How to truly listen | Evelyn Glennie

Translator: Martin Segovia Reviewer: Jon Goikolea

Ez nago oso ziur danbor bat

I'm not quite sure whether I really want to see a snare drum

at nine o'clock or so in the morning.

ikusi nahi izateaz goikeko 9etan. (barreak)

(Laughter)

But anyway, it's just great to see such a full theater,

Hala ere, harrigarria da aretoa hain betea ikustea

and really, I must thank Herbie Hancock and his colleagues

eta benetan eskertu behar ditut Herbie Hancock

eta bere lagunak aurkezpen honengatik.

for such a great presentation.

(Applause)

Gauzarik interesgarrienetako bat,

One of the interesting things, of course,

jakina, instrumentuan duen esku zuzen hori,

is the combination of that raw hand on the instrument and technology,

teknologia eta, noski, gazteei entzuteaz esan zuenaren nahasketa da.

and what he said about listening to our young people.

Of course, my job is all about listening.

Nire lana entzutean datza, noski,

And my aim, really, is to teach the world to listen.

eta nire helburua, izatez, jendeari entzuten irakastea da.

That's my only real aim in life.

Hori da nire egiazko helburu bakarra bizitzan.

And it sounds quite simple, but actually, it's quite a big, big job.

Eta oso erraza dirudi, baina benetan lan oso oso handia da.

Because you know, when you look at a piece of music, for example,

Zuek badakizuelako, musika pieza bat begiratzen denean -adibidez,

if I just open my little motorbike bag --

nire poltxatxoa irekitzen badut- hemen dugu, espero dut,

we have here, hopefully,

a piece of music that is full of little black dots on the page.

musika zati bat, orria puntutxo beltzez betetzen duena.

And, you know, we open it up ...

Badakizue, irekitzen dut eta musika irakurtzen dut.

And I read the music.

So technically, I can actually read this.

Beraz, teknikoki hau irakur dezaket.

I will follow the instructions, the tempo markings, the dynamics.

Argibideak segituko ditut: denbora argibideak, dinamikak.

I will do exactly as I'm told.

Zehatz-mehatz egingo dut esten didana.

And so therefore, because time is short,

Eta honela, motza denez,

if I just played you, literally, the first, maybe, two lines or so --

lehenengo bi lerroak joko ditut gutxi gora behera. Oso erraza da.

It's very straightforward; there's nothing too difficult about the piece.

Ez dago gauza zailegirik.

Baina esaten dit oso azkarra dela.

But here, I'm being told that the piece of music is very quick.

Danborraren zein tokitan jo behar dudan esaten dit.

I'm being told where to play on the drum.

I'm being told which part of the stick to use.

Makilaren zein parterekin jo behar dudan esaten dit.

And I'm being told the dynamic.

Dinamika esaten dit

And I'm also being told that the drum is without snares.

Eta esaten dit danborrak ez duela bordoirik.

Snares on, snares off.

Bordoia jarrita, bordoia kenduta.

So therefore, if I translate this piece of music,

Beraz, musika zati hau itzultzen badut ideia hau izango dugu.

we have this idea.

(Drum sounds)

(Drum sounds end)

And so on.

Eta horrela. Nire karrerak 5 urte iraungo zituen. (barreak)

My career would probably last about five years.

(Laughter)

However, what I have to do as a musician

Hala ere, musikari bezala egin behar dudana partituran agertzen ez dena egitea da.

is do everything that is not on the music;

everything that there isn't time to learn from a teacher,

Irakasle batengandik ikasteko aukera ez dagoen guzti hori,

or to talk about, even, from a teacher.

edo irakaslearekin komentatu gabe geratzen diren aspektu horiek..

But it's the things you notice when you're not actually with your instrument

Baina gauza horiek dira, hain zuzen, instrumentuarekin ez zaudenean nabaritzen direnak,

that, in fact, become so interesting, and that you want to explore

hain interesgarriak bihurtzen direnak aztertu nahi ditugula

through this tiny, tiny surface of a drum.

danborraren gainazal txiki horretatik.

So there, we experience the translation.

Ongi da: itzulpena ikusi dugu. Orain ikus dezagun interpretazioa.

Now we'll experience the interpretation.

(Drum sounds)

(Drum sounds end)

(Applause)

Orain nire karrerak zertxobait gehiago iraungo du! (barreak)

Now my career may last a little longer.

(Laughter)

Baina modu batera berdina da begiratu eta

But in a way, you know, it's the same if I look at you

and I see a nice, bright young lady with a pink top on.

gazte bat ikusten badut blusa arrosarekin.

