Classical music has been known to have a calming effect on people for centuries. Many people turn to classical music to relax after a long day at work or to help them sleep at night. But why is classical music so calming?
Preparing for a concert is a bit like preparing for a job interview; with the exception that you face a panel of 80 or so players, staring and waiting to decide in the first five minutes of a rehearsal if you're the worst candidate in history or not. That first three-hundred seconds can make or break you, regardless if you have a baton in your hand or just a good old CV - and as anyone who has been successful in an interview knows, it's all in the preparation. So how does this conductor prepare for those three-hundred seconds?
There is a higher chance of Elton John turning straight than you not salivating at the wonder of LeCrans Hotel & Spa. To be honest, I'd never heard of LeCrans Montana; two hours from Geneva. The Valais is a region of this beautiful country that is not particularly familiar to me. But after using my trusty friend Mr Google, I thought I should investigate to see how many of these spectacular images were photoshopped. It turns out none.
It's Q&A time! I run this fun little escapade on my Facebook page, and I’ve decided to port some of the fabulous questions into this blog post. I’ll endeavour to keep it updated as and when I’m not painting my nails.
Hate is a strong word. I try to use it sparingly; cold-callers saying I've been involved in an accident when I haven't, people who sniff and don't use a tissue, computer viruses, and kumquats are all things I hate. Dubstep and Death Metal music I dislike, but can't say I have the passion of hatred for them. It consequently amazes me the number of people who say they hate classical music. Here and now I'm going to give you proof that classical music defamers unknowingly like the genre. There are five pieces that even the classical-haters secretly love, so if you ever meet said person, you can shove this article in their face and sing as loudly as possible DA DA DA DUUUUUUMMMMMMMM!
I thought it was time to change that, so here are three incredible composers you’ve never heard of - until now.
Some people are Philatelists and put stamps in a pretty little book instead of using them to send things. Others are Oenophiles and have bottles of wine to look at instead of drink. Sadly there isn't yet a name for my collection, so I'm going to call myself an Audioheadphoneologist; yes, I collect headphones.
Preparing for a concert is a bit like preparing for a job interview; with the exception that you face a panel of 80 or so players, staring and waiting to decide in the first five minutes of a rehearsal if you're the worst candidate in history or not. That first three-hundred seconds can make or break you, regardless if you have a baton in your hand or just a good old CV - and as anyone who has been successful in an interview knows, it's all in the preparation. So how does this conductor prepare for those three-hundred seconds?
We all know our Beethoven to Beatles (the band, not the insect) and Mozart to Madonna (the singer, not the depiction of the little baby Jesus's Mother); but just like the TV market, we are scared to try an unknown brand, or in this case composer. We live in a world of celebrity; so if the composer is not well-known, then they're not a ‘celebrity’ and often overlooked or dismissed.
I thought it was time to change that, so here are three incredible composers you’ve never heard of - until now.
If you've read any of my other hotel reviews, you'll think I'm a well-travelled snob; and you'd be right. When I'm working abroad, I have over generous promoters and producers who pay for me to stay in the worlds best digs - but when I'm working in London, they are not so generous. So if I don't fancy my two-hour commute home, I spend my pocket money and search for the best cheap hotels in London, where I swap Lanesborough's £26,000-a-night new Royal Suite for something which I can afford to do regularly without worrying out it. This is a simple list of hotels in London I have frequented below £150 a night.
Easter has inspired some of the greatest works in classical music. First of all let’s get the whole religion thing out of the way; YOU DON’T HAVE TO BE RELIGIOUS TO ENJOY THIS MUSIC! Right. Now I’ve said that, in my humble option, here are five incredible Easter pieces you need to listen to before the boulder is moved for the 1986th time…
I am often asked what it's like to be a musician, and with respect, that's almost as broad as asking what it's like to be a human. I'm pretty confident that a day in the life of Robert Emery will be radically different from Puff Diddly, or Simon Cattle; yet we are all musicians, allegedly. So if the making of music is the only thing that connects us, what is it like to be this musician?
The journalist Jeremy Clarkson has his gargantuan stomach and the pianist Glenn Gould had his wooden chair. Novelist Mary Shelly (think Frankenstein) wrote with a Boa Constrictor around her neck, and artist Salvador Dalí carried around a piece of Spanish driftwood. Nigel Kennedy performs in an Aston Villa t-shirt and Robert Emery, yes that's me, conducts barefoot.
Most of you know me as a conductor. Someone who waves my arms around in unusual patterns and in return, I usually get paid in pounds; unless I'm working in the desert where they offer me a couple of camels instead. Conducting however has been a minor part of my life compared to what I always wanted to be; a pianist. But how did I choose a musical instrument?
Upon my recent travels to Tinsel Town, I stayed at The Beverly Hills Hotel for a week. The original motto of the hotel was 'entitled to the best of everything, regardless of cost', and that still seems to apply today..
In part one, we covered my standard day almost up until the start of the show. I’ve made sure the now infamous ‘click’ is working, and now after all my preflight checks, my podium phone rings. Read on to find out who is on the other end of the line…
Working in a Gordon Ramsay restaurant is the culinary equivalent to a jukebox musical. When you are eating your white truffle and gold pizza, you know full well that the King of TV bleeps didn't actually cook it; but it's his name above the door, and that's probably the reason you chose that establishment over the independent restaurant next door. So when you go to see Bat out of Hell, you shouldn't expect Meatloaf to be acting, singing and dancing, nor it's creator Jim Steinman conducting the band. No. That bit is my job.
A holiday is a leap of faith, trusting in the myriad of reviews on Trip Advisor and looking at online photos. So after much debate in the Emery household, we decided Angsana Velavaru was the chosen one Maldivian island…
I was recently lucky enough to be invited by the UK Trade and Investment Government Division to the Great Festival of Creativity in Shanghai, China, where I met our future King (and Paddington Bear!)…
There’s been a lot in the press recently about music education, or the lack of. Over recent years, the British government have seen fit to reduce the budgets, especially in primary school music education...
