“But You’re a Violinist – Why Do You Compose?”: Narratives of Experience of Three Composer-Performers By Alice Hong A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Musical Arts Faculty of Music University of Toronto © Copyright by Alice Hong 2018 “But You’re a Violinist – Why Do You Compose?”: Narratives of Experience of Three Composer-Performers Alice Hong Doctor of Musical Arts Faculty of Music University of Toronto 2018 Abstract In the past century, a perception has arisen of a decline in the practice of musicians who both compose and perform. Classical musicians, such as Frédéric Chopin, Maurice Ravel, and Camille Saint-Saëns, historically emulated their mentors by composing alongside maintaining a performance career. However, present-day musicians have become increasingly specialized in the fields of performance and composition; those that continue to pursue both simultaneously can now be defined specifically as a “composer-performer,” a term that was irrelevant in the past, as both composition and performance were already integrated in a musician’s career. The purpose of this study is to explore the definition of “composer-performer” in contemporary music careers. The second objective of this study is to begin a discussion on why and when the career paths for performers and composers became increasingly divided, exploring possible key factors that may have motivated the specialization of composers and performers. The last objective is to provide a platform for the voices and stories of modern-day ii composer-performers. In this study, the experiences, philosophies, and challenges shared by composer-performers participating in the research process will be discussed. This study utilizes narrative methodology in order to tell the stories of contemporary composer-performers first-hand, and to represent their experiences in their own voices. Conversational interviews were conducted with two composer-performers, their narratives analyzed and themes categorized. The resulting data was put into conversation with themes and perspectives data extracted from my personal narrative on my experiences as a composer-performer. This study provides insight on the dual role of the modern composer- performer in a society that rewards specialization. It also proposes questions for future research. iii Acknowledgments I would like to acknowledge my incredibly supportive committee, Dr. Lori-Anne Dolloff, Dr. Cameron Walter, and Professor Jonathan Crow, who all were there with me every step of the way in the preparation of this dissertation. Even with their impossibly busy schedules and my overzealousness to complete this thesis resulting in constant emails, meetings, and personal deadlines, they constantly offered advice and encouragement and helped me reach my goal within my timeline. Thank you for your generosity and wisdom, as well as your investment in this project; I couldn’t have even begun this journey without all of your help. Thank you, Dr. Walter, for guiding me through the process of cementing my thesis question. Thank you, Dr. Dolloff, for introducing narrative methodology to me and consistently helping me throughout the entire thesis process, from proposal to conclusion. Thank you, Prof. Crow, for not only teaching me as my private violin teacher but for offering invaluable advice and guidance both inside and out of the university setting. I would also like to thank my interview participants, Professor Norbert Palej and Jessie Montgomery. Thank you for generously sharing your journeys and stories with me in such an open, friendly manner. Without your accounts, this thesis would not exist, and they will greatly serve and inspire today’s music community. Thank you as well to Kevin Lau, who also shared his invaluable insight on the composer-performer life and history, as well as his generous friendship throughout this process. Lastly, thank you to my friends and family, who were so encouraging and supportive every single day, and even carried my laptop for me sometimes when it looked like I was about to drop everything I was holding! iv Table of Contents Acknowledgements…………………………………………………………………………...iv Table of Contents……………………………………………………………………………...v List of Appendices…………………………………………………………………………..viii Chapter One: Introduction………………………………………………………………….1 1.1 Personal Narrative: Positioning myself in the research…………………………………...3 1.2 Methodology………………………………………………………………………………9 1.3 Purpose for the Study…………………………………………………………………….10 1.4 Need of the Study………………………………………………………………………...10 1.5 Limitations of the Study……………………………..…………………………………...11 1.6 Overview of the Dissertation Design…………………………………………………….12 Chapter Two: A Review of the Literature………………………………………………...14 2.1 Identity…………………………………………………………………………………...14 2.1.1 Defining and Categorizing “Identity” ……………………….