Pupil to Principal - Joseph Elworthy, Vancouver Academy of Music

Today’s episode is about Joseph Elworthy’s own story of serendipity and success. 

A celebrated musician who is a grad of both The Juilliard School and Yale, this local boy returned to his roots and leads VAM forward as Executive Director with commitment to growth and in his own words, "remain accessible for all who have a stake in the culture future of our city." 

Have a stake in Vancouver's community of Arts and Culture -
Spirit of 50 Campaign - https://vancouveracademyofmusic.com/spiritof50/
VAMJS - https://youtu.be/Do8-5Wj5_iQ.
KOERNER TRIO - https://youtu.be/PJ5v8Gucv-E

www.vancouveracademyofmusic.com
www.glosays.com
@glosays on Instagram

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Transcript

GLO  0:00  
Hi everyone, its GLO. I found a clip on YouTube of the Vancouver Academy of music's Junior Symphony, with each musician playing at home during COVID. I'll open this episode with a minute of their performance. Hello, everyone. Welcome back to the show Glo Says and today I'm so excited to speak with Joseph Elworthy, who is the president and CEO of the Vancouver Academy of Music, which is considered a local icon or institution around here. So welcome to the show. It's great to have you.

JOSEPH  1:46  
Thank you, Gloria delighted to go in the morning.

GLO 1:49  
Joseph himself has a very amazing sort of career when I was looking through his write up just online, everyone should take a look at it. I was blown away by how many accomplishments he's got. So I'm excited to untangle all of it, you know, to the extent that he wants to share with us, he himself is a professional cellist. Although he's in this administrative role. He continues to be very active in the music community. He has his own group. It's a trio I believe, down true. Okay. And he right anyway, well, just let him tell us the story. He's amazing. Welcome to the show again. Thank you. Okay, so the first thing we always start with is we want to know about our guests. We want to know who you are. And just tell us some stuff about you anything that's relevant to what you do now. And you know, what led you to what you did, though?

JOSEPH 2:41  
Yeah, well, I'm going to share with you, Gloria, I would say that, at heart, I'm a person that has many patents, and I feel very privileged. My career pathway has allowed me to embrace those different options. So specifically, yes, I am a highly trained musician, a cellist. And I love that I still have the instrument close at hand that I still have avenues to perform, to express to share with audiences. But I also I'm very bookish. I'm a nerd at heart. I love to read, I love to study I love to analyze. So I was kind of one of those strange kids that like, growing up, I'd like have a copy of like, you know, the local like, music magazine, and then the Wall Street Journal under my other arm. So I don't know, it's it's eclectic tastes, but I feel very, very fortunate that the positions that I hold, allow me to explore these different areas of interest.

GLO 3:44  
Okay, cool. You know, let's pull back a little bit more. How did you even start in music? I appreciate the fact that you said you're bookish. And I guess you were being bookish about music. But how did you even start there? Is your family are they musicians or your parents?

JOSEPH  4:00  
My family, I mean, they're, they're incredibly musical, but they're not. They were not trained musicians per se, in many ways, in my story, like, like many Canadians is the classic immigrant story. I was born in Dublin, Ireland. And my parents moved here when I was very young. And and it was the, you know, again, it's a sort of typical kind of narrative that so many, especially people from Vancouver, have experienced to me, there's so few people that are actually like born in Vancouver, but it's coming here, this land of great promise, and you know, making a fresh start of it. And part of, you know, my parents out sort of Outlook was, you know, what opportunities can we give to our son that maybe we didn't have the benefit of experiencing, and so, they had great appreciation and love of classical music. And just so happened that I was born, the year that the great Spanish cellist Pablo Casals guide So it was kind of like in the back of my dad's mind in particular was like, Oh, I think the cello would be such a great instrument. And then kind of serendipity takes hold. They heard about this this new school at kids pointed venue Park, Vancouver music. Oh, that sounds kind of intimidating. That sounds a bit lofty. Let's see what that's about. So at that time, there was huge waiting list for a piano for violin, like cello. Hey, you can start immediately. So you know, everything just kind of like converged and I'm grateful for it. Yeah.

