Musician Hannah O'Shea writes on her experience as being part of the Online Chamber Ensemble, an Irish Association of Youth Orchestras initiative funded by the Arts Council and supported by the Irish Chamber Orchestra, which worked under lockdown to develop an online chamber ensemble with 8 young musicians (aged 15 – 19) from across the country who used real-time audio-rehearsal software to enable the musicians to rehearse and perform together in real-time - almost like they were in the same room!
The past year has been very tough on young musicians, as month after month, in-person lessons, chamber ensembles, live orchestra, and many other music-related groups have been cancelled. As a violinist living in rural Kerry, the lack of contact with musician friends has been particularly disheartening, because I’m far from any of the major music hubs in Dublin, Cork, or Limerick.
But when I received an email from IAYO offering a place in an online ensemble made up of young people from different parts of the country, I immediately seized this opportunity of playing the beautiful Mendelssohn Octet for Strings online, even while being stuck at home.
Then came the set-up of equipment and the performance software, Jamulus, which allows simultaneous performance without latency or "lag". It was certainly a new and educational experience setting up digital music software, and learning to play the violin right into the microphone to produce a good sound.
The first session was more of a try-out, as some of us could hear, others couldn’t, and we adjusted to the unfamiliar aspects of the interface, like "gain", or the "jack" to connect headphones. By the third or fourth session, we were up and running, and diving right into the captivating melodies of Mendelssohn.
Perhaps one of the biggest challenges was not being able to see each other. For musicians, we have always been able to watch each other, cue our entries, etc., until this time. We did start some of the early sessions with a Zoom meet-up, just to say hi, see everyone, and then we hopped onto Jamulus for Octet playing. We couldn't leave Zoom on while playing on Jamulus, because it interfered with the sound quality and internet connection.
With practice, however, we got used to the lack of visuals, and I would say that, having been a part of this online chamber group, my listening and concentration skills have definitely improved.
Watch: Online Chamber Ensemble perform Mendelssohn's Octet in E-flat major
I am happy and grateful that I have been able to be a part of the Online Chamber Ensemble and play with such fantastic musicians.
Find out more about the Online Chamber Ensemble and Irish Association of Youth Orchestras here.
