Rosemary Duxbury

What does music mean to you personally?

It’s at the core of who I am, and how I express my true Self. My soul language.It’s also a golden key that opens up to so many opportunities, friendships, travel, healing, joy. And a resource for understanding myself, and Life.

If you were not a professional musician, what would you have been?

I always wanted to work in the Arts, and initially started off working for BBC local radio. My ambition was to be a music producer, and as an assistant to one, I loved being around musicians and helping with programmes, interviews and live broadcasts. A career in radio didn’t develop, but am grateful to now ‘be’ the musician myself, have my own music broadcast and am a ‘music producer’ of my own record label.

This path gave me the perspective of a switch from being the interviewer, to being the interviewee. From listening to what others were saying, to finding the confidence and language with which to have something to say myself.

The classical music audience is getting old, are you worried about the future?

Actually I think there is going to be a renaissance of interest in classical music in upcoming generations, especially when it can be presented in new and creative ways. The word ‘classical’ to me means it stands the test of time because it continues to have something to offer. But I also think it’s important to celebrate the music of the current age, living composers, embracing new ways of expression and communication. Classical music is an art form ever evolving, reflecting different states of consciousness, is a wonderful resource of expression and understanding, and therefore will always be relevant.

What do you envision the role of music to be in the 21st century? Do you see that there is a transformation of this role?

Wow, what a great question. I would love to explore this in depth, but briefly this is my view:

A lot of classical music has always been tied in to spiritual currents and expressions in the world. Early classical music was largely an expression of spirituality through Religion (Baroque), which gave way to music for the people (Classical), then the individual and nature (Romantic), and experimentation and breaking convention (20th Century)

Spiritually I see the 21st century as a time of great awakening both globally and individually. Although the world is currently seeing physical limitations, I see a potential for greater liberation is through freedom of the Self. Boundaries of class, gender, age, tradition are being broken, and equally musical boundaries and expressions, ways of being our true selves, are being opened up.

Music of the 21st c is more inclusive, for example embracing melody again, the emotion and story telling of film music being more recognised. Music of the heart, more awareness of a spiritual dimension, freedom for different ways of expression, sounds, more choice, more integration with other art forms. A pathway and potential for a more open consciousness.

Do you think that the musician today needs to be more creative? What is the role of creativity in the musical process for you?

The important thing for any artist is to be true to themselves ie as a composer write music that means something to you first. That and being curious. There is always another ‘step’, always new ways of looking at something, so it’s worth exploring new sounds that open up new ways of expression. For me that has been through studying film music, and finding a joy in working with sound design and creating my own sounds through recording, manipulating sounds using technology, eg stretching, reversing, adding reverb etc. Creating new sounds opens up new forms of expression. Classically I am exploring the poetry of Rumi which has been opening up new composition ideas. And I am looking at fresh ways of collaboration and presenting my music which I’m excited about.

Do you think we as musicians can do something to attract the younger generation to music concerts? How would you do this?

I’ve always loved visuals as well as sound eg image, colour and light. Adding this to the concert performance can be more appealing to a contemporary audience.

Also being more relatable by being open, having good and engaging communication, talking about the background to the music can all go a long way to help making a good connection with the audience. Knowing more about the composer as a person and why they write, can connect audiences more. For living composers to talk to the audience about their creativity and purpose for the music to inspire the next generation to be excited to create for themselves.

Tell us about your creative process. What is your favorite piece (written by you) and how did you start working on it?

Writing “Mirrors of Light” was an especially interesting creative process for me. Previous to writing it, I knew I had opened up to a greater exploration of my own consciousness. It’s an ongoing journey but this time it felt I was traveling through ‘space’, showing me new areas waiting to be explored. Following this, the composition began to emerge through improvisation at the piano. As is usual with my work, I perceive light informing the structure. I could sense mirrors involved as if light was being projected into space so that I could see something beyond. The music felt different to how I would normally write, so I had to trust the process. I feel compositions have their own structure, and I need to ‘keep out of the way’ mentally speaking, to allow it to ‘come through’. Also I don’t always write in a linear way. Sections come through, for example, sometimes the middle first, or maybe a few bars are missing and I have to be patient for them to ‘download’ which may even happen in the middle of the night! I liken the creative process to being an archeologist. That the piece is already there, but I am uncovering it, finding a bit here, a shape there, and finally the whole reveals itself. Knowing what the piece is called is another fascinating process for me. I ask within and in this case I realised the piece was called “Mirrors of Light 2” - which amused me because then I knew I needed to write “Mirrors of Light 1”! (which became a 3 movement piano sonata).

For collaboration eg film, or the setting of a poem, my creative process is to tune into the creative source, finding the heart, aligning with that, then the music opens up to me like a conduit that I’ve tapped into. It’s a beautiful feeling of flow.

Can you give some advice for young people who want to discover classical music for themselves?

Go to live concerts. Some orchestras allow you to sit on the stage so you experience being amongst the musicians. Naturally the best way is to learn a musical instrument too and have the ‘experience’ of music personally. I encourage my students to improvise too, to see how music flows as a creative expression and language, revealing more about ourselves and that sound is innately within all of us.

Another way to is to see it as a living art, that we are individuals connected to ideas and creativity within and can express ourselves this way. And to see how those who have gone before have done that. Biography is a good way to access this. There is so much to learn from those who are Masters in their chosen field, so I consider studying the lives, ideas and work of artists can be immensely inspiring as a springboard to realising ways to access a personal inner connection with music. And explore! Different styles will speak to us in different ways as individuals.

Do you think about the audience when composing?

I feel I have to honour what the composition is saying first. I find it has a life and intelligence of its own, so I need to be true to what is coming through. It is nearly always a reflection of a process I have been through personally, an ‘end product’ of an understanding and internal experience. Having said that, then I consider the music has a purpose: to be given out to the world, to offer others a portal to enable and uplift their own journey and understanding. So its completion is being received by the audience.

What projects are coming up? Do you experiment in your projects?

Working on new piano music, and have several pieces awaiting premieres, including orchestral and choral music. And I certainly have enough material for a new album! I am open to experimenting with music especially for film if it requires a new approach.

I would love to write for Pierrot Ensemble if someone would like to commission that!