Placeholder Image

Subtitles section Play video

  • Yep. Let's do it.

  • Meme review.

  • Hello guys.

  • Hi everyone.

  • Today we're here with...

  • spicy...

  • Thai food.

  • And we're gonna do a...

  • crazy mukbang with our special guest,

  • Hilary Hahn.

  • And I don't know how to make an introduction to this video

  • cos this is the first time we're doing this type of video.

  • Me too.

  • It's all first time for everyone.

  • Mmm.

  • - So...yeah. - There's a lot of firsts about this whole arrangement.

  • For me.

  • - Yeah. Same f– yeah, for us as well. - For us as well.

  • - Yeah. - We...

  • Mukbang is...

  • food.

  • - Yeah. - What is mukbang for those who don't know?

  • Basically we eat food and we chat.

  • And then we're going to...

  • Delve inside...

  • - The minds. - the secret mind...

  • - of...yeah. - How to become a soloist.

  • - Cool. - Practice. - Peel back the layers.

  • Mm-mmm.

  • With spicy food.

  • - Okay. - Yeah. And for those of you that don't know,

  • Hilary Hahn is an amazing world-class soloist.

  • She has 3 Grammy Awards?

  • Did my research, yeah!

  • *Laughs* And...

  • I think we made a video about you a long time ago.

  • We were going to get Hilary to react to it,

  • - but then we watched it and we were like - We looked at it.

  • it's so cringy that I can't even watch it.

  • - Cos it's like one of our earliest videos. - Ohhhh.

  • - I can't even... - I was cringing watching it.

  • I don't...I think it will still be fun to see it.

  • - No no no no... - No?

  • - Eddy was cringing... - Even if you– it's fun for you, I don't want our–

  • Why were you cringing?

  • - Well okay, If you watch it, I don't want to be in the room. - What's cringy about it?

  • It's just...It was when we first started youtube

  • so our camera presence was just very awkward.

  • - And the stuff we were saying just did not make sense. - Yeah.

  • And...

  • - Yeah. - Yeah, it just wasn't that funny.

  • - It was... - I mean we are still not that funny

  • but it was just very not funny.

  • In three years time we're gonna look back and say "what are we doing?"

  • Yeah, like "what is this mukbang?"

  • Okay, so we have spicy Thai food.

  • - Let's do it. - They are all spicy except for this one.

  • Do we use plates?

  • Yes.

  • Okay. Chopsticks or utensils? What do you think?

  • I will use a fork.

  • Well...

  • What do you guys think?

  • Chopsticks or forks?

  • - I don't know. - I think I will use a fork, just in case.

  • - I'm not sure their reactions are gonna help us now. - Yeah hahaha.

  • - Comment from the future. - Yeah, please tell us.

  • - Alright, let's do this. I'm so hungry! - So there's Thai milk–

  • Let's see what we got.

  • - I've not eaten anything today. - Who wants one?

  • I'll have one.

  • - Who else wants one? - This is Thai milk tea just in case.

  • Let me know if it's sweet.

  • And if it's not sweet then I'll have it.

  • Cos I'm on a diet. Yay!

  • I don't care.

  • Sorry to be a party pooper.

  • Oh it looks so good.

  • - Oooh! - We need way more rice for that, it's freaking curry.

  • - Okay, Pad Thai. - Ooh it's steaming.

  • Oh vegetable Pad Thai...Woah!

  • - Eddy it's your favourite, it's mushroom. - I'm just gonna put the lid on the floor.

  • Urgh.

  • Eddy's favourite dish.

  • So I can't stand eating mushroom.

  • - This is called "healthy tofu fish sauce." - Healthy tofu!

  • That looks spicy.

  • - That looks– that doesn't look too bad! - Woo!

  • - I know... - That looks like it has eggplant in it.

  • Urgh.

  • Haha Eddy– yeah you don't...

  • - Mushroom and eggplant - my two favourite foods in the world. - No?

  • And green bean.

  • - I like green bean. - Okay.

  • - This is the amount of rice. - A lot of vegetables here.

  • - Yeah this is the rice for those spicy spread. - Guys, ration carefully.

  • Yeah.

  • - Alright. - You were...

  • You were ordering it, just saying "spicy."

  • - I know! Spicy, spicy! - Spicy.

  • Okay, here we go.

  • - Alright, so Hilary, - Move the plate.

  • - You said you've never done something like this before, right? - Mhm.

  • - I mean... - Never eaten on camera.

  • Ohhh!

  • I mean...

  • - Okay. - I guess...