I see that you're clutching a teddy bear, etc., etc.

Panpinazko hartz bat duela eskutartean, etab, etab.

So I get a basic idea as to what you might be about,

Horrela, nolakoa den, ideia bat jasotzen dut, zer gauza gustatu zaizkiokeen,

what you might like, what you might do as a profession, etc., etc.

zein den bere lanbidea igarri, etab, etab.

However, that's just the initial idea I may have that we all get

Hala ere, ideia hau hasierako ideia bat baino ez da, denok duguna

when we actually look and we try to interpret.

begiratzen dugunean. Eta interpretatzen ahalegintzen gara,

But actually it's so unbelievably shallow.

baina hain azalekoa da...

In the same way, I look at the music; I get a basic idea;

Era berean, partitura begiratzen dut, oinarrizko ideia bat dut,

I wonder what technically might be hard, or, you know, what I want to do.

neure buruari galdetzen diot zer izan daitekeen teknikoki zaila, edo zer da egin nahi dudan lehenengo gauza.

Just the basic feeling.

Oinarrizko sentsazioa bakarrik.

However, that is simply not enough.

Hala ere, hau bakarrik ez da nahikoa.

And I think what Herbie said: please listen, listen.

Eta Herbiek esan zuena gogora dakart - mezedez, entzun ezazue, entzun ezazue.

We have to listen to ourselves, first of all.

Entzun egin behar dugu, geure buruari lehenengo.

If I play, for example, holding the stick --

Adibidez, makila heltzen jotzen badut - makila literalki soltatu gabe -

where literally I do not let go of the stick --

(Drum sound)

you'll experience quite a lot of shock coming up through the arm.

dardara asko sentituko ditut besotik gora.

And you feel really quite -- believe it or not --

Eta sentitzen nahiz - sinistu ala ez-,

detached from the instrument and from the stick,

oso harrituta, instrumentuarengan eta makilarengan,

even though I'm actually holding the stick quite tightly.

oso sendoki heltzen ari naizen arren.

(Drum sound)

By holding it tightly, I feel strangely more detached.

Gogor heltzen, instrumentutik urrunago sentitzen nahiz era arraroan.

If I just simply let go

Baina nire eskua eta besoa askatzen baditut eta usten badiet euskarri sistema bat izaten,

and allow my hand, my arm, to be more of a support system,

suddenly --

bapatean dinamika gehiago daukat esfortzu txikiagorekin. Askoz gehiago.

(Drum sound)

I have more dynamic with less effort.

Much more --

(Drum sound)

and I just feel, at last, one with the stick

Eta azkenean sentitzen dut batera nabilela makilarekin eta danborrarekin.

and one with the drum.

And I'm doing far, far less.

Eta azkoz gutxiago egiten ari nahiz.

So in the same way that I need time with this instrument,

Beraz, instrumentu honekin denbora behar dudan moduan,

I need time with people in order to interpret them.

denbora behar dut pertsonak interptretatzeko.

Not just translate them, but interpret them.

Ez itzultzea bakarrik, baita interptretatzea ere.

If, for example, I play just a few bars of a piece of music

Adibidez, musika zati baten konpas batzuk jotzen baditut

for which I think of myself as a technician --

neure burua tekniko bezala hartzen dut soilik,

that is, someone who is basically a percussion player --

hau da, perkusioa jotzen duen norbait...

(Marimba sounds)

(Marimba sounds end)

And so on, if I think of myself as a musician --

eta honela. Musikaritzat hartzen badut neure burua...

(Marimba sounds)

(Marimba sounds end)

And so on.

eta honela. Diferetzia xume bat badago (barreak)

There is a little bit of a difference there that is worth just --

(Applause)

thinking about.

pentsatzea merezi duena. (txaloak)

And I remember when I was 12 years old,

Eta gogoratzen dut, 12 urte nintuenean

and I started playing timpani and percussion,

eta tinbalak eta perkusioa jotzen hasi nintzen, eta nire irakasleak esan zuen:

and my teacher said,

"Well, how are we going to do this? You know, music is about listening."

"Beno, nola egingo dugu hau? Badakizu, musika, entzutean datza."

And I said, "Yes, I agree with that, so what's the problem?"

"Bai, ados nago. Beraz, non dago arazoa?

And he said, "Well, how are you going to hear this?

Eta berak esan zidan: "Beno, nola etzungo duzu hau? Nola entzungo duzu beste hori?"

How are you going to hear that?"

And I said, "Well, how do you hear it?"

