by Jasmine Birtles

HASwalk followed by
Interpreting Bach

HASrecital and talk by Ruth Waterman

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Interpreting Bach
by Ruth Waterman

It's difficult. It's damn difficult.

You stare at the notes on the page, you play it yet again, you put the violin down, stare some more, try it on the piano, make some tea, stare some more, then tear your hair out. This is the frustrating part of being a performer, and it can last for months, even years. It took five years for me to come to what felt like an understanding of Bach's Chaconne. By which time it had changed shape completely, transforming its character and pacing and tempo and soundworld and most importantly, its underlying emotional contour.

Interpreting music involves not only learning how to get your fingers round the notes (without cheating - ask me about that), but also reading contemporary writings about Bach's music and how musicians played at that time; getting to understand Bach's notation and to know other examples of his compositions; and grappling, really grappling, with the score itself. If only there were a direct line to J. S. so that he could answer my endlessly repeated question: "What do you mean by this?"

In my introduction to the performance, I'll try to show you a little of the grappling process that I went through with this sonata. How one plays is crucial to how the music is heard. Most people, even in Western societies, don't like classical music - maybe you too? We musicians must take a lot of responsibility for this. Music comes to life only when it is played and it is too often still-born in performances that are dull or academic or acrobatic or self-serving - you name it. But the job of being a midwife to the great compositions is difficult, damn difficult…

About Ruth Waterman
"Her playing speaks of total love and involvement from beginning to end."
Gramophone

In March of this year, Ruth Waterman became the first British instrumentalist to perform in the galleries of the Hermitage in St Petersburg, an event that was televised by Russian State Television for a projected audience of 20 million. She first caught the attention of the music world at the age of 19 when Yehudi Menuhin invited her to perform with him on the BBC. Since then, she has appeared throughout the US and Europe in recital, on radio, at international festivals and as soloist with such orchestras as the London Symphony, BBC Symphony, English Chamber and Orpheus Chamber Orchestras. Her interpretation of Bach has been recognized by Fanfare Record Review (US) which declared: "Waterman is an experience no Bach-lover should miss." She was the soloist in the CBS Masterworks recording of the Brandenburg Concertos, and her CD of the complete Sonatas with Keyboard [Meridian] won top rating of five stars from BBC Music Magazine and 'Critics Choice' from Gramophone Magazine.

For many years, she lived in New York where her recital debut was promoted by the Carnegie Hall Corporation in its International Artists Series. It was there that she developed her innovative concert format combining performance with an exploration of the music. These events have been presented by London's Wigmore Hall and Great Performers at Lincoln Center among others. Ruth Waterman has been teaching and coaching at City University of New York and the Royal Academy of Music; giving lectures and master classes at Oxford University, St Petersburg Conservatoire and the Juilliard School; and writing articles for Strad and BBC Music Magazine.

Who Cares?
by Jasmine Birtles

I remember first coming into contact with Amanda, the PR girlie that my main publishers, Boxtree, foisted on me for a year. Generally speaking Boxtree, being a thoroughly and avowedly commercial operation, has very good publicity people, but Amanda was different. I never actually met Amanda (clue number one: any PR person who doesn't even bother to meet up with the author is likely to be a waste of time) but our occasional chats over the phone were quite enough to show her true (lack of) colours.

Speaking as a journalist I have to say that publishing PR people are, on the whole, about as low down on the PR food-chain as you can get, beaten only by fashion and beauty PR types who are so low they make Milwall fans look intellectual. In fairness I must say that the calibre of PR execs in publishing has generally improved in recent years and some are almost quite good. But if you start with the assumption that your PR person is not, and that to get any sort of coverage for your book you'll either have to do it yourself or you'll have to stand over her (it's usually a her) every day insisting on calls being made and releases sent out, you'll have a fighting chance.

Publishing today is very much about PR, marketing, advertising, cover design, distribution and shelf placement and very little about the actual content of the book. Sorry. It's just a fact. There are a few that make it through the barriers through word-of-mouth recommendation (Harry Potter, Captain Correlli, Longitude among others) but generally speaking, if you don't have the business stuff sorted before the book is actually printed, you're onto a loser.

