The end of a concert season always brings a headache.
Since 2008 I set up a pattern of finishing every cycle of activities with the music camp. The camp itself is a big event with long and tedious preparation, and there are always 1-2 concerts surrounding it. Normally it starts with the faculty concert or recital, followed by a closing concert at the very end of everything.
This year I've got eight concerts surrounding the camp. Six by the faculty artists for the string department, one by the only international pianist I have this year, and one to wrap the camp. And it's major headache. Major with a capital M.
Organising one single concert is already a complex process. First you have to liaise with venue authority, then the artist(s), then the public. You have to coordinate and make sure that you have authorisation to use a certain hall at a certain date, then you discuss concert programme with the artists, then you make posters and flyers and any other publicity items so that people will come to the hall. With 8 concerts, it means you have to liaise with 8 venues and make sure that people will come to all these places so that all the trees cut to produce concert tickets will not be wasted.
What's making all this process complicated is that each time, you have to deal with human beings. Some of them are really good and helpful and quick and responsive, not to mention kind and generous and warm. When you meet this kind of people, your job is already 60 percent easier. But sometimes you have no choice but to deal with morons and idiots and people whose sole purpose in life is to make other people's life harder. (Yes, there are people like that.) And when you deal with this kind of people, you just want to forget about the whole thing.
But I wish it were that easy to dismiss people. There are cases when you don't have a good bargaining position and then the people you're facing are not really too understanding or too compassionate, and then they ask too much.
Sometimes this happens with international artists whom I invite. Some of them, young people mostly, are easy-going and adventurous and all they care about is making music, making impact and establishing relationship with as many people as possible. But some can be quite difficult and amazingly produce a list of nice things they must have during their stay. Things that are non-musical. When they don't get what they want, they don't have enough manner to conceal their unhappiness.
In the past, I tried as much as I can to comply to all their wish. But sometimes with budget constraint and lack of support, my hands are tied. These days, however, I have learnt to stop being apologetic about it. In a country where classical music is still a luxury item, and with me fighting almost alone to bring music to the people, I think it's fair to say that I have always done and tried my best, but if my best isn't good enough, I will rest my case. But I will not spend all my resources to provide heavenly treat for these kind of people when I can use it for greater good, like allowing one person to come and learn in my camp. After all, this is what it's all about in the first place.
