Composing as an Act of Community and Sincerity with Iván Enrique Rodríguez

From the International Music Magazine Along

Named in 2018 a Puerto Rican Heritage Ernesto Malave Scholar of the Arts by Comité Noviembre in N.Y.C., Rodríguez’ music is inspired by the factual human experience. His latest compositions have been focused on social justice and activism, having in their inner spirit his Puerto Rican musical heritage. Composing is an act of community, of sharing, of honesty and sincerity.

How did you get interested in composing? What fascinates you the most as a composer?

It is almost funny how I got interested in composing; I think writing music found me by accident. I remember as a teenager when I started studying music I began playing the saxophone, and later on learned violin, piano, voice, harp and flute, among other instruments. As we all know, starting to play an instrument requires the study of lots of exercises, etudes, scales and many others, perhaps boring but very necessary, elements for the learning of a musical instrument. All of those exercises are not necessarily the most musical thing one can do when practicing an instrument.

And because of that reason, I remember I started writing accompaniments to all of the etudes and exercises I needed to practice for my lessons. Little did I know that I was actually composing music. In the end, my idea was only to make those “boring” exercises as much fun and musically appealing as possible. Consequently, writing those accompaniments awoke in me further artistic curiosities when writing music. I recall thinking that some of the harmonies in the etudes and exercises could move into different places other than the once they did. I even remember changing those harmonies and even the melodies to the point of turning those “boring” exercises into fun and musical pieces.

By that time I felt a personal musical sense. I remember I could hear my own complete musical gestures and passages, even full pieces in my head. I couldn’t wait to write them down to share them with my friends! And that is the thing that fascinates me the most about being a composer; or about composing in general. That element of personal identity within a social environment. Furthermore, the fact that that same identity flows musically to be shared with others. The fact that we can create community, friendship and family by sharing ourselves in the most honest and personal way through a new piece of music, truly and constantly fascinates me.

Music is a mysterious thing. It can tell and show the most exact and deepest message while being a completely subjective artform. It can convey pure and strong emotions and refer to them without mentioning them clearly or even at all. I believe we can all agree that we have felt something while listening to music. Thus, being able to write something down that could potentially make someone feel something; it is beyond fascinating. It is a blessing! It is, at least for me, one of the things I treasure the most in my life! It is awfully lonely to sit down and spend long hours writing music, but it is so incredibly magical and humbling to be able to share it with colleagues and audiences. To be able to say “I would love to share and give to you a little piece of my heart and soul.”

Oftentimes, we hear people complain that they don't know how to appreciate contemporary music. What are you perspectives to this phenomenon?

This is such an interesting question and topic! We could go through many roads to try and explain this phenomena – we can talk about historic accounts, new music techniques, music in the academia, the importance of audiences, etc. In the end there are many attempts to try and give an answer to this question. But if something is certain it’s that, whether the classical music community agrees or not, there is a very strong sense of dismissal, confusion or even rejection against new music by audiences as well as music connoisseurs. 

I think that looking back in time might shine some sort of light upon this phenomena. Maestro Richard Egarr, music director of the Academy of Ancient Music and expert in historical performance said during an interview with Kate Molleson: “You only have to read a tiny bit about what music meant to people in the 17th century, about the way people reacted, to know this was supposed to be seriously emotional stuff. There are so many examples of people bursting into tears. Music was a passionate thing. Why should we soften the edges now?” In the case of new music, I think softening the edges was one element of the cause for the current situation in addition to many other factors. Any history book would mention that by the mid 19th Century, Johannes Brahms was already challenged by what today we call the ‘Classical Music Canon.’ But less than sixty years earlier, Gioachino Rossini was internationally acclaimed by his operas and Felix Mendelssohn by his chamber and orchestral music, and this is without mentioning Franz Liszt which was the exact equivalent of what we call a celebrity today. Classical Music was very vibrant and there was a big demand for it, audiences expected new music constantly. That said, when we come closer and closer to our times, the power of the ‘Classical Music Canon’ became so influential that writing new music turned into an exercise of comparison to the past rather than an act of enjoyment.

Music, in contradiction to what Richard Egarr states, became more and more scientific. This trend alongside the rising authority of music intellectuals in the “Ivory Towers” of the world to decide or “agree” in any sort of “objectiveness” in music, created a new set of standards and a redefinition of the concept of what should or should not be felt, expected, listened to, or performed. This had as a consequence the distancing of audiences. The threatening confrontation that new music had to face against the canon changed the expectation and demand of audiences for new creations, bringing with it a lack of financial stability for the composers – stability that was found or, to some extent managed inside academia. But academia had its own standards that permeated inside the creation process of music. It gave music the illusion of an endeavor worthy of standing with, and be seen as one of the sciences. Hence becoming comprehensible (musically, but perhaps more so socially) only by small and selected group of people, while actively sterilizing it from its inherent emotional content. --This became almost a precondition of music creation.-- In my experience as a composer, this phenomena expands beyond the boundaries of aesthetics, style or any artistic choices. It became more of a social incident in which the treatment of the subject of classical music was suspended in a arrogant sphere that pushed audiences and even musicians away.

