How has your life as a professional musician changed over time?

My younger years were really defined by whichever country I was living in at the time. I left Australia when I was eighteen to further my studies in Hong Kong. Those three years gave me a window into Asian culture as well as the self-discipline to practice up to 6-8 hours a day. This was followed by three more years of intense post-graduate study in London with many opportunities to perform throughout Europe.

How do you prepare yourself to work at the level you do as a professional musician?

I have learnt to be very efficient with time as I no longer have the freedom I did as a student. Thankfully, all the dedicated practice I did from the ages of 10 – 25 really helped etched the technique ‘in my fingers’ so to speak. Since becoming a mum I’ve become an expert at short practices and will often record a passage of music for quick and honest feedback of what to fix. My string quartet Acacia has also found that the solid three days a week we use to practice together has really helped give us a solid foundation. We are much more proficient these days with our rehearsals and can now work in blocks rather than weekly.

What work have you done in your life other than being a musician?

From 2003 – 2007 my husband and I invented, produced and sold about 3000 strategy games called The Game Ned Kelly throughout Australia. It was a fantastic learning curve for me to deal with people from other industries and do something completely different to playing music. I found the development from prototype to the product quite fascinating and enjoyed marketing the boardgame to the general public. Until our first daughter was born, my husband and I were very proud of our ‘creation’. She is now 11 and has a younger sister 8 so they are now our pride and joy.

What role do you believe the artist has in society?

I find my role as Artistic Director of the Bowral Autumn Music Festival (BAMF) very exciting. It is a gift to be in a position where I can shape, create and steer how people in our local community connect with classical music. We have enormous musical talent in this country, so it is a thrill to create a platform for music here in Bowral. I love looking for ways to expose unknown musical gems to the more seasoned concert goers and at the same time try to entice a new audience to come along and experience live music. It has given me great pleasure introducing concerts for children at BAMF and seeing amazed parents of children so absorbed with the music. Too many people in our society have never heard exquisite classical music performed by top performers. They have no idea what they have been missing until they come along.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Ha, I try not to look ahead that far! Maximum 15 months is more my focus. When I look at my young girls, I never want them to grow up (but I have been saying that ever since they were babies). From my experience life hasn’t always gone in the direction I’ve imagined but it has been a very fulfilling journey so far. I’m much more focused on my current goals and adapting to whatever challenges may happen along the way.

We thanks Myee for sharing her life as a musician.. and also Limelight Magazine for permission to use this video featuring Sally Whitwell and Acacia quartet.

LIMELIGHT went into the recording studio with ABC Classic for the session. This work features on Sally’s I Was Flying album, released by ABC Classic in 2015.

ABOUT THE BOWRAL AUTUMN MUSIC FESTIVAL

In 2020, the Bowral Autumn Music Festival (BAMF) will be held from 27-29 March at St Jude’s Anglican Church Bowral

For more information visit www.bamf.org.au