GLO  5:35  
And did you take to it right away like a duck to water? Did you pick up the cello and just start playing like concertos?

JOSEPH  5:42  
You know, there's some pretty embarrassing stories of the early days I started Suzuki cello, which was, you know, many, many kids. That's that was their sort of entry point music. And this is zucchi method, which is so wonderful. It works on developing your ear first, and, and your kind of, you know, physical relationship to the instrument through a cereal box before you actually get the instrument itself. And so various ear training tests that I didn't realize they were, but I was horrendous at them. I don't remember this. But my my mom recalls, it was not until like the Smarties were brought out that suddenly it was identified that Oh, actually, he can hear. That's good news. And apart from what we've experienced thus far, he actually has the perfect pitch, though. So I owe it all to Smarties. Like what else can I say?

GLO  6:33  
I love that. I was going to ask you if you had perfect pitch by that you went Smarties that drew that out great. How often maybe, and

JOSEPH  6:41  
I know it and still to this day. It's like Smarties seems to be the tipping point for me. So

Unknown Speaker  6:46  
that's awesome. I like that. So okay, so they discovered that you had perfect pitch. So and obviously there was some talent there. And I guess you'd like the feel of the cello when you were

GLO  6:56  
Yeah, I did. I would like to sort of qualify, though that, you know, I think there's a bit of a misnomer that if you don't have perfect pitch that you know, you're really not, you're sort of limited what you can do musically, which is categorically false. There are so many famous musicians and composers who you know, perfect pitches just to sort of one off, it's almost like a party trick. You know, it's like, oh, you hear that you're the vacuum next door. Oh, that's a B sharp. So it's not by any means, like a prerequisite. But I recalled, you know, when I was told that I was going to play the cello. I didn't even know what it was. But the idea of playing music was something that excited me greatly. And then when I came into the academy as a, you know, a young lad, and I just thought this was so amazing that this this huge building, cut, intimidating building that i would i would sort of assume housed like top government secrets was a place of creativity. And I was so taken by that.

JOSEPH  7:59  
I've always been taken by that contrast, when I think about the concrete block, you know, sitting there with a great view of the city, but it's a music building. I'm sure it had something to do with the architecture the time or something.

JOSEPH  8:13  
Well, yeah, it's funny, actually. So I encourage any listeners that are in Vancouver to, you know, if you haven't, if you're not familiar with our location, drive to Vanier Park, which is basically right across from the Space Center, you know, beside Bart on the beach, and you will see what is the quintessential brutalist architecture. And that is our building. And it's interesting because fans have that that sort of minimalist style, they adore the building, and then their 10th there's perhaps the majority that just don't get it. And they're sort of like, well, what's this all about? But I love the fact that what you see on the exterior is not at all what happens inside. So I just, I kind of enjoyed that dichotomy.

GLO  8:58  
Yeah, no, it's cool, for sure. So you started were you among the first students at Vancouver Academy music, your own journey?

JOSEPH  9:06  
Yeah, absolutely. So, you know, to put a year on it, it was 1977. And so, you know, first sort of intake, the school was founded officially in 1969. And it sort of functioning like many, you know, startup music schools like and initially like in church basements and school basements. And, and, you know, to the credit of, you know, especially the mayor at the time, art Phillips really recognized that there was a need for like a formal music conservatory in this very new city of Vancouver. And so a group of visionaries is quite interesting actually. group of it was kind of the the original board at the time for the banker Academy's IQ was kind of the who's who of Vancouver socialites. So you had like jaunt on Turner's mother was on was chair, the board. You had the corners. Were there. Some, you know, really sort of iconic Vancouver families. And they were really behind this. And they admittedly, they had a lot of political connections with the at that time it was the federal Liberal government under Pierre Elliot Trudeau. And there's all kinds of funny stories about how the board members were pressing. Pierre Elliot Trudeau for more funds to retrofit building and you know, even anecdotal stories of Trudeau slamming the phone down saying if I get one more phone call about that music school in Vancouver.

