A Day In The Life: RSNO chief executive Alistair Mackie
Garry Fraser chats to Alistair Mackie about how COVID-19 paved the way for a new digital age for the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.
THE coronavirus pandemic has proved a huge learning curve for everyone, having to adapt our lives to suit the constraints put upon us.
Live music has been particularly affected, but the RSNO, with Alistair at the helm, has rolled with the punches and emerged a stronger, more unified concern.
It wasn’t easy at the onset, but as he says, they were as prepared as they ever could be.
“We anticipated that we would need to change our ways of working a couple of weeks before full lockdown,” he says.
“We put the safety of our staff first, which meant getting everyone ready to work from home, which we did around mid-March.
“Most of our team are still working from home now.
“Of course, no-one knew lockdown would go on for as long as it did, so we were cancelling concerts as and when we knew they couldn’t go ahead.
“Behind the scenes we were moving quickly to record a few pieces of content, such as our first RSNO Challenge with our percussion players.
“Fortunately, in November 2019 we had put together a small digital team, who ended up being the backbone of our new way of working and getting concerts out online this year.”
Alistair’s day-to-day role changed from a normal routine into a totally different scenario.
“On a typical day preCOVID, I was usually very closely and personally involved with the organisation,” he continues.
“One of the great pe e erks in my job wa a as being able to nip p in and listen to th he h orchestra in re ehearsals. e
“That was a gr reat joy. All of th hat changed vi irtually overnight.
“Then, for months, I only met with colleagues on video conferences or over the phone.
“It was a huge challenge to adapt to, particularly as it meant not seeing and hearing the orchestra live, which is something I missed dearly.
“Since the outbreak and lockdown, no two days have been the same.
“The orchestra returned to small group rehearsals at the beginning of August, so I was on-site at the RSNO Centre whenever I was needed, to oversee changes and adaptations made to our working environments.
“It has been fantastic to hear live music rehearsals again ahead of our RSNO digital season.
“I also stay in regular contact with the Scottish Government, our supporters and other chief executives of orchestras across the UK.”
Live music was missed not only by Alistair, but by the whole orchestra in general.
“There is simply nothing like playing to another human being. It is what music is all about – sharing that experience together.
“I can appreciate how bizarre it must feel to perform for a virtual audience which is there, but you can’t see them.”
Alistair appreciates that lockdown and its aftermath has been difficult for all sectors in the community, not just the arts.
However, he feels the positives will eventually outweigh the negative, and that the orchestra will come out stronger after many months of uncertainty.
“Hindsight is all very well, but I can safely say we have tried our best and acted as best we could with the information we had.
“I think we have produced some excellent work as a result. It hasn’t been perfect, but I am very proud of how the entire RSNO organisation has coped with the crisis.
“For many organisations, including us, this year has proven resolutely that the orchestral music world cannot fall behind in the digital age we now live in.
“We need the technology to keep up and stay relevant to a modern audience. In an increasingly global world it is vital we keep up with technology and audience expectations in a modern Scotland.”
Advice I would give my twenty-year-old self:
Don’t let the pursuit of perfection paralyse you. Forgive yourself the inevitable mistakes and never forget what a privilege it is to earn your living playing music.