“Reading helps me switch off and rest, especially amidst the chaos of touring.”
ACO Violin, Anna da Silva Chen
The parallels of writing/reading fiction and composing/playing music
I’m currently reading David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest which really plays with form, just like some composers do in music, and it’s amazing to find novels which almost mirror the experience of listening to a long symphony. Even book translators are comparable to performing musicians as the experience of these works relies heavily on a translator’s interpretation.
Reading about composers or specific performance practices of course helps us consider more deeply the historical contexts behind the music we play. I find it harder to explain how reading fiction has helped me as a musician, but somehow I feel that it has been even more valuable. Perhaps it’s about the parallels that can be drawn between the practice of writing/reading fiction and composing/playing music. Much imagination and dedication is required for both.
I’ve also noticed that my literary and musical tastes converge. Recently I have grown a bit tired of books flaunting fancy covers and thousands of glowing reviews, and instead find satisfaction in reading some relatively unknown or neglected writers, just as I have a real soft spot for composers like Max Reger or Alexander von Zemlinsky. These artists are truly exceptional but overlooked perhaps because their work isn’t considered politically relevant or marketable enough.
The power of a good book
Reading helps me switch off and rest, especially amidst the chaos of touring with the ACO. Sometimes I find it hard to even justify it when there’s never-ending violin practise and a list of chores to be done, but reading can be so restorative. Now more than ever it’s important to prioritise our mental health and view activities like reading as a necessity.
My parents didn’t keep many books at home so I only got into reading as a hobby when I was around 19 years old. This more or less coincides with when I became financially independent and began to enjoy collecting my own books.
Finding time to read in the digital age
I’d need to take my own advice as I’m currently in a reading slump… but the best methods I’ve found to carve out time to read is to have a book on you at all times — similar to how you’d keep your phone on you — and to set a strict habit of reading before bed every night no matter how exhausted you are, even if it’s just a page!
Some thought about which book you should read during certain periods goes a long way too. As an example, I mindlessly began reading Infinite Jest shortly before a national tour and ended up having to start again months later because it’s a book which ideally requires immersion of 30 or more pages daily. When I’m really busy I try to pick a short book I can take with me while travelling.
I’m addicted to autofiction
I love autofiction – fiction which blends the writer's personal life story with fiction. Some favourites include Karl Ove Knausgård’s My Struggle series, the Copenhagen Trilogy by Tove Ditlevsen, and Slow Days, Fast Company by Eve Babitz (whose godfather was Igor Stravinsky!). Next on my autofiction list is Mircea Cărtărescu‘s Solenoid.
My favourite authors who I've read recently are Lee Klein, J. M. Coetzee, Claire-Louise Bennett, and Stefan Zweig.
And if you're looking for a classical music-inspired book, I would recommend The Noise of Time by Julian Barnes — a harrowing fictional story about Dmitri Shostakovich.
