Volume 2, Issue 3 Originally published by Vienna Online - used by permission October 1999

The make-up of a musician (pun intended) Your Austrian Insighter is also a professional musician for 35 years (I started slowly when I was seven). So let’s compare notes. It is also a look behind the scenes for amateurs and music lovers out there. After all, you are a professional artist's most valuable asset: a critical audience! In my experience, for the majority of musicians the following is true: when you start out you are either a small or a big talent. Very few are geniuses. (My father is one - he’s a wonderful composer as you can hear right now. I'm singing the the baritone part.) If you are a big talent, that fact is hard to hide. I have known 5-year-old concert pianists and 17-year-old opera singers. But looking back, I don’t envy them anymore. Wunderkinder sometimes lose out on a normal childhood and young singers with big voices often disregard a sound musical education. I myself am part of that huge contingent of small talents. My faithful fans will try to convince you otherwise, and I appreciate that. But would I be talking to you if the big agents were calling on me every day? So here is the big question for us common earthlings: how do you know that you actually have some talent? You don’t. You have to work hard to try to uncover the talent! Many don’t make it that far. And the hard truth is that even more musicians will never admit to themselves that they don’t have enough talent. It took me about 10 years to find out where my own musical talents lie. I know now that my calling was and is to be a theatre conductor. It was a magical moment when I discovered that all the ingredients were suddenly available to me: the feeling for a certain tempo, being able to receive the transmissions a composer is trying to send out with a piece of music. And the feeling of being a puppeteer holding the strings, keeping things steady and secure. It is helpful that my second talent is the almost automatic feel of how to interpret many different types of music. And happy audiences are my reward! But I also have one big problem: I don't listen enough to other musicians, because I'm too critical to enjoy some performances... The make-up... ...of Florian! Finally, based on a solid talent, don’t forget all the things that got you where you are and keep you going. In my case that’s being very passionate and taking every live performance as a new challenge. Always be honest and critical of yourself but confident of your abilities. Respect the individuality of every person you work with. Don’t be arrogant but expect the same respect from your co-workers. Never stop learning. Honor teamwork and versatility. And above it all: keep an active and interactive relationship with your audience (big or small), and they will never be disappointed! P.S.: the intended pun - the perils of make-up. I still like to put my baton aside once in awhile and act on stage and in movies or feature films as I have done a lot in the past. But it’s a drag to put on make-up night after night, especially for a man! And when you sweat you can’t even wipe yourself without taking some of the make-up with it. The worst part was putting on a wig or a fake beard (see the picture of me as Commissioner in "Madame Butterfly" by Giacomo Puccini). In my time they used a special glue called “Mastix.” It burned your skin and came off only with a lot of rubbing alcohol. Ouch! Due to the close-ups, movie make-up artists like to pamper your face with their bare hands. It gives them more control. At the theatre, on the other hand, they use mostly sponges which are cold and impersonal… For November I will finally bring you home to the city of Vienna, Austria, the state capitol. Lots is going on with the arts there. Don't miss it!

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