Eta nik esan nuen: "Nola entzuten duzu zuk?"

He said, "Well, I think I hear it through here."

Berak esan zuen: "Uste dut hemendik entzuten dudala."

And I said, "Well, I think I do too, but I also hear it through my hands,

Eta nik esan nuen: "Beno, baita nik ere, uste dut. Baina horretaz aparte nire eskuekin entzuten dut,

through my arms, cheekbones, my scalp,

nire besoekin, masailekin, ilearekin, nire triparekin, nire bularraldearekin, hankekin, etab."

my tummy, my chest, my legs and so on."

And so we began our lessons every single time

Klase bakoitza danborrak afinatzen hasten genuen

tuning drums, in particular, the kettle drums, or timpani

-bereziki tinbalak-

to such a narrow pitch interval, so something like --

interbalo txiki baten, honen antzerako...

(Marimba sounds)

diferentzia txikiekin. Gero gradualki... eta gradualki...

that of a difference.

Then gradually:

(Marimba sounds)

And gradually:

(Marimba sounds)

And it's amazing that when you do open your body up,

eta harrigarria da zeure gorputza irekitzen duzunean

and open your hand up to allow the vibration to come through,

eta zeure eskuak dardarak sentitzeko,

that in fact the tiny, tiny difference --

izatez, diferentzia txiki hori...

(Marimba sounds)

can be felt with just the tiniest part of your finger, there.

zeure hatzaren parterik txikienarekin sentitu daiteke, hortxe.

And so what we would do is that I would put my hands

Beraz nik nire eskuak musika aretoaren paretaren kontra

on the wall of the music room,

jartzen nituen, eta elkarrekin "entzun egiten genituen" instrumentuen soinuak,

and together, we would "listen" to the sounds of the instruments,

and really try to connect with those sounds

eta benetan soinuetan arreta jartzen saiatzen ginen

far, far more broadly than simply depending on the ear.

belarriaz bakarrik baliatuko bagina baino era askoz zabalagoan.

Because of course, the ear is subject to all sorts of things.

Belarria gauza askorekin alda daiteke, noski.

The room we happen to be in, the amplification,

Aretoa, anplifikazioa, instrumentuaren kalitatea,

the quality of the instrument, the type of sticks --

makil mota, etab. etab.

(Marimba sounds)

(Marimba sounds end)

Etc., etc., they're all different.

Denak ezberdinak dira.

(Marimba sounds)

(Marimba sounds end)

Same amount of weight, but different sound colors.

Pisu berdina baina soinu mota ezberdina.

And that's basically what we are; we're just human beings,

Eta hori da funtsean garena. Gizakiak gara,

but we all have our own little sound colors, as it were,

baina denok daukagu geure "soinu kolorea", horrela esateagatik,

that make up these extraordinary personalities and characters

izakera harrigarri hauek egiten dituena,

izakerak, zaletazunak, etab.

and interests and things.

And as I grew older, I then auditioned

Hazi nintzenean, Londoneko Royal Academy of Music-en zartzeko audizioak egin nituen

for the Royal Academy of Music in London,

and they said, "Well, no, we won't accept you, because we haven't a clue,

eta zera ezan zidaten: "Beno, ez, ez zaitugu onartzen ez dugulako ideiarik

you know, of the future of a so-called 'deaf musician.'"

musikari 'gor' baten etorkizuna zein izan daitekeen."

And I just couldn't quite accept that.

Eta nik ezin nuen hori onartu.

And so therefore, I said to them, "Well, look, if you refuse --

Beraz esan nien: "Beno, ikusi, ezetz esaten badidazue,

if you refuse me through those reasons,

arrazoi horiengatik ez banauzue onartzen,

as opposed to the ability to perform

--soinuen artea interpretatu, ulertu eta maitatzeko gaitasunari

and to understand and love the art of creating sound --

kontra eginez--

then we have to think very, very hard about the people you do actually accept."

orduan, nor onartzen duzuen oso oso sakonki aztertu beharko dugu."

And as a result, once we got over a little hurdle,

Eta ondorioz, -behin arazo hau gainditu nuenean eta bigarren audizioa izan ondoren--

and having to audition twice,

they accepted me.

onartu egin ninduten. Eta ez hori bakarrik:

And not only that,

what had happened was that it changed the whole role of the music institutions

gertatu zenak guztiz aldatu zuen Erresuma Batuko

musika instituzioen rola.

throughout the United Kingdom.

