This question seems to be more of a teacher type, but I believe it works well with a musician as well. What were your initial hopes and worries regarding the concert?
My hope was that the whole idea of combining human values with classical music would appeal to people, and that they would come to the concert. I personally find it a very beautiful combination, but you really have to hear it on order to appreciate it. So I was very happy that so many people came. My father had told me that, if it would be raining, probably less people would come. So my only worry was that the weather would be bad! But it wasn’t.
Can you describe a bit the concert from your perspective? How was it from the stage?
The thing that I remember in particular was that the people were so attentive, I felt that they were really listening to the words and the music. I think this was particularly remarkable for those people who never or hardly ever attend classical concerts. I know that this was the case for quite a few people in the audience. It was wonderful to see and feel their sensitivity and open-mindedness towards something completely new. On a very practical level, I was having some difficulty with the Blüthner grand piano, that I found difficult to handle. But in such cases, it is always good to remember the words of the legendary Russian pianist Sviatoslav Richter, who said that there are no bad pianos, only bad pianists :)
Could you speak a bit more about the human values you mentioned and the connections you made with the composers you chose? (a kind of a brief summary for those who were not present, or those that forgot)
The connection is between specific values or IAHV in general and the composer and/or the specific piece. Schubert I relate to a wonderful anecdote about Ludwig van Beethoven, that describes the moment that, already towards the end of his life, someone shows him some songs by Schubert. When he saw the music, Beethoven exclaimed: “Wahrlich, der Schubert hat den göttlichen Funken in sich.” – “Truly, a divine spark dwells in Schubert.” For IAHV and its founder H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, this divine spark is present in every human being and in the whole creation. Therefore it is so important to uplift the human values and to take care of the planet and the people that live in this world.
The second piece, Rage over the lost Penny by Beethoven, I relate to the financial crisis the world has just experienced, and to the fact that this has shown us how important it is to integrate the human values in every part of our society, including the business world. For this reason, among many other initiatives, IAHV hosts the World Forum for Ethics in Business at the European Parliament in Brussels every year, that gives leaders of business, politics, academics, religions and society a platform to share their views on ethics in business, new leadership styles and approaches that show that ethics and sustainability are not just indispensable, but can even be profitable.
The Nocturne by Chopin I relate to inner peace. For a stressed person, it is very difficult to feel and express the human values such as friendliness, love, respect and cooperation. Therefore it is essential that people learn how to handle their negative thoughts and feelings, how to get rid of stress, tiredness and aggression. The sister organization of IAHV, which is called Art of Living and was also founded by H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, offers wonderful courses with yoga, breathing techniques and knowledge, that have a amazing effect on the physical and mental wellbeing of people. And when a person is free of stress and able to handle negativity, then human values can truly blossom.
The first Ballade by Chopin I chose because I think it reflects the sadness and despair of a person living in exile. After Chopin left Poland, he never saw his friends and family again, and he deeply suffered from this. In our world, we have many people who experience the same thing, losing their loved ones and all their possessions in a disaster, a war or for other reasons. IAHV offers as much help as possible to these people, including trauma relief workshop and long term rehabilitation.
The next piece, which is Schumann’s Carnaval, is related to a phrase that is often said by Sri Sri, and that really says what it is all about: “Making Life a Celebration”. In Carnaval, Schumann shows us this wonderful and colorful variety of characters that have all gathered at a big celebration, a ball. And within the variety, they are all united by a few little notes that Schumann uses in every piece. I think this very much reflects the world that we live in: within the endless variety, everything is connected.
The last piece, the 2nd Scherzo by Chopin, I chose, because it reflects the revolutionary spirit that is also needed to bring about a change, especially when things seem to be so stuck that no change is possible.
My encore was a little Wals by Brahms, because it shows us that even with few means, one can achieve wonderful things.
If you were to have the concert again, what would you change?
I really can’t think of anything. It was all so well organized and I received such a warm and heartfelt welcome by all the wonderful volunteers of the Babel Institute. I only have good memories.
How did you feel at the end of the concert?
I felt very good and very hungry!
Do you think there is a connection between teaching and music, between learning and listening to music?
There is definitely a lot of scientific proof that music has a positive effect on the development of the brain (real music, not sheer noise … ). Experiments have shown that children that learn music perform better in other areas as well. It is essential that children are exposed to both science and music, so that both sides of the brain get nourished. And the same thing is true for adults. I recently went to a lecture by a scientist, who told that the effect of Mozart’s music, for example, has even clearly been proven on mice! The music improved their spatial awareness, even when they had only been exposed to the music before they were born. Of course, music is not the only factor that improves learning. The most beautiful and comprehensive model about this, I find, is the concept of the Hindu Goddess Saraswati, who is the Goddess of learning. She has three aspects that make wisdom complete. She holds a musical instrument, the Veena, which represents music, in one hand, and a book in the other. The book depicts the left brain activity (science, logic, knowledge), and the musical instrument the right (and this instrument, by the way, is shaped just like the spine, with 24 divisions that become smaller towards the top, and broader towards the bottom). The third aspect is the japamala (beads, or a rosary) which highlights the meditative or spiritual aspect. Saraswati shows that only when all three aspects are present in education (or in life, society), wisdom or true knowledge and understanding can be achieved.
Can you say a bit more about the EURO A DAY project and the people involved in it, and of course about IAHV?
