NEC Piano Seminar Presentation "Forging Our Own Paths"
“My name is Tong, and I wear many hats. My website says I’m a “pianist, etc.”. Along with being a touring performing soloist and chamber musician, I am also the co-executive director of the music festival Windwood Music Festival, which I will talk more about later. I also love making pancakes every other morning, and my pre-concert ritual is to eat sushi. I have lots of other passions and rituals that make me who I am.
But—
I am also You!
I was sitting exactly where you are now right about 10 years ago. I graduated from Mr. Brubaker’s class in 2016. Now, it’s such a special opportunity for me to return and share with you some stories, insights, and learnings from my path - perhaps these will give you also some ideas and tools for your own careers.
I call this discussion “Forging our own paths” because each of us can have vastly different ways of mapping a life that is fulfilling and meaningful to ourselves. That life is a combination of personal, interpersonal, professional, artistic values and goals. That might take a moment to find, to understand, to redefine, before you can even take the steps to realizing that reality. And that’s okay.
What’s important is to develop INTENTION, start somewhere, be committed, try things. AND, it’s also okay to change courses, to give up, to restart, to do something different/new. I will come back to these simple yet important learnings when I discuss my journey with creating and directing the Windwood Music Festival. Constantly adapting our own design for our lives is one of the most valuable skills. And at the same time, stay curious to how our preconceptions and limiting beliefs might get in the way.
Always come back to WHY and HOW we do what we do. We will need to do this countless times in our career as artists. My violin-piano duo just toured a concert called “Wanting to Start Again”. This theme is universal. We’ll keep having to find our reason WHY throughout our lives.
As I navigated my undergrad at NEC, I faced many challenges, doubts, self-doubts, disillusionment with music and performance - and it took lots of courage, motivation, detours, and relearning to find my way to building the multifaceted career I have today as a performer, researcher, teaching artist, music director.
My Story
Before I get to some resources/tips, I’ll share a quick overview of my story. While reflecting for this presentation, I again realized how my years at NEC shaped my career today.
At NEC:
My activities are all over the map, I did everything I could - I collaborated with everyone, worked many jobs, pursued artistic and personal interests on and off campus (I had a group of badminton and volleyball friends, I took ballroom dancing, I hosted game night parties).
But coming back to some academic/professional highlights:
Jobs: liberal arts assistant, computer lab assistant, TA for keyboard skills, Music for Food social media intern, CPP fellow (grew duo partner oboist, went to senior homes and did our own projects in cape cod)
Classes: liberal arts classes! (drama, literature, poetry, politics, economics, film*), art/psychology at Northeastern, conducting, musical theater, jazz history
*these classes all sparked interests, skills, connections that went into my multimedia interdisciplinary projects (Zenkora)
Extracurriculars: Penguin Newspaper illustrator, Student Affairs Committee student senate, CI improv ensemble “slow toasters”, Hear Here! editor
Performances: composers concerts** (working with living composers is a big opportunity in concert design, for presenters and funding/grants), CI NEC Phil keyboard parts (allowed me to meet more string/brass players, played for trombone studio), freshman/junior/senior recital (all added my own creative elements - freshman year improv, tango; senior year jazz arrangement)
**EM: BMOP, Hackathon, UnConservatory, Zenkora*
EM was incredibly big influence/resource (Rachel Roberts still supports me and writes reference letters, guest speaker at Windwood)
Final year we won the EM grant, only with $1500, organized a multimedia concert that involved many orchestra musician friends, our conductor friend, collaborators from a ballroom dance school, Ruth Lepson the poet, actors from the drama course
2016-17 gap year to play for Lincoln Center Stage
valuable experience artistically and professionally
redefined/reinvigorated my belief in the tangible power of music to connect with audiences
met musicians/colleagues who became lifelong friends/collaborators
opened up the world of chamber music opportunities (learning vast amounts of rep and working in a professional setting)
developed my speaking skills even more, ideas about curating accessible programs for non-classical club audiences
got to travel the world!
2017-20 MM, GDP at McGill
building professional network, collaborating with PEOPLE on concerts outside of school
created my own projects*** (Zenkora in Calgary)
Started a concert series in Montreal with my cellist friend (funded by local grants)
lots of performance opportunities were from school but also just going to events, concerts, and coincidentally talking to audiences, supporters, or by being open to collaborate on lots of other people’s projects (the more you put yourself out there, the more your name will be known, opportunity finds more opportunity)
***doing lots of research about what are the opportunities in the city
(KNOWLEDGE/RESOURCES is everything)
SHOW UP (many successful mentors I’ve talked to have shared this advice, that meeting people in person at the right time is what leads to opportunities)
Go and talk to performers after their concerts!