Under no circumstances were they to refuse

Inoiz ez zuten sarrera eskari bat gaitzetsiko norbaitek besorik

any application whatsoever

on the basis of whether someone had no arms, no legs --

edo hankarik ez zuelako.

they could still perhaps play a wind instrument if it was supported on a stand.

Agian, haizezko musika trensna bat jo ahal izateko euskarri batetan jarri beharko zen instrumentu.

Zirkunstatzia bat ere ezingo da erabili sarrera eskari bat errefusatzeko.

No circumstances at all were used to refuse any entry.

And every single entry had to be listened to, experienced,

Eta eskari bakoitza entzun eta frogatu beharko da, eta gero,

and then, based on the musical ability,

musika gaitasuneri begira, pertsona onartu edo ez.

then that person could either enter or not.

And so therefore, this in turn meant

Honek, ikasle talde interesgarri bat

that there was an extremely interesting bunch of students

musika instituzio hauetara ailegatzea egin zuen.

who arrived in these various music institutions,

and I have to say, many of them now in the professional orchestras

Eta esan behara dago horietako asko, gaur egun,

munduko orkestra profesionaletan ari direla jotzen.

throughout the world.

The interesting thing about this as well, though --

Honen gauza interesgarria da, nahiz eta...-

(Applause)

(txaloak)-

is quite simply that not only were people connected with sound --

jende hau ez dagoela soilik soinuari lotuta,

which is basically all of us --

-gutako gehienok bezala- musika gure eguneroko botika da.

we well know that music really is our daily medicine.

I say "music," but actually I mean "sound."

Musika esaten dut baina soinuaz ari nahiz.

Because some of the extraordinary things I've experienced as a musician --

Badakizue? Musikari bezala hainbat gauza harrigarri ezagutu ditut:

15 urteko mutiko bat izan dezakezu,

when you may have a 15-year-old lad

who has got the most incredible challenges,

erronka handiak gainditu behar dituena,

who may not be able to control his movements,

agian bere mugimenduak ezin dituena kontrolatu,

who may be deaf, who may be blind, etc., etc. --

agian gorra dena edo itsua dena, etab., etab.

suddenly, if that young lad sits close to this instrument,

Bat batean, gazte hori instrumentutik gertu eseritzen bada,

and perhaps even lies underneath the marimba,

eta marinba baten azpian etzaten bada ere,

and you play something that's so incredibly organ-like, almost --

eta organoaren oso antzerako zerbait jotzen badiozu,

I don't really have the right sticks, perhaps --

-ez dut makil egokirik-

but something like this -- let me change --

baina honelako zerbait. Utz ezadazue aldatzen.

(Soft marimba sounds)

(Soft marimba sounds end)

Something that's so unbelievably simple --

Oso sinplea den zerbait...

baina berak nik sentituko ez nuen zerbait sentituko luke

but he would be experiencing something that I wouldn't be,

because I'm on top of the sound.

ni soinuaren gainean nagoelako.

I have the sound coming this way.

Niri soinua alde honetatik ailegatzen zait.

He would have the sound coming through the resonators.

Berari erresonatzaileen bitartez ailegatuko litzaioke.

If there were no resonators on here, we would have:

Erresonatzailerik ez balego hemen hau izango genuke...

(Marimba sounds)

So he would have a fullness of sound

beraz hemen dagoen soinua, lehenengo iladetan zaudetenak ezin izango zenuten modu batera

that those of you in the front few rows wouldn't experience,

sentituko luke. Atzean zaudetenak ere ezingo zenuten sentitu.

those of you in the back few rows wouldn't experience, either.

Every single one of us, depending on where we're sitting,

Gutako bakoitzak, eserita dagoen lekuaren arabera,

will experience this sound quite, quite differently.

soinu hau era desberdinean sentitzen du.

And of course, being the participator of the sound,

Eta, noski, soinu honen parte hartzaile izanda,

and that is, starting from the idea of what type of sound

eta hau zein soinu mota egin nahi dudan jakinda abiatuta-

I want to produce, for example, this sound:

adibidez, soinu hau.

(No sound)

Can you hear anything?

Zerbait entzun dezakezue?

Exactly -- because I'm not even touching it.

Horixe da, ez nagoelako ukitzen ere.

(Laughter)

Baina, hala ere, zerbait gertatzen ari dela antzeman dezakegu.

But yet, we get the sensation of something happening.

In the same way that when I see a tree moves,

Zuhaitzak mugitzen ikusten ditudanean bezala

then I imagine that tree making a rustling sound.

eta imajinatzen dut zuhaitza soinu xuxurlaria egiten.

Do you see what I mean?

Ikusten zer esan nahi dudan?