GLO 10:36  
That's awesome. Yeah, great. To end did it start when it started? Was it fully every instrument to be taught was available? Or was it sort of piano and violin? cello?

JOSEPH  10:49  
Yeah, good. Question. I mean, it sort of initial mandate was the full spectrum of all musical instruments that would come from like, consist of an orchestral, you know, full orchestra. But the focus was definitely on that time, you know, the kind of this new sensation, international sensation of the Suzuki methodology, which was kind of like I, that was probably its, you know, the apex of its of its popularity, it was, was almost cultish, that, you know, like, Suzuki was a way of life, it was a way of millennial harmony, you know, the relationship between the student, the teacher and the parent working at lunch. So it was all very, you know, the sort of ideals coming out of the 60s? And what have you, so, quite okay, well,

GLO  11:41  
how did you get to enjoy exploring music? on your own terms? Was it a teacher for you? Or was it just having a school to be attached to, for example,

JOSEPH  11:51  
you know, it's just, it was in school, of course, I had great teachers that that inspired me and encouraged me to work hard. But I just loved the fact that when I came into this school, outside of my school, that it was so different, and that I could really, I could be maybe my truer self, versus the day to day, you know, experiences that kids go through, you know, in school where they sometimes have to protect themselves. And they have to sort of be perhaps a bit guarded in terms of their passions or their interests and sort of oscillates. But I felt like, come to this special place, this school that sort of just blessed to be situated in a park, like, right on the waterfront. And it just kind of inspires you to just to be yourself, and to just enjoy that the sort of camaraderie and essentially, I mean, music is a shared experience. So you know, that that combination of the art form, and just the delivery platform,

JOSEPH  12:58  
it made the academy something that was really special for me since I was a little boy. And being being a cellist, I guess that lends itself to shared experiences growing up, like being part of an orchestra or a symphony. Is that how it started for you?

JOSEPH  13:14  
Yes, well, I mean, everyone knows that cellists are the most giving generous people, it's just the nature, you know, the nature of not getting the melody, like the violins always have or, you know, they're the We Are the you know, the rolling up the sleeves types in the orchestra. We dependable we get it done. So, I joke, but it you know, it's there is an undeniable trend, when you look at at people like myself that have assumed positions of leadership in music organizations, and there's so many of them that are cellists, I suppose there's more to it than just coincidence.

GLO  13:58  
Good. Okay. So you found that you went through the Vancouver Academy, and when did you decide that you wanted to do it, you know, as a career profession?

JOSEPH  14:08  
You know, I don't think there was ever a point where I was like, okay, like, epiphany moment, this is what it's going to be. I was lucky through just by love of academics and being kind of scholarly, that that combination with my musical gifts allowed me to go to Yale, which was an amazing experience. And in fact, ironically, you know, going to New Haven probably initially pushed me further away from the cello and pushed me like I arrived to New Haven It was like the election, you know, the George W. Bush election with Clinton and, and I was just caught up like, you know, they were both Yale alum and I just thought wow, is a West Coast boy from Vancouver, suddenly, like the heart of the East Coast, and like, Introduction to college life was this like very tumultuous selection. And all the issues that were going on, I was just really just mesmerized by this. So I probably, you know, at that time I loaded up on like, philosophy and economics courses. And, and I was, if you looked at my my course load, I probably was more on the trajectory for going into something more academic, like maybe law, have you but ultimately, at those moments of that were most meaningful to me, it always involves music, and I couldn't, couldn't buy that. So, after Yale, I went on to I went to Juilliard. So I think that was definitely the moment where I was like, Okay, I'm going to the ultimate finishing school for musicians. And that was a bit of a shock and an experience unto itself as well.

