Trust In Musical Leadership

In life, trust is one of the most important things you can hope to have.  It is what binds two people together.  I recently watched a TED Talk video called Trusting the Ensemble presented by Charles Hazlewood.  Charles Hazlewood is the conductor and founder of the British Paraorchestra a 17-person ensemble composed entirely of disabled musicians.  Charles Hazlewood states that in the beginning of his career he had a tuff time finding jobs.  He claims that it was because he did not understand the importance of trusting the ensemble and more importantly trusting himself.    Charles Hazlewood states, “As a conductor there has to be, between me and the orchestra, an unshakable bond of trust, born out of mutual respect, through which we can spin a musical narrative that we all believe in.”  He also said “Conducting is like holding a small bird in your hand. If you hold it too tightly, you crush it. If you hold it too loosely, it flies away.”  These two statements go hand in hand with one another. Think about it.  How can a group of individuals come to trust and respect someone if they are going about and swinging their arms lake a mad man?  Eventually everyone will think the conductor is not taking the musicians seriously and is just joking around. In other words holding the bird to tightly crushing it.  Now Charles Hazlewood holds a unique position in British musical life.  Studying at Christ’s Hospital and Oxford University, Charles Hazlewood won first prize at the European Broadcasting Union Conducting Competition in Lisbon in 1995.  Through out the TED Talk video Charles Hazlewood makes an important point on how beautiful music can be made through trust.  He said, “South African musicians don’t read music. They trust their ears. You can teach a bunch of South Africans a tune in about five seconds flat. Then, as if by magic, they will spontaneously improvise a load of harmony around that tune.”  Charles Hazlewood is truly an inspiring conductor who stays true to his beliefs.