Whatever the eye sees, then there's always sound happening.

Ikus dezakegun edozein gauzari lotuta beti dago soinu bat.

So there's always, always that huge --

Beraz beti dago kaleidoskopio

I mean, just this kaleidoscope of things to draw from.

handi bat nondik gauzak atera ditzazkegun.

So all of my performances are based on entirely what I experience,

Honela nire ekitaldi guztiak nik sentitzen dudanean oinarrituta daude guztiz,

and not by learning a piece of music,

eta ez musika zati bat ikastean bakarrik, edo beste edozeinen interptretazioa erreproduzitzean,

putting on someone else's interpretation of it,

buying all the CDs possible of that particular piece of music,

edo musika zati hori azaltzen den CD guztaik analizatuz soinuen bila.

and so on and so forth,

because that isn't giving me enough of something that is so raw and so basic,

Horrek ez zidalako emango hain oinarrizko materiala

and something that I can fully experience the journey of.

nik ibilbide guztia sentitu ahal izateko.

So it may be that, in certain halls,

Beraz, izan daiteke areto batzuetan dinamika hau erabili ahal daitekela.

this dynamic may well work.

(Soft marimba sounds)

(Soft marimba sounds end)

It may be that in other halls,

Izan liteke beste aretotan ezinezkoa izatea hau sentitzea

they're simply not going to experience that at all,

eta orduan nire leuntasun maila

and so therefore, my level of soft, gentle playing may have to be --

jotzerako orduan izan beharko luke...

(Marimba sounds)

(Marimba sounds end)

Do you see what I mean?

So, because of this explosion in access to sound,

Ikusten zer esan nahi dudan? Beraz, soinuaren sarbide eztanda honetan,

especially through the Deaf community,

bereziki pertsona gorren artean,

this has not only affected how music institutions,

honek ez du musika instituzioak eta gorrentzako musika eskolak soinua tratatzeko

how schools for the deaf treat sound, and not just as a means of therapy --

duten era aldatu bakarrik. Eta ez bakarrik terapia bezala, baina

although, of course, being a participator of music,

noski, musika partaide bat izanez gero

that definitely is the case as well --

kasu berdina da.

but it's meant that acousticians have had to really think

Akustika teknikariak muntatzen duten areto motetan pentsatu behar izatea ere eragin du.

about the types of halls they put together.

Esango nuke munduan oso areto gutxi daudela

There are so few halls in this world

that actually have very good acoustics, dare I say.

benetan soinu ona dutenak.

Edozer gauza egin daitekeen aretotaz ari naiz.

But by that I mean, where you can absolutely do anything you imagine.

The tiniest, softest, softest sound to something that is so broad,

Soinu txiki, leun batetik hain zabala, hain handia, hain harrigarria den zerbaiteraino.

so huge, so incredible.

Beti dago zerbait-

There's always something:

it may sound good up there, may not be so good there;

ondo entzun daiteke hemen, txarragoa izan daiteke hor.

it may be great there, but terrible up there;

Oso ona izan daiteke hemen, baina oso txarra han.

maybe terrible over there, but not too bad there, etc., etc.

Agian oso txara han, baina ez oso txarra hor, etab, etab.

So to find an actual hall is incredible --

Beraz areto bat aurkitzea ia ezinezkoa da,

for which you can play exactly what you imagine,

nun imaginatzen duzuna jo dezakezun, zehatz-mehatz,

without it being cosmetically enhanced.

"estetikoki hobetua" izan gabe.

So therefore, acousticians are actually in conversation

Beraz, akustika teknikariak entzumen arazoak dituzten pertsonekin eta soinuaren

with people who are hearing impaired,

partaideak direnekin eztabaidan daude.

and who are participators of sound.

And this is quite interesting.

Eta hori oso interesgarria da.

I cannot give you any detail

Ezin dizuet zehazpenik eman areto hauekin gertatzen ari denaz,

as far as what is actually happening with those halls,

baina pertsona talde horri kontsultan ari dira,

but it's just the fact that they are going to a group of people

for whom so many years, we've been saying,

hainbeste urtetan haietaz honelako gauzak esan eta gero:

"Well, how on earth can they experience music? They're deaf."

"Beno, nola sentitu dezakete musika? Gorrak dira."

We go like that, and we imagine that's what deafness is about.

Guk hau bakarrik egiten dugu eta imajinatzen dugu gorra izatea hau dela.

Or we go like that, and we imagine that's what blindness is about.

Edo honela egiten dugu eta imajinatzen dugu itsua izatea hau dela.