GLO  15:45  
Wow, that's amazing. Well, I'm glad that you know, from a human standpoint, you followed your gifts, right? I mean, even though music is accessible, and can be acquired by anybody that wants to actually and has, you know, is interested in it. I love when people find their gifts or their talents and go with it. It's kind of like, because I talked to love entrepreneurs, I always say it's like the crumbs on the trail to leave this, but

JOSEPH 16:08  
yeah, well, you know, it's, you've raised such a strong point. And I think, musicians, in order to be successful, you have to have this like strong entrepreneurial instinct, and spirit, because it's just such a no sink or swim industry. And it's been that I mean, you know, people have person forecasting the death of classical music. We're decades that like the most like tired narrative you could possibly imagine. But it's here, it has longevity, it has brain power. And, you know, you look, I think there's, there's sort of a missed misconception that, oh, you know, I'll go into a safe profession, I'll get my MBA, I'll go into you know, medicine or into law, and then and the world will be my oyster. But as anyone will tell you, it's it's we live, fortunately, in a world with incredibly talented people, and the best part of competition. And I think music, music is something that it's built, inherent kind of competitiveness, and, and having to prove yourself every time you perform.

GLO  17:15  
Yeah, I totally agree with that. And that will serve you well, in whatever you end up doing once as

JOSEPH  17:23  
well. Yeah. And, you know, it's I feel like, you know, so many schools have been, universities have been really smart in recognizing that, hey, look at our intake, how many of them, not just, you know, sort of dabble in music, but really excel at it, and, and have crafted their degree offerings, so that it doesn't have to be one or the other. But you can, you know, you can look at sort of dual degree programs, or even if you decide to declare a major that has nothing to do with music, there. There's just such a rich pool of talent that can keep the most avid musician stimulated. So I think it's wonderful. It's great to see that development.

GLO  18:08  
Yeah, no, great. So that now that's probably from your hat as an executive director or president of a music school a bit. Let's get back a little bit to what brought you back here. I mean, you went to Yale, you went to Juilliard. You would think the next steps would be New York City or London? Maybe?

GLO 18:27  
Maybe. Your parents came from Dublin?

JOSEPH 18:31  
Oh, actually, interestingly, I did. I did spend almost a year playing in the National Orchestra in Ireland in Dublin was kind of an opportunity to reconnect with my roots. And it was interesting, you know, just just briefly, I mean, my parents left during the troubles in Ireland when it was a civil war. And I went back in the late 90s, when it was the so called Celtic Tiger when it was like the most booming economy and certainly in Europe. So it was just interesting to see like a country go from third to first world, like within the space years. But your question, you know, after I graduate from Juilliard, I was, I was in New York City for a number of years. That was my base it that's, you know, being on the East Coast for concerts was, at the time really essential. It was easy for you to access the places I needed to be to network to develop my career. And it also was such a stimulating city, that it I just felt like I I needed to sort of extract everything I could from from that experience at the time. I mean, you know, when you have when you're blessed to grow up in a city like Vancouver, it never leaves you. And you all have this at least I always had this sort of nagging thought of like, but what would it be like to go back? This you know, go back to Lotus land. And then see see what see how things could be and so that that was definitely in the back of my mind. And I also felt like my upbringing here in Vancouver was just, it was just such a great place to be raised. And I want to impart what I had learned to future generation of musicians. So it was something, it was a kind of combination of things where there was an opening for me to come back to the Academy, and fellow faculty department. And I also want to position the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra, so was a kind of a combination package. Big Vancouver is an expensive city to live in, in case you haven't heard. As a musician, you need a combination package. So it was just a perfect kind of coupling. And, and so I came back, you know, the sort of sad part of that tale is that I left New York City just about five weeks before 911. And, and it was, it was so heartbreaking, to be back in Vancouver, and to be enjoying all the splendors of this wonderful city. And then to see my, my former adopted city, you know, literally in ruins. And that was devastating. It is interesting. I mean, just with our present pandemic situation, that same level of desperation, it's only comparable in my lifetime to 911. And I look at the exodus of, of talented people from Manhattan, and they've just led they're like, and they're in San Jose or in Florida, or you know, it's just diaspora.