Although the prognosis of new classical music seemed rather grim, there has been a recent change in the music composition approach that appear to be of promise. In the recent decades the renaissance of the thought of composing music as an emotional and artistic endeavor has become very noticeable. Personally, this shift is of immense significance to me because of the meaning that music holds in my life.

When talking to friends and colleagues, I often say that “I don’t do music. I AM music.” Music has always been to me more than entertainment or just an artistic craft. It is, for me, a way of living, a commitment to be open, honest and fully devoted to share who I am without expecting anything in exchange but just people’s will to listen. Music is for me the catalyst for my emotions, the medium that can convey my deepest feelings, somehow more precisely that any words or language. It is a craft of love – It has to be a craft of love! By engaging with music creation with love in its genesis, every step of the process will be governed by the highest emotional and technical offerings from the artist, as the purpose of the art created will not be subdued by narcissistic desires. I often compare creating music as raising and loving one’s child. Why would one take care of one’s own child? Why would one engage in such arduous, and incalculably difficult responsibility? The only answer to those questions is love. Love will guide decisions to improve the child’s wellbeing. Love will spark the need to learn the best ways to provide for all the needs of the child. Love will clear the path for difficult decisions to be taken when they will end up benefiting the child. Love will fill the heart and soul in the most selfless manner as one’s joy and fulfillment will transpire from one’s child’s wellbeing, success and happiness. This is how I see, live and, believe music should be. I truly love what I do and that love has given me the strength to take difficult decisions, to train myself and seek as much knowledge as possible and to offer and share every inch of my being with gratitude to those who perform and those who listen.

You are from Puerto Rico, are there differences in terms of musical lives and educations between your hometown and the U.S.?

I think there are fundamental differences but also some similarities. Living as a musician in Puerto Rico (P.R.) is somewhat different but comparable to the U.S. Most musicians in P.R. have some sort of folk music and popular Caribbean music background. It is not uncommon, in fact, it is very common to encounter professional musicians from the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra (PRSO) and, professors from the Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico (CMPR) performing in salsa bands, Caribbean music concerts as well as recording productions and, night clubs. Given how small the island is, most musicians end up multitasking with their talents. I would say that there might be some similarities with the musician’s living in the U.S., or perhaps at least N.Y.C. The city is so overcrowded and vibrant that, conceivably, landing on a stable job as a musician is highly and increasingly difficult. That said, many musicians participate in the Gig Economy performing in many diverse events, the same way musicians in P.R. expand their horizons with many other genres of music. As a composer, the milieu is somewhat more challenging due to our intrinsic reliant relationship with performers. For music to come to life, it has to be performed; but for it to be performed, musicians need to be employed. This is something that I would argue is common in both places, the U.S. and P.R. A further musical difference between the U.S. and P.R., and perhaps the most interesting difference for me as a composer, lies in the composition styles and musical understanding.

Who and what are your inspirations in life?

This is a beautiful, yet complex question. I would say that what inspires me lays more in the “what” than in the “who.” Of course there are people, historic figures and composers that truly inspire me, like Gustav Mahler for example. But I find more inspiration in events and human reactions. I think there is no greater teachers than adversity, challenges and, even, what we call “failure.” When we face those things, as inherently emotional beings, we wake up feelings that make us understand sides of life that are only visible through such challenges or hard times. The same thing can be said from great and successful moments if they are seen and understood with humbleness. I find those things incredibly inspiring because the outcome will always leave you with something you didn’t have before, and information that, although different in all of us, is absolutely common amongst us.

As a conductor, you have the magic wand to create and to deliver. what are some of the most important qualities a conductor should have?

Oh! Humility! Wisdom and absolute humility! As you mentioned, we do have a wand, but that wand becomes magical not because it can deliver, guide or impose a path, but because musicians deposit their trust in it. As conductors we have to respect and value that trust. In the end the musicians are the ones that are truly experts on transforming the ink into music; us conductors are just there to receive their trust to bring together an ensemble of unity and satisfaction. This has to have the same importance as the love for music a conductor must have.

As conductors we also have the responsibility to continue the furtherance of music, and that includes new music, which is often overlooked or marginalized. That responsibility of love has to be manifested in the risk of leaping into the unknown experience that a new piece of music can bring; treated with the same respect and love that any other masterpiece of the past. We are responsible of sharing those experiences with musicians and audiences.

How do your spend your leisure time ? Is there anyone you would like to thank?

Many things but the ones that truly seize most of my time are reading and cooking. I love to cook and be creative in the kitchen. But reading… wow, I just can’t keep myself from jumping from book to book, articles, studies, you name it! I’m very interested in the theory of the mind in relation to aesthetics. But I also enjoy reading about philosophy, history, global politics, psychology, astronomy, chemistry, architecture, poetry…

I would love to thank my friends and family who have been of support and motivation but above all, I would love to thank my husband Pedro Luis Rivera. He has been my biggest support, he has been the light that pushes me to move forward even when things might seem too hard or uncertain. He believed in me when no one did and invested his love, time and trust in me with optimism and joy. I can confidently and indisputably say that I would not be who I am or where I am now without him. He is the love of my life, the care and provision anyone can dream of. 

This interview is originally published in a “Along” magazine conducted by Ruiqi Ren.