Picking up the guitar, learning a few chords and strumming our favourite film song is easy for those of us who have taken guitar classes. However, if you meet the professor of classical guitar from the Zurich University of the Arts and concert artiste, Anders Miolin, you just might rethink your impression of the six-string instrument.
Anders, who was in town over the weekend, as part of The Bangalore School of Music’s 16th East West Music & Dance Encounter, did more than showcase his expertise and experience as a concert and recording artiste and as a professor of classical guitar in his workshops and performances. He also showed off his very own creation – a revolutionary 12-string guitar. He is also the leading exponent and creator of the 13-stringed guitar ‘Chiavi-Miolin’.
A real pleasure to watch when he works magic on the guitar, the professor says it is a joy to be part of the exchange programme with The Bangalore School of Music and his goal is to work together and learn from one another. “While I’m teaching intensely from morning to evening working with teachers and students, I am also learning, especially in the classical Carnatic field. I’m familiar with Indian classical music. I have always been fascinated by it and integrate ragas into my own composition. That is something I would like to develop and am making use of the opportunity.”
What he loves the most about his experience in the country is that Indians communicate well. “They are much more open than people in Europe. What I also admire is their ability to improvise and the attitude to fix things and get the job done. I see great potential and a future here in India, especially for music.”
Making learning fun
Karnataka : Bengaluru : 10/02/2018 :Professor of Guitar at Zurich University of the Arts Anders Miolin interacting with The Hindu in Bangalore on Thrsday 10 February2018. Photo : Sudhakara Jain.
He elaborates on his teaching: “The guitar is a very popular instrument. We should support it by making sure students learn it the right way. For example: posture; I built a very simple device that is easy to use and helps posture. Instead of bringing something silly like Swiss chocolate, I got something useful as a contribution.”
The second thing, points out Anders, is that students need material. “That is why my lectures talk about the right things. It’s free online but you need to know where to get the right material. I also touch upon how the body works and how to learn faster and better – including explaining neuro-science. I’m quite interested in science too and learn while I teach. I integrate a lot of that knowledge into guitar playing and I’m even writing a book called Guitar, Body and Brain . This explains how you’re actually developing the brain with the guitar. Guitar playing is a complex process that helps develop your synapses and builds neuro-plasticity. I integrate all this into the teaching. It is practical and you also understand how this is all possible.”
On his 12-string masterpiece – the composer and inventor humbly explains how it all came to be: “It was inspired by the inner world of sound that everyone has. And mine, is different, I guess, since I was not satisfied with the normal guitar. I like it, but it was not enough for me. My universe is bigger. So I developed a guitar with 13-strings first. I wanted to write new music for this instrument. I added seven bass strings and an extra first string so all the notes that were high became more convenient to play. I didn’t know if it was going to work, but it did! Of course, I had to re-learn and re-finger with new arrangements, but it helped train my brain. Now I’m playing Bach and Chopin in a completely different way.”
Anders points out that while development of new instruments is nothing new, “I did not develop this to be different for the sake of being different. My name in German, although it’s a Swedish name, means different. I’m like that. I have an idea of sound; a sound vision – that I express through my instrument. I would have probably been a harpist or a pianist if I started all over again, but I love the guitar.”
Balancing learning and teaching
It’s one thing being a performer and another being a teacher. How does he juggle the two roles? Anders says it is actually the most natural thing to do. “Share what you like. For me, just like there is beauty in nature, there is beauty in music. I’m merely trying to reflect that beauty. That’s the reason for giving concerts and teaching. It’s a feeling. That’s also why I love Indian music – I don’t know if I understand all the structures but I can experience it.”
Anders comments that it is true that contemporary music can sometimes be very intellectual, cold and calculated. “When I write music, I want to simply reflect the beauty of what I see and feel – something very basic. Of course, I don’t want to be cheesy or repeat clichés. There is a whole universe of harmonies out there. Sadly, the division between composer and player is evident, especially in Europe. The composers never play their pieces and the players never compose. I don’t think that’s healthy. I encourage people to compose. Making music is a process and you should enjoy it.”
When playing to an audience, Anders hopes to share the aspect of music being ‘hearable psychology’. “I should try to give some positive psychological feedback without being esoteric. So I attempt to create an island of bliss; an oasis. There’s too much noise around us. We need this escape.”