Norbait gurpil aulki batean ikusten badugu, suposatzen dugu ezin duela oinez egin.

If we see someone in a wheelchair, we assume they cannot walk.

It may be that they can walk three, four, five steps.

Izan liteke hiru, lau edo bost pausu eman ditzakeela. Hau, haientzat, ibiltzea izan arren.

That, to them, means they can walk.

In a year's time, it could be two extra steps.

Urte bateko epean, bi pausu gehiago izan daitezke.

In another year's time, three extra steps.

Beste urte batean, hiru gehiago.

Those are hugely important aspects to think about.

Gauza hauek oso garrantzitsuak dira erreflexiorako.

So when we do listen to each other,

Beraz elkar entzutean,

it's unbelievably important for us

oso garrantzitsua da guretzat entzute ahalmenak frogan jartzea.

to really test our listening skills,

to really use our bodies as a resonating chamber,

Geure gorputzak erresonantzia kaxa bat bezala erabiltzea. Epaiketa geldiaraztea.

to stop the judgment.

For me, as a musician who deals with 99 percent of new music,

Niretzat, musika berriekin etengabe nabilen musikari bezala,

it's very easy for me to say,

oso erraza da esatea: "Bai, gustoko dut hori."

"Oh yes, I like that piece. No, I don't like that piece," and so on.

"Ez, hori ez dut gustoko." Eta honela.

And I just find that I have to give those pieces of music real time.

Eta konturatu nintzen musika-lan bakoitzari denbora eman behar niela.

It may be that the chemistry isn't quite right between myself

Agian musika-lan horren eta nire artean ez dago kimika ona.

and that particular piece of music,

but that doesn't mean I have the right to say it's a bad piece of music.

Baina honek ez du esan nahi musika-lan txar bat dela erabakitzeko gaitasuna dudanik.

And you know, one of the great things about being a musician

Eta, badakizue? Musikari izatearen gauzarik handienetako bat

is that it is so unbelievably fluid.

oso oparoa dela da.

So there are no rules, no right, no wrong, this way, that way.

Beraz ez dago araurik, ez dago zuzenik, ez dago okerrik, ez dago modu honetara edo beste modu horretara.

If I asked you to clap -- maybe I can do this.

Txalo egiteko eskatuko banizue- agian hau egin dezaket.

If I can just say, "Please clap and create the sound of thunder."

Esaten badizuet: "mezedez, txalo egin trumoi baten soinua egiteko."

I'm assuming we've all experienced thunder.

Denok trumoia esperimentatu dugula suposatzen dut.

Now, I don't mean just the sound;

Ez nahiz soinuaz bakarrik ari,

I mean really listen to that thunder within yourselves.

trumoi hori zuen barruan entzutea nahi dut.

And please try to create that through your clapping.

Eta, mezedez, saia zaitezte hori zuen txaloen bidez sortzen. Saiatu. Saiatu bakarrik, mezedez.

Try, just -- please try.

(Loud clapping sounds)

(txaloak)

(Clapping ends)

Oso ongi! Elurra. Elura. Noizbehin entzun duzue elurra?

Snow.

(Laughter)

Snow.

(Soft clapping sounds)

Have you ever heard snow?

Audience: No.

Ikusleak: Ez.

Evelyn Glennie: Well, then, stop clapping.

Evelyn Glennie: Orduan utzi txalo egiteari. (barreak) Berriro saiatu.

(Laughter)

Try again. Try again: snow.

Berriro saiatu. Elurra.

(No sound)

See, you're awake.

Ikusten duzue, esna zaudete.

Rain.

Euria. Ez dago gaizki, ez dago gaizki.

(Light clapping sounds)

EG: (Laughs)

Not bad. Not bad.

The interesting thing here, though, is that I asked a group of kids

Honetan interesgarria da orain dela gutxi ume talde bateri

not so long ago

hau eskatu niela.

exactly the same question.

Now -- great imagination, thank you very much.

Orain- imaginazio handia, eskerrikasko.

However, not one of you got out of your seats to think,

Hala ere, zuetako inor ez da eserlekutik jaiki pentsatzeko:

"Right! How can I clap?

"Ongi da! Nola egin dezaket txalo? Ondo, agian...

OK, maybe:

(Clapping sounds)

Maybe I can use my jewelry to create extra sounds.

agian neure bitxiak erabil ditzaket soinu gehiago sortzeko.

Maybe I can use the other parts of my body to create extra sounds."

Agian nire gorputzeko beste atal batzuk erabil ditzaket soinu gehiago egiteko."

