Linton Stephens
Sergio A. Mims sends this link:
Chineke!
May 1, 2017
Welcome back to the latest installment of our 'Player of the Month' feature!
Each
month we feature one of our fantastic Chineke! or Chineke! Junior
artists, and discuss with them their experiences, what Chineke! means to
them, and any advice they might give to aspiring musicians.
This month we are showing some love to our wind section by featuring Chineke! Orchestra bassoonist Linton Stephens!
Linton
originally hails from the Wirral and began playing the Bassoon at the
age of 16. He was swiftly awarded a place to study at the Royal Northern
College of Music junior school and then continued his studies at the
senior college under Graham Salvage and David Chatwin, after gaining a
scholarship. He also went on to complete a Post Graduate Diploma in
performance for which he was a prestigious Ogglesby Scholar and achieved
a distinction.
After
a short hiatus from study he won a place at the renowned Hochschule fur
Music Franz Liszt in Weimar, under Prof. Frank Forst. Whilst in Germany
he played as guest principal with the Wenigerode Kammer Orchester and
Eisenach Theater Orchester.
Linton
now enjoys a varied freelance career. Recent appearances include BBC
Philharmonic, Hallé Orchestra, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, Clonter
Opera, Opera North, European Opera Centre, Northern Chamber Orchestra,
English National Ballet, South Pacific tour.
As
well as playing, he is also an artist in residence for ARK schools in
London working with and coaching the woodwind students, and recently
served as Chineke! delegate for the 2017 Association of British
Orchestras conference.
Outside
of music Linton enjoys keeping active going to the gym, rock climbing
and training in the Brazilian martial art of capoeira. He also works as
an illustrator and independent artist.
Q&A with Linton
How did you become a musician/become involved in music?
In
primary school at about the age of 8, the local music service came in
and the whole year did a pitch differentiation test. From there we were
selected to play woodwind instruments and I chose the oboe at the time. I
enjoyed it but I knew it wasn't my calling. I saw a picture of a
bassoon in a book at a library and decided that that was what I wanted
to play. But I was too small at the time. A few years later at around 16
years old, a good friend of mine at the local grammar school had told
me that a lady had come into their class and asked if anyone wanted to
play bassoon and the answer was a resounding no. I asked if she would
take a note in to the teacher on my behalf, requesting to begin lessons.
And that was that really.
What do you wish someone had told you when you were first considering becoming a musician?
How
to do taxes! In all seriousness. I think I struggled with justifying
that how I expressed myself through my instrument was as legitimate as
everyone else who did the same. I would constantly compare myself and I
must confess I sometimes still do. As a musician now, I think you just
have find your voice and keep believing that it is as important and
individual as anyone/everyone else's. And that that's ok. You don't need
anyone else to validate your musical opinions.
How
did you first hear about the Chineke! Foundation? What did you
initially think of the idea and has that changed since you have been
involved?
Chi-Chi
sent me a message asking if I'd like to get involved. I asked to know
more about it and when she explained her vision I really thought this is
a cause I'm passionate about and not an opportunity I want to miss. My
view of Chineke! now has not so much changed but matured in that I still
believe that it's an important visual for young BME players, but also
through working with so many people of such diverse backgrounds, I'm
understanding that our own past experiences shape how we see things and
in that sense everything we understand about the world is a reflection
of how well we understand ourselves. Furthermore sometimes to truly
appreciate what others have experienced we have to open our eyes, ears
and our minds, especially when our own experience of the same thing can
be vastly different.
Have you found that there are any specific challenges associated with being a BME musician? If so, what are they?
I
think it's the lack of role models there on the stage, in the frames on
the walls, in the teaching rooms at the colleges, on the corner of our
music and in the business as a whole. I
remember very clearly being an impressionable 8 year old and watching
the proms in our tiny front room over three or four nights
consecutively. On the fourth night I turned to my mum and said
'I don't think I should do this. I haven't seen any black people on the telly at all.'
To which she replied :
'Well you make sure you're the first'
Of
course, I'm not the first, but if a willful 8 year can recognise that,
imagine what effect it could have on someone less stubborn. Moving
forward, I think that whilst the history of classical music cannot be
changed and certain traditions must be respected, we must be careful not
to perpetuate traditions for traditions sake.
What is the musical accomplishment you are most proud of?
I
can't mark it down to one thing. In terms of my career I've always
tried to have goals along the way to stay focused. I suppose that at
each stage, that particular goal was my proudest achievement; from
gaining grade 8, to getting into youth orchestra, to winning a place a
music college, to getting my first gig with at professional orchestra.
If it comes down to a memorable moment though, playing for the queen was
pretty awesome.
How has playing with Chineke! helped you/your personal development as a musician?
As
a free lance player you're constantly doing a variety of projects from
the weird (dressing as a slug and playing in the Williamson tunnels in
Liverpool as part of a collaboration with LIPA) to the wonderful
(Chineke!'s debut). And each of these performances shape and mould you
in some way. More importantly though I think it's the everyday things
that affect you as a person which reflect in your playing. In joining
Chineke! I became part of something that was much more than playing
incredible music. It was the comradery, the shared vision and the
lasting friendships that I have forged that I will take forward as a
bassoonist.
What advice would you give to an aspiring young BME musician?
Practise hard and stay humble!
