Side-By-Side Rehearsal with Gustavo Dudamel and The National Children’s Symphony of VenezuelaI

By Eric Nickerson, CMPI Cello Fellow

As the summer comes to an end, I want to tell you about the very special and transformative experience I (and seven other CMPI fellows) had at Ravinia. Through Ravinia’s Reach Teach Play program, we were given the special opportunity to play in a side-by-side rehearsal with the phenomenal conductor Gustavo Dudamel and the National Children’s Symphony of Venezuela.

This was a truly remarkable experience. Following the goal of the Reach Teach Play program, other music students from all over Chicagoland were invited to participate. The local musicians met for our first rehearsal at Bennett Gordon Hall in early June. Then, on August 6, we saw Gustavo Dudamel conduct the National Children’s Symphony of Venezuela in concert featuring Shostakovich Symphony No. 5 in D Minor, op. 47, and Estancia Suite, op. 8a, by Ginastera. The concert was fantastic. My favorite part was being exposed to music written by Hispanic composers in a fun and creative way I normally wouldn’t experience.

The following day we had our big side-by-side rehearsal with the orchestra. For most of us this was our first time playing on Ravinia’s stage, and to do it with such a great orchestra and conductor was unforgettable. I learned so much from Gustavo Dudamel. The biggest lesson from the rehearsal was intensity. He said, “Music is not about perfection, it’s about intensity.” Orchestras can show intensity in their bodies or with their sound; he challenged us to show it with our sound.

Playing with Gustavo Dudamel and meeting him was an incredible experience that has helped me grow as a musician. He has an excellent way of communicating with the orchestra. He demanded a lot from us and held us accountable but in a way where we never felt bad. Everything he wanted from us was clear and attainable. I knew exactly what he wanted and it made me want to give more as a musician.

I am always inspired every time I look back at that day. The best thing he gave us that day was confidence in ourselves. I walked away from that day feeling confident that I can achieve the goals I set. I gained a new perspective on music-making that day. To play music with the goal of intensity instead of perfection is a lesson many young musicians like myself need to learn.

Dudamel left the orchestra with one last spark of inspiration, “You are not the future, you are the present.”