Not a single one of you thought about clapping in a slightly different way

Zuetako inork ez du era ezberdinean txalokatzen pentsatu

other than sitting in your seats there and using two hands.

zuen eserlekuetan eta bi eskuak erabiltzen ez dena.

In the same way, when we listen to music,

Musika entzuten dugun era berean,

we assume that it's all being fed through here.

suposatzen dugu dena hemen dagoela.

This is how we experience music.

Honela bizitzen dugu musika. Noski ez dela.

Of course, it's not.

We experience thunder, thunder, thunder.

Trumoia, trumoia, trumoia bizitzen dugu. Pentsatu, pentsatu, pentsatu.

Think, think, think.

Listen, listen, listen.

Entzun, entzun, entzun. Orain, zer egin dezakegu trumoiekin?

Now, what can we do with thunder?

I remember my teacher, when I first started, my very first lesson,

Nire maisua gogoratzen dut. Hasi nintzenean, nire lehenengo klasean

I was all prepared with sticks, ready to go.

nik nire makilekin nengoen, hasteko prest.

And instead of him saying, "OK, Evelyn, please, feet slightly apart,

Eta ez zidan esan: "Ondo, Evelyn, mezedez. Oinak pixka bat aldenduta,

arms at a more or less 90-degree angle, sticks in a more or less V shape,

besoak 90 graduko angeluan gutxi gora behera, makilak "V" forman gutxi gorabehera,

keep this amount of space here, etc.

mantendu leku hori hemen, etab.

Please keep your back straight, etc., etc., etc." --

Mezedez, mantendu bizkarra zuzen, etab etab etab."

where I was just probably going to end up absolutely rigid, frozen,

Nik, seguruenik, zurrun eta izoztuta bukatuko nukeen

and I would not be able to strike the drum

eta ez nintzatekeen izango danborra kolpekatzeko gai,

because I was thinking of so many other things,

beste gauza askotan pentsatzen egon izango nintzatekeelako. Baina berak esan zidan:

he said, "Evelyn, take this drum away for seven days,

"Evelyn, eraman ezazu danbor hau zazpi egunetarako eta datorren astean ikusiko dugu elkar."

and I'll see you next week."

So -- heavens! What was I to do?

Zer egin behar nuen? Ez nituen makilak behar,

I no longer required the sticks.

I wasn't allowed to have these sticks.

ezin nuen makilik izan.

I had to basically look at this particular drum,

Funtsean danbor hau begiratu behar nuen,

see how it was made,

nola egina zegoen, zer egiten zuten mihi txiki horiek, zer egiten zuten bordoiak aztertu.

what these little lugs did, what the snares did.

Turned it upside down, experimented with the shell.

Buelta ematea, kaskoarekin experimentatu, larruarekin esperimentatu.

(Drum sounds)

Experimented with the head.

(Drum sounds)

Experimented with my body.

Nire gorputzarekin esperimentatzen, bitxiekin esperimentatzen,

(Drum sounds)

Experimented with jewelry.

Experimented with all sorts of things.

edozein gauzarekin esperimentatzen.

(Drum sounds)

(Drum sounds end)

And of course, I returned with all sorts of bruises.

Eta, noski, ubeldurez eta antzerako gauzez betea bueltatu nintzen (barreak)

(Laughter)

baina, hala ere, esperientzia harriagarria izan zen.

But nevertheless, it was such an unbelievable experience,

because where on earth are you going to experience that in a piece of music?

Izan ere, nola esperimentatuko dugu hori musika-lan baten bidez?

Where on earth are you going to experience that in a study book?

Nola esperimentatuko dugu hori ikasketa liburu batean?

So we never, ever dealt with actual study books.

Beraz ez ditugu inoiz ikasketa liburu errealik erabiltzen.

So for example, one of the things that we learn

Honela, adibidez, ikasten dugun gauzetako bat

when we are dealing with being a percussion player

perkusio exekutatzaile bat izatearekin ari garenean, musikari izatearekin ez bezala,

as opposed to a musician,

is basically, straightforward single-stroke rolls.

kolpe zehatz eta sinpleen segida bat da.

(Drum sounds)

Like that, and then we get a little faster --

Hori bezalaxe. Eta gero pixka bat azkarrago egiten dugu, eta pixka bat azkarrago, eta pixka bat azkarrago.

(Drum sounds)

and a little faster --

(Drum sounds)

and a little faster, and so on and so forth.

Eta honela. Zer da musika-lan honek behar duena?

What does this piece require?

Single-stroke rolls.

Golpe sinpleko erredoblea. Beraz, zergatik ezin dut musika-lan baten ikasketan zehar egin?

