45th International Viola Congress 2018

In this lecture, I would like to present my findings on how classical (viola) players can
improve their performance for YouTube. This is part of the artistic research I am
undertaking as part of my Masters at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague.
Performing for Youtube is different than live performances, where the audience is
present, or CD-recordings, where the performer and the audience cannot see each
other. Even though YouTube is used a lot by musicians, we do not often consider the
particulars of this new way to perform. In this talk, I will discuss how performance
aspects such as sound quality, camera angles and the presence of a live audience in
the recording influence the performer-audience relationship.
Since YouTube was first introduced as a video-sharing platform in 2005, it has
quickly become a part of classical musicians’ daily life and practice. Musicians use
YouTube when learning new repertoire, for inspiration, to see masterclasses or to listen
to music. It is also a way to share our own performances, with the world or even just
with a single teacher. Sharing footage of performances online can be fun, scary, but
also practical or even a requirement for auditions. YouTube offers entrepreneurial
opportunities, such as creating revenue through YouTube itself or using videos to
promote other outlets, such as CDs or live concerts. However, from an artistic
perspective, the 'success' of a performance is qualified by the performer-audience
relationship.
A rising awareness of the performer-audience relationship is connected to the
'performative turn' in art, viewing classical concerts as an 'event' instead of an artefact.
Contemporary performance theory, based on the work of performance scholars and
musicologists such as Nicholas Cook and Philip Auslander, provides a framework for
this research.
In this lecture, I will show examples from several YouTube channels, showing the
different possibilities and results. This analysis will focus on the audio and video quality,
camera use and the setting of the performance (live concert/auditorium/living room
etc.). This will be combined with my own videos, in which I am experimenting with the
outcomes of my research. I will then provide practical advice for viola players who
would like to upload their own material to YouTube .

proposal ref.: 108