Interaction Creates Harmony

 
Christian Gansch, musician, conductor and award-winning producer of classical music, compared orchestras to companies in his lecture at the 10th European Foodservice Summit in Zurich last September. In his opinion, business enterprises could learn a lot from the way professional musicians work together. To ensure that the audience hears the music played as a harmonious whole, up to 120 individualists must literally be in tune with each other - perfect teamwork is the key.
 
In contrast to what most laypeople would expect, many aspects of orchestra life are rather more strategic than emotional - as in most companies. In common with enterprises, professional orchestras are divided into sections or departments. As Gansch told the foodservice operators, "each section has three principals or heads of department and three co-principals or assistants."
 
These principals lead their individual instruments sections by laying down, for example, the bowing techniques to be used or by movements during the concert, which are not so much an expression of great emotionality as a method of conducting. "If you see an oboe player playing with a lot of emotion, which makes her move a lot - she's simply fulfilling her job description, which says she must conduct eight other woodwind players," said Gansch.
 
However, it is not only the harmony within the individual sections but also the interaction of the various instrumental groups that is essential for the overall effect. Naturally, the loudest instruments have no special rights. "It would be a complete disaster if four trumpets and four horn players played as loud as they could. You wouldn't be able to hear the string players at all, only see them ... The power of brass destroys everything."
 
Even the belief that the conductor does everything is a great error. "I would be lost if I didn't have 35 high-profile, top principals in the orchestra in charge of their teams. As a conductor, I am ready to give them advice and lay down the overall strategy. However, it is impossible to direct 100 little details a minute. I need strong principals with strong responsibilities for their teams," said Gansch. As a manager or conductor of a company, it is important to delegate responsibility. For example, if two principals have different views on how to play a phrase in a rehearsal, they usually talk to each other for five minutes to find a solution which works for both sections without involving the conductor directly. In an orchestra, Gansch explained, you have to find a solution to who is leading and who takes the responsibility to lead. "Therefore, I hate teamwork," confessed Gansch. "You need egocentric, dominant people as principals." In other words, people who play - if necessary - as if they were alone on stage and do not hide behind their team. "But I also need them to know when their solo is over. This is orchestral thinking: control your emotions."
 
Gansch admits that this communication is not always easy, especially in orchestras with a large number of international members. "They are not music lovers but rather high-profile musicians from different cultural backgrounds. "However, internationality does not have an adverse affect on the orchestra's identity," noted Gansch. "It's real friction and open communication that create harmony."
 
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| 1 February 2010 |