GLO  21:37  
That's interesting to compare that I understand being of the same vintage as you, I totally understand. Okay, so you had opportunities to bring you back to Vancouver, it sounds like a bit of this, this is Japanese philosophy, Iki guy where everything just kind of all comes together for you. So that's great. You took that up came back here? And what like, then what, like, what was the pivot to turn you from, you know, being just a musician and cellist and attending the symphony, you know, as your job to kind of stepping into more of an administrative role or executive, you know, a role of management basically.

JOSEPH 22:16  
Yeah, I'll be very honest about it. I did have immediate aspirations even before I returned, I sort of had my my sights set on them on the cabin. And, and I thought, like, Well, you know, this is an amazing institution. And as a chief, so much, but I also had this sort of latent suspicion that it could be so much more its impact on the community, it the awareness of what it does, and what it offers, could we enlarge could be expanded, I would say, just on that note, you know, for a large bulk of the Academy's history, was kind of the only game in town. And so, you know, you would have people, students that would, you know, would would travel from Washington state, and from, you know, Fraser Valley, and from some pretty serious commuting was involved and commitment. And then, you know, fortunately, Greater Vancouver municipalities, you've had some very good music schools that have popped up to that, you know, the particular communities involved. And so I felt like the academy needed to sort of redefine its purpose. So I was kind of compelled to explore that. So I was lucky that the, my predecessor, Gerald gebracht, who had done an incredible job, you know, sort of pastoring the organization for 37 years, you know, he was very generous in allowing me to kind of shadow him and, and he would share his insights in terms of where he felt like the school needed to go, you know, so I felt like there was a bit of a grooming going on, that I was privileged to, to benefit from.

GLO  24:00  
Yeah, no, I like to hear that. Because I think of the Vancouver Academy of Music as an institution. And it should continue as such and grow as such. And how lucky are we that we have someone that's, you know, had the benefit of going to another country lived in a couple of other places, and can bring the benefit of that experience back here? No one really likes change, per se. But growth, I think, is something that we should all embrace. Right? So even for me, it's been great to see what's been happening there.

JOSEPH  24:31  
That's great. Yeah, I would just, you know, to expand on your point I, in my travels, you mentioned Japan, I had a really bustling career in Japan, where I was managed by actually the same company that brought the Beatles to Japan for the first time and so and throughout Asia and Mainland China and Korea, so and everywhere I would go in Europe and what have you, I would always to look at best practices and to see see the difference. As in training methods, the differences and philosophies of you know, using music education for the personal development of, of young people. So that's I'm so delighted that that will be God willing, that'll be my, my sort of life journey to continue exploring this this question.

GLO  25:21  
Okay, Joseph. So yes, COVID has been hard for a lot of people. But tell me a little bit more about this campaign that you mentioned, or the 50th anniversary? What was affected?

JOSEPH  25:32  
Well, I mean, you know, the spirit of 50 campaign, talk about timing, you know, to we launched this campaign, it was over the 2019 2020. year, and we've had great success, our goal is to raise a million dollars so that we can create a new learning center completely upgrade our second floor facilities. And, you know, we've we've raised about $800,000, so we're pretty close to the finish line. And then, of course, COVID breaks out. And that just, of course, is a game changer in so many ways. So, you know, I'm hopeful that I'm very mindful of the impact that the pandemic has had on on our faculty, you know, a lot of them are performing musicians, they've lost their incomes from from that. And, of course, the impact on them students and families in terms of their finances. But the fact is, you know, we're, we're so close to the finish line of this really inspiring campaign that represents the last kind of unfinished portion of our 50,000 square foot building that has a desperately needs renovation. So any, any listeners are interested in helping to support in any way, this campaign, there's a link below that would be much appreciated. Yes,

GLO  26:49  
I will put a link in the podcast notes. What's the goal? Is it 800,000? I hear you say or a million.