  • Am I supposed to eat with those?

  • No! Yeah, that's the straw.

  • Is this the new chopstick?

  • You're supposed to drink the soup, curry soup. Wait.

  • - You just– - Why is there only 2?

  • 2 straws? That's alright, I don't...you guys go first.

  • - I'll save it for the danger zone. - Alright, get some fork for you guys.

  • This is rice, guys.

  • Oh man.

  • So Thai food, I understand it's not supposed to be eaten with chopsticks.

  • So I'm aware of that.

  • - Mhm! Did you guys know that? - I saw that.

  • - I know! I can't get a straw the right way, but... - Wrong way!

  • - Alright, forks it is. - Alright, so you first. - I'll take a fork.

  • - Here you go. Would you like some rice? - Okay. I'll take a third.

  • Take a third, yes.

  • Do you want lime on your Pad Thai?

  • Uh...yes please!

  • Alright, I'll just do it then.

  • - Okay. - Here. - Yes.

  • So what are we gonna talk about while eating?

  • - Um...While eating? - What do people normally talk about?

  • Uh well,

  • What do you want to ask Hilary?

  • What does Hilary want to ask us?

  • Well, you've been on the road for how long?

  • 8 and a h– 9 weeks now!

  • 9 week...oops.

  • Yeah.

  • That might be longer than my record.

  • - I think my record is 8 weeks. - Really?

  • - Really? - Wow. - Mhm, yep.

  • I only did it once.

  • - Oh. - It's tough! - I think we're only gonna do it once as well.

  • - Yeah, that's– I think we learnt the hard way. - It's tough! It's great!

  • You get into the groove, but it's...yes.

  • - Yeah. - It's different!

  • It's very different.

  • Our tour last year was...no that doesn't count

  • That one didn't count.

  • That was stupid.

  • Yeah.

  • "That was stupid."

  • So how much, like...

  • Why was it stupid?

  • It was just....We had like 1 concert,

  • and then like 3 weeks break, and then 1 concert.

  • Ohhh.

  • - And it just wasn't very... - So financially it was a dumb idea.

  • Yeah.

  • It was very–

  • But you could get more work done on the road probably.

  • Like more of your other work.

  • Yeah, theoretically.

  • - Yeah. - But I think we were just stressing out about...

  • - Yeah. It was a very...yeah. - Very unorganised.

  • - Cos we try to do everything ourselves, obviously. - Yeah.

  • - Yeah so, you know, I don't think people know - And we were inexperienced.

  • What happens behind the scenes for a tour,

  • like all the things that need to be organised.

  • - Oh! - Mhm.

  • - Yeah. - How much do you organise yours? - I think it's pretty cool. I don't know if you want to...

  • - Mhm. - enlighten anyone as to...

  • like all the different tasks that happen in a day?

  • But...

  • - You know for me, it's like... - Well.

  • not as complicated, because things are planned out like

  • farther in advance, and...

  • I'm usually a guest

  • at an organisation that presents it,

  • so I'm not putting on my own concerts so much.

  • Mhm.

  • I don't have to organise any tech,

  • I don't do....

  • - like I don't organise the instruments or anything like that. - Oh, that sounds so–

  • So I kind of show up just with...

  • Well I don't kind of show up. I show up with the violin.

  • Mhm.

  • I do my work in advance.

  • I learn music, I do rehearsals.

  • But also there is a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff of different sorts.

  • Mm.

  • - Yeah. Well I mean... - Even with that. So you guys have more...

  • - Bookings are just like... - ...going on.

  • Well this tour we managed to get up in 2 months.

  • Ooh I see red pepper flakes.

  • - Oh no. - Oh.

  • I think we got it ready in 2 months.

  • A lot of the stuff is logistical issues.

  • - Oh this is really good! - And also unknown logistical issues.

  • - So for example microphones, - Yeah, the last-minute things.

  • For example microphones should be on the right side.

  • Not on the left side.

  • Oh!

  • Small problems like that.

  • Or pianos, what type of piano.

  • - Piano stools. - Piano stools.

  • We had a venue that had a piano but not piano stools

  • - Mhm, mhm. - and we didn't know about that until the day.

  • You have to think about everything.

  • Everything.

  • - *Cough cough* Oh that's spicy. - Oh boy.

  • Is it?

  • For me it is.

  • Which one did you have?

  • Really?

  • - Okay, I'm gonna start with a piece of tofu. - Good luck. - Alright I'm out.

  • I don't know how to use a fork,

  • as embarrassing as that is.