chamber music group that toured (Z4)
started research path (lots of funding from Quebec and Canada), gave me freedom to pursue other performance projects
developed broader than classical network: tabla ensemble, brazilian jazz combo, running my own house concert series “skye’s salon”, putting together anime concerts with 4 hands Ghiblillane, community senior home concerts, hospital concerts with different duos and trios (self presenting or presented by concert series)
LAMP connection that grew as a student into a professional engagement
2020-25 DMA at McGil
active professional career, filled with collaborations performing with various chamber ensembles
doctorate funding from research
Global Leaders Program
commissioning new pieces and projects through Canada Council (turkey tour, china tour, DoSi hungary/romania tour)
directing Le Pub Classique
in 2022 ***started the Windwood Music Festival
One of my specialties is designing “creative projects”
my own recital projects*** interactive elements, multimedia, interdisciplinary, audience engagement, research based, anime-based, combines my interests
Solo recital
“Once Upon a Pumpkin” (halloween/fairytale)
get audienceParticipate live with “mentimeter” on prompts to write the story, held up their flashlights during Disney's snow white like a pop concerts
(show website)
“Us” (music featuring Chinese, Indian, South African, Turkish, Ukrainian composers; first created for LAMP’s new music/composers festival, then toured in Verbier/Europe)
How I got the Verbier opportunity
(show video)
audience participation singing, writing notes and wishes, making desserts from the different regions of the music I was playing
I made little gift boxes for each audience (chocolate, candle, note for them to write on)
I put out both these concerts as live albums myself through CDbaby so my music is more accessible for presenters on official streaming platforms like Spotify
Upcoming tours: Towards the Flame (Atlantic Debut) and My Big Prairie Skye (Prairie Debut), both have solo pieces written for me (also doing an album that’s 5 new works commissioned by me during the last 10 years)
Collaborative
Song of Praise
Anti-racism concert during Covid
Dark Tales
Concert speaking to a AI voice, explores dark themes of depression and suicide attempts
Toured in east europe
(show video clips)
Ghiblilane
Cuteness research
Also did a kids concert at Verbier (show videos)
Others
Labyrinth of Tears and Cuteness research
From Zenkora Universe, a horror anime opera many years in the making, I wrote the libretto, music by Alice Ho, some numbers workshopped by McGill and produced by Vancouver’s Allegra Chamber Ensemble
Solo piano piece “Manic ride through lollipop hell”
(show website and clip)
Cuteness speaks up to cynicism “Research Alive”
Skye’s salon!
What’s most important to notice is that:
Some seeds take a long time to sprout/grow ***
(you never know what connections, collaborations from years ago will lead to future opportunities) THIS IS KEY. ***the most valuable time is NOW, during your undergrad, to go out there, go to concerts, support your friends, do ensembles and extra projects even if they don’t seem to directly further your career right now.
*you’ll never know*. (what comes back, and also what you might be interested in! Connections only are made when you are open to them, when you put yourself out there).
Professionalism NOW
Have fun, be silly, be authentic, but also: your friends/classmates now will one day be your colleagues
Important to be start thinking about your role outside of school/being a student,
Get as much professional experience as you can
Treat each engagement with integrity and respect
When working with colleagues: presenting yourself in a way that others will want to keep collaborating with you***
*** in the long term for presenters it’s ALL ABOUT how pleasant you are to work with as a collaborator** your reputation starts now in the little moments
Embody Professionalism (collection of habits)
Habit strength = discipline, reliability, work ethic
On-time
Prepared
Effective in prioritizing
Effective in self-advocacy
Responsive to communication
Flexible, adaptable, and non-defensive to criticisms
Respectful and humble
Resourcefulness
Research and knowledge are everything, if you have funding, you have opportunities to make your ideas happen.
***using grants as prompts for projects! Research and look for what $$$ is available, and then design a concert/something of interest for you to pursue that fits the grant
**note on $$$
money is a necessity even when it isn’t the goal.
Embrace the necessity of money and entrepreneurship
prioritize financial realities to support sustainable artistic pursuits
Pave the path for fellow/future artists*
Innovate new opportunities in collaboration with others (musicians AND other arts and cross-sectors) lots of opportunities can be shared!
BE INTENTIONAL. It starts with intention. We are who we are because of the choices we make.
“You miss 100 percent of the shots you don’t take.”
//
The STORY goes, I had a (seemingly far-fetched) dream, and I had not quite enough money, funds, or experience - but there was a gut feeling that there was a right time and place to make that dream a reality.
It took some bravery, some foolishness, and a big leap of faith.
This is WHY we created Windwood:
To be a different kind of festival.
I went to many festivals before creating Windwood, some I resonated with for certain values (LAMP, Melissay), some I really did not see eye to eye with (more bigger brand name festivals which have their fame and benefits). I wanted to create something true to my values.
First and foremost: building connections with land and people (a sense of place and belonging and community)
putting ourselves out there, going TO the community rather than waiting for them to come to us
Foster a professional yet open/supportive/judgement free environment
Prioritizing wellbeing and love of our work, honouring our professionalism/quality without the pressure of focusing on quantity/results
Open, supportive, curious, connection, kind
Judgement free zone. This is not the place for that.