Euro-a-Day is the fundraising program for value based education that is offered to underprivileged children, mainly in India. Schools are built for children in rural areas and slums, that without education, would have virtually no chance to escape poverty. Education does not only provide a better future for them, by teaching them subjects and skills to become self sufficient, but also helps the whole community. Now the particular beauty of these schools is that they do not merely impart an academic, syllabus based education, but focus on the child’s overall personality development. Local cultures and tradition, human values and progressive attitudes are emphasized and each morning, the children practice yoga and meditation, which, among other things, improves their concentration and clarity of mind. The children are taught to cherish the environment and to maintain their natural closeness to nature. Many schools have extensive gardens that are maintained entirely by the children. It is a kind of education that really enables the children to discover their talents and to blossom to their fullest potential. It broadens their vision and deepens the roots by enabling them to appreciate the cultural heritage of their own country and yet have a global vision, in which they can also appreciate different cultures and religions.
Of course, this education is very much a reflection of the International Association for Human Values (IAHV), which was founded to foster globally those values that unite all people, cultures and religions. This is done through education, communications and outreach programs. Numerous projects have been initiated to provide community development in poor regions, disaster and trauma relief, education, rehabilitation of prisoners and peace building in war-torn areas. IAHV is a volunteer based organization and has a special consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC).
Thinking about the purpose of the concert do you believe the audience was open to the idea?
Yes, I had the feeling that the audience was open to it and appreciated it.
When we teach we like to discover the person, the individual and not just the learner. Could you disclose something about you as a person, and not only as a musician?
I think I do precisely that by playing this musical program as a musician and connect it to the human values and the schools as a person. IAHV is very much connected with me personally through the courses of sister organization Art of Living. Here it is said that the quality of your life is determined by the state of your mind. The next question is, of course: how can you handle your own mind and feelings, especially when unpleasant, stressful things happen? This is not something we have learned, which explains the huge numbers of people with depression and burn-outs. The Art of Living courses, which include some yoga, ancient breathing techniques, meditation and wonderful knowledge, offer real treasures when it comes to handling one’s mind, letting go of stress and negativity, and having a joyful, meaningful and healthy life. It’s about finding balance, centeredness, but also about recharging one’s batteries, raising the energy level. Because when the energy in the body is low, the mind will be in the same state. Now, the breath, for example, is an incredible tool to raise the energy level and cleanse the system of toxins. At the same time it is a link between body and mind and as such, it can also influence the state of mind. All these techniques, which are so profound and at the same time completely natural, combined with this knowledge I found so precious and helpful in my life, that it is only natural that I would want to give something back and share a little bit of it with other people. The concerts like the one I gave in Timisoara are one way for me to do that.
What would be the human value that you cherish the most and how long have you been aware of it?
That is definitely love. Because when love is there, a person can’t hurt or blame or disrespect others. But again, if a person is stressed or tired, it is very difficult to speak about love and human values. Therefore it is so very important that people learn how to handle that in a natural way, without taking all the pills…
Do you remember the last time you learnt something? What was it and what were the results? How did it make you feel?
In fact, I learned a lot last night! An Ayurvedic doctor from India was giving a talk on Ayurveda, and I was asked to translate. Ayurveda is very ancient, holistic science about health. I knew a little bit about it (it has in fact cured a health problem I had in the past), but it was fascinating to hear more about how it works. An Ayurvedic doctor works with pulse diagnosis, and can diagnose a person’s health and state of mind even, in 30 seconds. The person doesn’t even have to tell his or her complaints! The treatment is done only by completely natural means that have no negative side-effects, food also plays a very important role. I was again struck by the beauty and the depth of the knowledge behind it. Of course, I felt very happy after the talk, and I wish that Ayurveda will be acknowledged by more and more people in the west too. The results were not for me this time, but for my father, who today took his first Ayurvedic consultation. He was so impressed that, for one thing, he stopped drinking coffee now … which in his case is quite miraculous!
Do you have any piece of advice for people starting to learn a language? What about for those starting to play an instrument?
For me, I can only say that from childhood, I only learned to actually speak a language by hearing it, not from books. Of course, the passive knowledge can be increased by reading, but I found that it doesn’t increase the active knowledge much. So I’m a very auditory learner when it comes to languages. To those starting to play an instrument I would like to say that they shouldn’t get discouraged when the progress seems to be very slow. It’s important to enjoy the little steps. At the same time, patience, dedication and discipline are definitely needed, especially when you don’t feel like practicing sometimes. But I think that many things in life, that are really worth while achieving, require those qualities.
And now, a question I stole from the creative writing courses. If you were to close your eyes and taste music what would it taste like? If you were to touch it, how would it feel like? If you were to smell it, what would it smell of? If you were to hear it, what would it sound like?
That’s very difficult to answer because the music is so diverse that it would change all the time. But I imagine that sometimes it would feel like silk or rose petals, sometimes like water, but sometimes also like a rock or a cactus! There are endless possibilities, really. The smell could for some music be like certain flowers, such as roses, or an early morning forest (Beethoven and Brahms must have smelled that a lot). Also it happens sometimes that a certain image comes up, related to the music. This could be a landscape, or anything from nature, a dance or a person or character. Some musicians also relate keys to colors.
Is there anything else you would like to add and was not prompted by my questions?
Yes. I would like to thank you all one more time for the wonderful job you did to organize this concert. I’m looking forward to meeting you all again!
Thank you very much for this interview.
