of 2018. Through being accepted for interview while working at St George’s, I had approximately three weeks to choose, learn and memorise 50 minutes’ worth of music alongside a 60-hour working week, and so I was thrilled to be offered places at both the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and the RCM. I continue to be hugely grateful to have been accepted to the College, and the contacts I have made and people I have worked with here have been among the most rewarding experiences of my musical life so far.
Why I’m Crowdfunding
I knew that the decision to move to London for the course was a risk, and having received no academic scholarships or bursaries I have funded my course so far with the savings made from my previous employment with the assistance of a Postgraduate Loan; I have also been able to continue my studies this term through the generosity of the RCM's hardship funds. With the outbreak of the pandemic, as with so many others, my primary methods of securing finances for this year were considerably compromised; the closure of educational institutions halted one of my primary sources of income (accompaniment), and the numerous musical charities and trust funds to which I applied for assistance and prepared for have been either unsuccessful or indefinitely postponed.
I have always felt apprehensive in turning to crowdfunding as an option, particularly during a period in which financial predicaments have become a genuine concern for so many, and from first-hand experience I am very aware of the problems musicians in particular are facing in the current climate. Therefore, to justify this particular crowdfunder, I want to ensure I do something substantial enough to demonstrate my commitment to what I hope to achieve through my studies, and that I hope will also be of interest and value to my peers and the public alike: by preparing, performing and livestreaming a 24-hour solo piano recital.
24-Hour Recital
I have had the idea of a 24-hour recital in my head for some time as a potential fundraiser, though in the current circumstances the driving forces are not just purely financial. I have a diverse repertoire library that I would be thrilled to have a reason to practise in greater depth and share and, for all its woes, lockdown provided the ideal circumstances in which to begin doing this. I am very conscious that, beside the mammoth task of learning a day’s worth of repertoire in the space of a few months, there will be great challenge in developing the physical endurance that will be needed to play for this length of time, and so I am hugely grateful to all my friends and professors who have so far supported me in preparation of this endeavour.
When/Where?
I am looking to play/livestream in January 2021, most likely using Facebook Live, Instagram or YouTube to stream (and possibly on more than one service if I can acquire the tech), though I am open to suggestions if there are more suitable platforms. I will confirm this information and of course provide the link/s nearer to the date. I also plan on recording the recital to a separate device to later share on YouTube, should anyone be unable to tune in on the day.
I am currently awaiting confirmation from a local church with a grand piano that has very kindly offered me the space to perform; while this is of course dependent on how the pandemic situation is handled over the next few weeks, I am anticipating January 17th 2021 to be the date of the recital. If, in due course, circumstance renders this option impossible, I will instead look to play on one of the upright pianos in my halls of residence which I can guarantee will be available for 24-hour use. I will confirm the venue and date as soon as I am able to.
The Livestream/Online Elements
While there will most likely not be direct interaction during the actual stream, there are certainly elements to online sharing that I can exploit in preparation that I hope will make this project feel more involving and interpersonal:
· I have created a public event on Facebook - https://fb.me/e/U3yFnr9i - which outlines details of the project, includes the base list of pieces, the terms of the marathon as regards things such as eating/breaks and to which I will share the link/s to the stream/s in due course. I will be using this page for any general updates on the event, but also to gauge thoughts from others on things such as preparation of a final programme, for instance.
· While the programme will be exclusively classical, I have included a broad array of works from varying periods featuring familiar pieces alongside those less well-known, which I hope will be of interest to listeners. The base list of pieces I will be playing can be found through the link below:
https://1drv.ms/b/s!AsVplQqAhO3FgZIQvHZjOCqpQ6E2GA?e=xWWSkD
· When the order is finalised, I will publish the programme list with the inclusion of timestamp estimates (GMT) for when I anticipate playing different works, in case there are particular pieces listeners might like to tune in for specifically. My core intention for the livestream is that it will act as a concert that anybody can tune into and out of at will.
· With many friends and associates in different time zones across the globe, I hope that I may be able to tailor parts of the programme to the peak times in these different regions, should they be requested.
· I will be uploading media to both Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/OCPiano) and Instagram (‘oc.piano’) of my progress and updates; these will be the best methods for public interaction and involvement in the run-up to the event, so do feel free to give them a follow to stay in the loop! In the case that I use YouTube to stream, or if you'd just like to see some of the things I've been keeping busy with over the past year, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQG-TzlaKmCwYVRfZ2G58OQ is the link to my channel.
Besides being a great opportunity to share music and help finance my study, to livestream would serve as both an evaluation and continuation of my own personal development; through the opportunities provided by the RCM, I began to see a substantial difference in my public playing pre-lockdown. Measures in place due to the pandemic have left large-scale performance opportunities all but impossible for performers and audiences alike, and so I hope to use this project as a means of propping open the gates again, if only temporarily, for both.
Thank you for reading, and I thank very much in advance any and all support of this project!
~
Oli Cuttriss
Organizer
Oliver Cuttriss
Organizer
England