JOSEPH 26:56  
So we've raised 800. And the goal million, so gap to goal is 200,000. And yeah, I mean, it's, you know, it's We will definitely get there. But it's a little bit more challenging now with just the impact also on our, you know, p&l with due to COVID.

GLO  27:14  
I'm curious, is there a fund for the musicians right now who have lost, you know, some of their performing opportunities. I've interviewed some other people who have mentioned there's a fun for baristas, apparently, coffee makers, coffee workers, because businesses have shut down or shut down quite a bit. I'm just curious, something like that.

JOSEPH  27:35  
Well, actually, right, right. At the outset of the pandemic, we created a faculty Emergency Relief Fund to assist with faculty, as well as an emergency bursary fund for students. I mean, it's been well documented that the federal government has spent what $240 billion on you know, various efforts to, to help bridge people that have been, you know, really impeded financially through COVID. So I think a lot of arts, arts organizations, and performing arts organizations have been have tapped into those those monies. But you know, there's a lot of independent freelance musicians who fall between the cracks. And, you know, we, we have 135 faculty members at the school, and, you know, many of whom are play in the city in the symphony and the opera, teach at UBC. But we also have many faculty members who, who are the backbone of the freelance community as it were here in Vancouver. So it's, you know, it's our responsibility to do everything we can to to help those musicians that maybe are not do not have the same kind of protections or representations that, say some of the big arts organizations would assist with.

GLO  28:53  
Yeah, that's good to know. We need to support the art support, local support the art support the community, right, overall. You've got a lot going on down there. Kids Fargo, yeah, thank you for sharing your story and integrating it with you know, the history of them, and what vam can offer the community. I'm so impressed. I've had the opportunity to live in a number of other places, not as many as some but more than others. And I am always amazed of the music opportunities that we have here, you know, through them through, I've interviewed the Vancouver pops, I'm going to interview the Vancouver music, women's musical society, that all kinds of recital groups, early music, I mean, Vancouver is rife with music opportunities. I was so glad that people like yourself are helping to preserve that and continue it, you know, long may it continue.

JOSEPH  29:53  
Well, thank you, Gloria, for being you know, a champion of that and allowing us to share our story. So it's Yeah, it's a real pleasure. Thank you.

GLO  30:03  
Yeah, no, thank you. It's great to talk with you today. 

Wasn't that great to hear Joseph's personal story as a budding musician motivated by Smarties to the real smarty that he is today, one an incredibly accomplished and energetic executive director to move them forward. I'm so impressed with what's offered at vam itself, and impressed with the many talented teacher musicians that I personally know. And their dedication to musical education in this corner of the world. Now, if only my children had stuck it out there a little bit longer. Oh, well, nevermind, I can enjoy all the public performances available as a member of this community. Do you play an instrument? Perhaps you did as a child and now you just bring your own kids to lessons? What about you? Do you have an inclination to try your hand at it again, perhaps you're appreciate jazz and you'd love to belt out some tunes that the saxophone. Perhaps you love classical music and would love to try your hand at the double bass. Now you know what's buzzing on down there in that big block of brutalist architecture. Check out all their programs and events online at Vancouver Academy of Music calm. This show was recorded a few months ago, but the spirit of 50 campaign is still going on strong helped them mark their 50th anniversary and be a champion for musical programming in Vancouver. You can find the link below in my show notes for donations. Let's end with a performance from the KOENER piano trio, the ensemble in residence at VAM and it consists of three educators and musicians of international acclaim. Nicholas Wright, Amanda Chan and Joseph Elworthy.  Follow me at Glo Says Let's talk local at Apple or Spotify and I'll talk to you soon

Transcribed by https://otter.ai