I let my mood flow through
For Christina McMaster, being a musician is a lifelong study.
Sum up your job in 3 words:
1 potentiality
2 creativity
3 beauty
IWAS about five when I started pleading to have piano lessons, having first played around on the piano at home. It really went from there, and I moved very quickly through learning more and more music.
Eventually, I went to a specialist music school and conservatoire for quite serious and focused training.
While my family aren’t professional musicians, my mum’s side of the family has a very strong connection with music, and particularly the healing power of music.
My grandmother would often tell the story of how her grandfather would go to the opera when he was sick. A sort of early form of music therapy!
I graduated from the Royal Academy of Music almost 10 years ago and feel my learning has accelerated since.
Being a musician is a lifelong study. I believe it is connected to philosophy, self-study and understanding the world and our spiritual world, so I start the day by meditating for 10 to 20 mins.
After meditating, I make a coffee – another ritual I absolutely love.
I’ll take the coffee to my piano and spend time practising, and in some ways it’s a continuation of my meditation.
I try to start with very purposeful listening, playing very slowly and perhaps some improvising.
In Julia Cameron’s book, “The Artist’s Way”, she has a ritual called “morning pages”. This is a process of thoughts written immediately upon waking.
I think of my early morning improvisations as a pianist’s equivalent, and I let my mood flow through.
On performance days, it’s all about rest, slow practice, getting the right nutrition and enjoying the rituals of rehearsal, and getting excited and focused.
In the last hour before the concert, I’m resting as much as possible.
The length of daily practice varies, but usually between four to five hours.
If I’m learning a new work in a short space of time, I’ll put in more hours.
Only part of that time can be really focused, so the extra hours would be more getting physically familiar with the work.
Doing a long chunk of practice is part of building mental endurance, which is always heightened in a concert scenario.
I usually break up the day by making lunch. It’s another ritual I like to take time with.
I’m vegetarian and love experimenting with different recipes.
When not preparing for a performance, I am working on projects or research.
I founded a project called Lie Down and Listen.
This came out of my hope to create a deep connection and intense listening experience with the audience.
I realised classical music concerts are not really set up for this.
Often the audience is anxious about when to clap or what to say afterwards, and this is not how I want my audience to feel.
I want them to feel comfortable, relaxed and inspired. This is the only way we can absorb the beautiful healing benefits of the music.
It’s not simply about being relaxed; it’s about being open, focused and listening attentively.
There are so many sounds that we’re simply unaware of until we start listening with attention and creativity.
To relax in the evening I like to settle down to read a book for an hour or so.
I love reading, and usually have a few books on the go.
Then I’ll start my winddown routine. When I have time, I’ll do some restorative yoga before having an early night.
It’s not all relaxation, though, as I am planning to run my first ultramarathon.
I’m attracted to the patience, persistence and perspective needed for ultra-marathon runners.
It’s all about overcoming mental challenges and surpassing human limitations.
In that respect, I find parallels with the musical world. ■
Advice I would give my twenty-year-old self:
Be patient, stay present and stay passionate!