Isolation Vibrations: Monash Medical Orchestra United Over Distance
By Emma ANVARI
The Monash Medical Orchestra (MMO) have united to keep the music going with their recent virtual performance of a renown classic to great success.
The student orchestra premiered their isolated rendition of ‘Nimrod’, Movement IX from Elgar’s Enigma Variations with 61 of their new, pre-existing and alumni members via Youtube and their Facebook page to over 1,000 views within its first 24-hours.
The Orchestra, which is a non-profit ensemble composed of medical students and other members of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, is Victoria’s first single-faculty medical symphony orchestra.
Third year cellist and Co-Chair of the Orchestra, Lachlan Coman, said he was “quite emotional” when he heard the finished work for the first time and highlighted the challenging and unprecedented nature of the project for the group.
“It was great because it was something the MMO had never done before, it was something that we would never have done if it weren’t for these circumstances, and I think it is a great testament to the commitment of MMO members to the ensemble and to keep playing music,” he said.
“It was no insignificant thing for everyone to sit at home and practice, record, check it over and submit. I’m very grateful to our MMO members because it was their contributions which made the video what it was.”
According to Chief Conductor Robert Dora*, an experienced artistic director and commissioned orchestral composer with a long history in the performing arts, the decision to perform ‘Nimrod’ was made for more than just its status as “one of the most beloved” and well-known pieces of classical music.
“The main reason why I had proposed doing a virtual recording of ‘Nimrod’ was because I wanted to select something that would emotionally connect with and move people,” Robert said.
“Music is such a wonderful thing for everyone and while we all enjoy different types of music to varying degrees, music is truly a universal language that is able to be appreciated and celebrated by everyone.
“With the orchestra’s 10th Anniversary performance due to occur in Semester 2 of 2021, I also note that ‘Nimrod’ was a part of the orchestra’s debut performance in 2011. As such, it is interestingly one of only a small handful of pieces that the orchestra has performed twice since its inception.
“What I love most about this project is that as well as engaging the instrumentalists and giving them a semester 1 performance, it has also given a large number of people an experience that we hope was moving and uplifting, something which is important in these troubled times.”
A significant highlight for the group was the way the online platform enabled the bypass of many limitations of a traditional orchestra, including section sizes and the complication of individual member locations.
“We were able to include the students we usually lose to rural placements, international students who had moved back home, as well as six alumni, which I think is our silver-lining amidst the pandemic,” Lachlan said.
“I think the most challenging aspect of COVID-19 has been the disappointment of not being able to run our rehearsals and concerts, [because] our main ambition is to provide music for the medical community, to enjoy playing music together, [and] also to help provide funds or raise awareness through our philanthropic endeavours.”
In a post premiering the pandemic project, the MMO said they have been determined to maintain their tradition of being a place where “medical students are able to nurture a love of music and share that passion” with the community.
This is a sentiment Lachlan echoed, particularly in regard to first year medical students.
“I think this pandemic is adding difficulty to what is already a difficult year for first year students, and what we’d consider a success is being able to provide support for those students,” he said.
The full virtual performance can still be viewed online here.
*Robert is also the Chief Conductor of the Australasian Orchestra, Monash Chorale, Melbourne Lawyers' Orchestra, is a private music teacher and has lectured conducting at Monash University.
Watch this video to find out more about the formation of the MMO and its positive impact on the mental health and wellbeing of medical students and alumni.