(Drum sound)

So why can't I then do that whilst learning a piece of music?

And that's exactly what he did.

Eta hori da berak egin zuena.

And interestingly, the older I became, and when I became a full-time student

Eta hazi nintzenean, "musika instituzio" deitzen zaionean denbora osos ikasten

at a so-called "music institution," all of that went out of the window.

hazi nintzenean, hau guztia alboratua izan zen.

We had to study from study books.

Ikasketa liburuetatik ikasi behar genuen.

And constantly, the question, "Well, why? Why? What is this relating to?

Eta askotan, galdera, beno, zergatik? Zergatik? Zerekin dago erlazionatuta hau?

I need to play a piece of music."

Musika-lan bat jo behar dut. "Beno, hau zure kontrola hobetuko du"

"Well, this will help your control."

"Well, how? Why do I need to learn that?

Baina, nola? Zergatik ikasi behar dut hau? Musika-lan batekin erlazionatu behar dut.

I need to relate it to a piece of music.

You know, I need to say something.

Badakizue? Zerbain esan behar dut.

Why am I practicing paradiddles?

Zergatik ari nahiz paradiddleak praktikatzen?

(Drum sounds)

Is it just literally for control, for hand-stick control?

Makilaren eta eskuaren kontrolerako, literalki, da bakarrik? Zergatik nago hau egiten?

Why am I doing that?

I need to have the reason,

Arrazoi bat izan behar dut,

and the reason has to be by saying something through the music."

eta arrazioa zera izan behar du: zerbait esatea musikaren bidez.

And by saying something through music, which basically is sound,

Eta musikaren bidez zerbait esatean, funtsean soinua dela,

we then can reach all sorts of things to all sorts of people.

edozein motatako gauzak transmiti daitezke edozein pertsonari.

But I don't want to take responsibility of your emotional baggage.

Baina ez dut zuen emoziotaz ardura artu nahi.

That's up to you, when you walk through a hall,

Hori zuek areto batera sartzen zaretenearen araberakoa da.

because that then determines what and how we listen to certain things.

Honek zehaztuko du nola entzuten ditugun hainbat gauza.

I may feel sorrowful, or happy, or exhilarated, or angry

Triste sentitu naiteke, edo zoriontsu, edo asaldatua, edo gozagaitz musika-lan batzuk

when I play certain pieces of music,

jotzen ditudanean, baina dut nahi zuek

but I'm not necessarily wanting you to feel exactly the same thing.

berdina sentitzea.

So please, the next time you go to a concert,

Beraz, kontzert batera zoaztenean,

just allow your body to open up,

utzi zuen gorputzak irekitzea, utzi zuen gurputzari erresonantzia ganbara izatea.

allow your body to be this resonating chamber.

Be aware that you're not going to experience the same thing

Kontuan izan ez duzuela musikariak esperimentatuko duen berdina sentituko.

as the performer is.

The performer is in the worst possible position for the actual sound,

Artista posizio txarrenean dago soinu errealarentzako:

because they're hearing the contact of the stick --

makila kaxa kolpekatzen duenaren soinua entzuten ari da,

(Drum sound)

on the drum, or the mallet on the bit of wood,

edo mazoa egurra kolpekatzen, edo arkua sokan, etab.

or the bow on the string, etc.,

or the breath that's creating the sound from wind and brass.

Edo soinuak sortzen duen arnasketa haize eta metaletan.

They're experiencing that rawness there.

Gordintasuna esperimentatzen ari dira bertan.

But yet they're experiencing something so unbelievably pure,

Hala ere zerbait hain purua esperimentatzen ari dira

which is before the sound is actually happening.

benetako soinuaren aurrekoa dela.

Please take note of the life of the sound after the actual initial strike,

Mezedez, kontura zaitezte soinuaren bizitzaz kolpea eta gero,

edo arnasketaz, emanak izan dira. Soinu horren bidaia esperimentatzen dugu

or breath, is being pulled.

Just experience the whole journey of that sound

in the same way that I wished I'd experienced the whole journey

konferentzia honen ibilbide guztia esperimentatu nahi izan nukeen moduan

of this particular conference, rather than just arriving last night.

atzo ailegatzearen ordez.

But I hope maybe we can share one or two things as the day progresses.

Espero dut hainbat gauza trutatu ahal izatea egunean zehar.

But thank you very much for having me!

Eskerrikasko gonbidatzeagatik!

(Applause)

(txaloak)

(Applause ends)

(Music)

(Music ends)

(Applause)