Intro
We all live together; it's undeniable and inevitable, but even more than that: it's important. It may even be the most important thing about us. As individuals, we are all different and, believe it or not, unique. But what brings us together are our similarities, not our differences. We can harmonize, and that's important. When I practice, I am actually seeking the intention and the meaning that composers might have been intended, when I perform, I am sharing thoughts and ideas, feelings and emotions that I consider to be meaningful, be it by playing the piano or when conducting. For me, conducting means making music without necessarily producing sound. I believe that a conductor is as much a musician as any of the other instrument-bearing musicians around him. Working as a musician and then later as a conductor, I have learned what it means to make music without sound, I have learned what it means to rely on others. The reward and, at the same time, beauty of this endeavor is the realization that together, one can go beyond the limitations of oneself. On my own, I have to admit that I can't do everything by myself, but together, one can achieve so much.
Through cooperation and this harmonious spirit that becomes so tangible within the attempt to make music together, I believe that humans can show their best sides. It is the closest thing I have yet experienced and seen (heard!) to what I imagine utopia to be. Through music, we can constantly reaffirm ourselves of our great human unity, and all the while, strive for higher things. I like to call this "glorifying God". As Descartes said, "I think, therefore I am." In our modern day, we would probably say, "I consume, therefore I am." But I say, "I make music, therefore I am." But even better than just affirming my individuality, making music means to me the possibility to connect with other people: my audiences, my fellow musicians and colleagues, the composers of the past that I look up to, and hopefully, new people in the future. "We enjoy music, therefore we are."