Rethinking our standards of judgement/self-judgement (as deeply ingrained in our field)
Take care of yourself and others
Loving our work and prioritizing our wellbeing does not have to mean sacrificing caliber
Meeting yourself where you are at, meeting others where they are at
Risk taking is sometimes making mistakes
At the windwood house where we all live and rehearse and cook and hangout and bond, we foster spirit of growth and exploration and allowing ourselves to take risks and make mistakes
We develop trust so we can take risks, we take risks so we develop trust
Being reminded of why we chose this field? Why do we stay?
give back to my own home community (create a sense of purpose/grounding for myself): this took REALIZING what MATTERS to ME. What is most important and meaningful to me as an artist/human.
Which is: NOT the glory/fame/big big things.
Rather, it is “doing small things in big ways”
Making ripple effects, really connecting with individual people on a deeper human level
I wanted to serve and be close to the people I love (my family is in Airdrie),
Build something that grows and lasts, honour my home
there’s also something so special about how warm the Airdrie people are, how diverse, how welcoming
Noticing the right opening of opportunity and seizing it
I had a short window of time I was free to do a project, I was home, it has been in my mind and the timing was right
Rural Alberta areas don’t have easy access to high caliber classical music
How can you love something that you have not experienced?
I had the RIGHT PARTNER. *** this is key. A kindred spirit who I knew together our ideas would blossom into reality. We had the SAME VALUES. A deep shared understanding of our priorities and goals and way we see the world and our role in that world as artists and facilitators and stewards of the land
This allowed us to overcome any obstacles and it also attracted the right energy of people who attended Windwood and work for windwood
Mandate (Purpose and Mission Statement)
The Windwood Music Festival provides a space for high-level artists to explore and implement creative projects that help bridge the gap between communities and classical and contemporary music. The festival runs on the principle that music, land, and people form an ecosystem that allows for community connection to thrive. The resident artists, administrative team, and local artistic community design concerts that bring music to public spaces in ways that connect the music, land, and people, building a sense of togetherness within the elements that create a community.
Program/Activities/Services
The Windwood Music Festival offers four programs. 1. A two-week artist residency for high-caliber classical musicians, allowing them to design and perform creative projects in partnership with Airdrie organizations and businesses. 2. A MainStage series featuring Windwood musicians and local Airdrie artists and musicians. 3. A Community Partner Series throughout the year, providing chamber music concerts in community spaces and concert halls around Alberta. 4. A Winterfest supporting string education in Airdrie through school visits, concerts, and community engagement focusing on the Airdrie youth.
History
Since 2022, the Windwood Music Festival (WMF) has offered an annual two-week artist residency for international classical musicians to design and perform their respective creative projects at venues across the local Airdrie community. These projects along with the MainStage weekend festival provide accessible and inclusive chamber music concerts in cafes, breweries, libraries, parks, farms, bookstores, gyms, as well as churches, theatres, and concert halls. Each event involves a unique collaboration with a different group of the community such as Nose Creek Theatre Players, R.Song Dance Studios, Airdrie Abilities Center, Boys and Girls Club, Off the Grid Youth, Cedarwood Station, and local small businesses. In between the yearly main festival, WMF also offers the Winter Festival, where Windwood musicians 1.) perform volunteer concerts in community spaces including but not limited to schools, cafes, libraries, hospitals, and urgent-cares, and 2.) give masterclasses for local Airdrie music students.
The WMF Residency fosters artistic development and community building through innovative music programming, sustainable co-op living, and partnerships with local venues and public spaces in Airdrie, AB.
Resident artists receive guidance in successfully planning and executing performance projects from start to finish, while workshopping ideas to create more inclusive and accessible experiences for audiences and performers.
This residency involves a rigorous rehearsal and performance schedule. At Windwood, we stress the importance of maintaining a healthy work-life balance. We take evenings off, we schedule breaks and fun activities, farmers market outing, Calgary Bow River rafting, improvisation and sight-reading sessions, board game/movie nights.
Conclusion
I learned a lot on the job. As with many things in professional/personal life (relationships, jobs, projects, big and small), there is never a time when we are fully ‘ready’ for anything (to do a recital, to be a dog owner, a parent, a spouse, an executive director). But life really is just - beginning anywhere.
The Windwood Music Festival is now in its 5th season. Our team has grown most beautifully. It takes a village to raise this giant baby. We’re extremely blessed and lucky to have found people who truly understand and believe in Windwood. We have an incredible support network that was there for us from the start and continue to build (City Council, community leaders in the arts field, small businesses, bookstores, libraries).
Again, bottom line: it takes PEOPLE. CONNECTIONS. Putting out the energy you want to attract. Being sincere all the while doing it. “Networking, building, finding opportunities”. Being humble, being adaptable and curious while doing it. Make mistakes. Keep going. Be determined but flexible.