………………...14 2.1.2 Identity of the “Musician”.….…………………………………………………15 2.1.3 Beginning the Discussion on the “Composer-Performer” Identity…………….19 2.1.4 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………..22 2.2 Past Composer-Performers………………………………………………………………22 2.2.1 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart……………………………………………………24 2.2.2 Felix Mendelssohn………………………………..……………………………25 2.2.3 Dmitri Shostakovich………………………………..……………………….…30 2.2.4 Frédéric Chopin……………………………………………………………..…33 2.2.5 Conclusion……………………………………………………………..………35 2.3 Modern Composer-Performers…………………………………………………………..36 2.4 Related Dissertations…………………………………………………………………….38 2.5 Conclusion: Comparing Literature between Past and Present Composer-Performers…..39 Chapter Three: Methodology……………………………………………………………...41 v 3.1 Rationale for Narrative Inquiry……………………………………………………….….42 3.2 Autoethnography…………………………………………………………………………44 3.3 Methodology in Practice: Interviews…………………………………………………….47 3.3.1 Choosing the Participants…………………………………………………..….47 3.3.2 Conducting the Interviews…………………………………………………..…49 3.3.3 Analyzing the Data…………………………………………………………….53 Chapter Four: Norbert Palej………………………………………………………………57 4.1 Participant Introduction………………………………………………………………….57 4.2 “I’m a Composer-Performer”……………………………………..……………………..58 4.2.1 Introduction……………………………………………………………………58 4.2.2 Dr. Palej’s Story……………………………………………………….………58 4.2.3 Discussion……………………………………………………………………...61 4.3 Key Themes……………………………………………………………………………...76 4.3.1 Redefining Labels………………………………………………………….…..76 4.3.2 Becoming a Composer-Performer……………………………………………..77 4.3.3 Hierarchies of Musical Activity………………………………………………..78 4.3.4 Changing Habits of Composition………………………………………………79 4.3.5 Composer as Interpreter………………………………………………………..80 4.3.6 Summary……………………………………………………………………….80 Chapter Five: Jessie Montgomery…………………………………………………………82 5.1 Participant Introduction………………………………………………………………….82 5.2 “I’m a ‘Musician’”……………………………………………………...………………..83 5.2.1 Introduction…………………………………………………………………….83 5.2.2 Montgomery’s Story…………………………………………………………...84 5.2.3 Discussion……………………………………………………………………...89 5.3 Key Themes……………………………………………………………………………...96 5.3.1 Choosing the Composer-Performer Label……………………………………..96 5.3.2 Public Perception of the Composer-Performer………………………………...97 5.3.3 The Unconventional Path………………………………………………………97 5.3.4 Music as a Physical Art………………………………………………………...98 5.3.5 Balance as a Composer-Performer……………………………………………..98 5.3.6 Summary …………………………………………………………...………….99 vi Chapter Six: Alice Hong…………………………………………………………………..100 6.1 Participant Introduction………………………………………………………………...100 6.2 “ I Am Who I Am and I Love What I Love”……….……..…………………………....102 6.3 Discussion……………………………………………………………………………....111 6.4 Key Themes…………………………………………………………………………….116 6.4.1 Composer and Performer Relations…………………..………………………116 6.4.2 Public Perception of the Composer-Performer……………………………….117 6.4.3 Developing Confidence as a Composer-Performer…………………………..118 6.4.4 Summary……………………………………………………………………...118 6.5 Closing Thoughts……………………………………………………………………….119 Chapter Seven: Discussion and Conclusion……………………………………………..121 7.1 Discussion………………………………………………………………………………121 7.1.1 Public and Personal Perception of the Identity of the Composer-Performer…121 7.1.2 Non-Performing Composers versus Composer-Performers………………….123 7.1.3 Overlapping Experiences……………………………………………………..125 7.1.4 Conflicting Experiences………………………………………………………128 7.2 Answering the Research Question……………………………………………………...129 7.2.1 Definition of the Modern Composer-Performer……………………………...129 7.2.2 The Divide: Why and When?…………………………………………….......131 7.2.3 The Drive to Pursue Both Fields……………………………………………...136 7.3 Implications for Further Study………………………………………………………….138 7.4 Impact and Influence of “‘But You’re a Violinist – Why Do You Compose?’”…...…..141 7.5 Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………...144 7.6 Postlude………………………………………...……………………………………….145 References………………………………………………………………………………….146 vii List of Appendices Appendix A - Invitation to Participate & Informed Consent Form………………………...155 Appendix B - Interview Guideline………………………………………………………….156 viii Chapter One: Introduction “Progress in the arts: a series of gifted mistakes perhaps. We owe our greatest musical achievements to an unmusical idea: the division of what is an indivisible whole, ‘music,’ into two separate processes: composition (the making of music) and performance (the making of music), a division as nonsensical as the division of form and content...The methodical division of labor (I write it, you play it) served us well, until composer and performer became like two halves of a worm separated by a knife, each proceeding obliviously on its