Which is why I was so dismayed to hear Amanda's plummy, vacuous tones at the end of the phone telling me my books were marvellous, and yes she would tell me what sort of publicity she would be doing in good time but she wasn't sure when. I knew from the first phone call that she didn't have a clue. I wish now that I had taken my own advice and waded in sooner. That particular set of joke books did not do as well as they should have and, although there were various factors contributing to this, a distinct lack of PR was certainly one of the more important ones.

Amanda is, was, the archetypal publishing publicity girlie (she's not there anymore - after the stinging letters sent by my agent and me to Boxtree she was allowed to move to another department, probably packing boxes in the warehouse). Happily her type is a dying breed as publishing houses get more commercial, but they are still uselessly around. Amandas, Jemimas and Sophies abound in some of the larger houses, filling in time between school (or even university) and getting married by 'being in publishing' and running the odd launch party. They have never been journalists, don't know or particularly care how they think and don't understand what deadlines, angles or hooks are. If you are given one of these creatures, or you are a novelist who the publisher has decided to leave to your own devices while they lavish thousands on a couple of chosen hip authors, you should take matters into your own hands.

The first thing you have to do in PR is to think like a journalist. Journalists are constantly asking themselves 'who cares?' Ask yourself. 'Who cares about what this book is about? Who cares who I am? What is there that is different, controversial, new, interesting about the book, the subject, me, the story, the facts or whatever?' To do this you have to stand back from your work and try to see it through others' eyes. The fact that it took 10 years to write and nearly cost you your very soul is of minimal interest to anyone except you and your close family. Journalists are always looking for something new (something that's old but hasn't been talked about for 12 months often counts as new), something controversial, or something that many people can relate to. Look at your novel or factual work for these things and you will start to have the ideas for press releases.

Then think laterally. Don't just go for arts programmes or book pages. What about local press. They are always interested in a new work by a local author - think local radio and TV as well as print by the way. Think about magazines and magazine programmes. Is there anything in the book - just a part of it will do - that could be the subject of an article or discussion for them. It's easier to get coverage for factual books here because the act of publishing a new book on, say, a healthy diet with a twist, or a new way to rear children or investing in property for the over 60's will give journalists and producers the 'hook' or excuse to look at these subjects.

Novels are harder to put to these types of outlets unless you are a 'name', have an extraordinary story behind your story or the novel deals with outlandish, controversial, weird or simply topical subjects or events. If not, you may have to try to get them interested in you more than in your book.

There are a few books and a couple of organisations that can help you put together press lists to whom you would send your press releases, but there's no getting round the time-consuming necessity of ringing round the various outlets and finding out who to send the release to, whether they would be interested in principle and what their deadlines are. Remember, some magazines go to press three months before they're published and they won't be interested in you if your book comes out next week.

When my mother and I published a book about hiring a nanny (she has a nanny agency) a friend and I did the publicity using the then topical 'hook' of parental fear of potentially murderous nannies looking after their children. My mother was interviewed on local, national and international TV and radio, quoted in national magazines and newspapers and, five years on, is still called up by journalists for a quote on anything to do with childcare or domestic help. If you get it right, book publicity can lead to other work, an increase in your business and an increase in your fame. If you get it wrong - or don't do it at all - it will show on your royalty statements and you may have missed out on a whole new career in the media.

About Jasmine Birtles
Jasmine Birtles describes herself as a journalist and comedian and everything else in between. On the journalism side she has worked for national newspapers, magazines, radio and TV, and now writes mostly on personal finance for the Independent and Independent on Sunday, as well as reporting on it for The Gloria Hunniford Show and Simply Money TV. She has also been editor of a men's lifestyle magazine called 'It'. As a comedian she used to work the stand-up circuit, including her own comedy club 'The Giggling Elk'. Now she works as an after-dinner speaker for major companies and appears on radio comedy shows. She is also a voice-over artist and appears on TV commercials. She has published 26 books, including the best-selling Little Book of Abuse, and has another four books coming out in the autumn. Using her journalism skills and contacts she has done a fair amount of publicity work including launching two restaurants, consulting for a women's club and being the regular PR person for her mother's nanny agency.