  • - I'm just like... - You can use 2 forks and make them chopsticks.

  • Hahaha.

  • Well we do have chopsticks, so chopsticks are an option.

  • I think I'll go with chopsticks, cos I actually don't know how to use this fork.

  • Yeah so, a lot of logistical issues.

  • I mean, things you don't normally think would be a problem becomes a problem.

  • Mhm.

  • When you travel with pianist, you gotta prepare a practice room for pianist.

  • Mm.

  • They need a room.

  • Wow that was spicy.

  • I shouldn't use this card yet.

  • And then...

  • What else is there?

  • I think...communicating with venues is difficult.

  • Mhm.

  • Oftentimes, it's actually waiting for the venue to respond.

  • Mmm!

  • Making sure everything is ready....

  • Sound engineering is something with sound test we have to try.

  • - Do you have a sound engineer with you? Or you just– - No, we don't.

  • - Oh, what? - We have sound engineers– I know.

  • Wow.

  • So...

  • So one of you goes out there?

  • - Doing the soundcheck? - Yeah. Mhm.

  • I mean, for Europe, we had ourselves.

  • We just basically ran through with the sound engineer.

  • But it's...

  • The work is basic for sound engineer.

  • Moving the microphones, turning it on and off,

  • when we play and talk.

  • And also playing the soundtracks.

  • So that does take about an hour rehearsing.

  • - Mhm. - Give and...give or take.

  • And then with...yeah, I mean...

  • Just small things that you don't think would be a problem are a problem.

  • When you prepare beforehand, do you bring soundtracks with you?

  • What do you...

  • When you open your suitcase, and you have all the stuff you bring with you,

  • What is it?

  • Well.

  • - The stuff you're gonna talk about– - I don't want to spoil too much of the show.

  • - But we have some props. - Mhm.

  • And then we have a USB with the soundtracks required.

  • And people bring hula hoops?

  • - Yeah, people in the audience bring the hula hoop. - Mhm.

  • ...to the concert, sometimes they don't.

  • And then gets awkward cos then we don't have an encore.

  • So please bring a hula hoop!

  • And we try to improvise, it's like ahhh...

  • Yeah.

  • Sometimes it works out, sometimes not really.

  • Yeah, I mean...

  • Brett does most of the...

  • Bookings related stuff, to be honest, so...

  • I don't know how much I can add to that, I just...

  • ...dump it all onto Brett.

  • I'm sweating.

  • - Really? - Yeah.

  • It's okay!

  • Are you finding it spicy?

  • - No. - It's fine!

  • Brett's just dying.

  • Yeah.

  • So how...like...

  • You said your record was 8 weeks, how much...

  • What percentage of the year are you normally on the road?

  • I actually space it out.

  • And even then, I find like...it's really hard to...

  • It's hard to prepare the next things that are coming up.

  • I don't know why it's hard,

  • but I don't seem to be able to...

  • really get into the repertoire for the next tour

  • while I'm on the previous tour.

  • - Yeah. - I see, yeah.

  • I can't memorise stuff. I try.

  • I'll be practising over and over again

  • and I think I've got the memory of it

  • but then until I stop playing things that I'm performing on that tour,

  • it doesn't stick, whatever I'm trying to memorise for the next one.

  • - I see. So you have like for each– - So if I'm doing new music, it's terrible.

  • Because I only have the time...

  • I can't just memorise it while I'm going to the premiere.

  • I need to memorise it in advance!

  • Or not memorise it.

  • - I need to make a decision about it. - Gotcha.

  • And then I need to use my in between times...

  • in between tours to work on the new stuff.

  • That's why I space it out.

  • I take...

  • I'll be on the road for 2 weeks

  • and I'll be back for 2 weeks.

  • I'll take summers off,

  • I take a month or two off in the course of a year.

  • So like this year, I have January off,

  • I think I have March off,

  • - I had most of September off, - Gotcha.

  • And when I go out on the road,

  • then...

  • I'll do a week, or a few weeks of tour.

  • - So... - I don't generally go beyond a month of tour,

  • although this spring I have like a six-week tour coming up.

  • Is it optimal rest time? Optimal travel time?

  • - It's like a proportion. - Proportion.

  • Mhm.

  • Cos we've talked to some musicians, solosists

  • And they say,

  • They're on tour like...they're like on the road

  • 70-80% of the year.

  • - And to us, that just sounds crazy. - Yeah.

  • It's hard!

  • - Yeah! - I don't know how they do it,

  • but maybe they get in a groove.

  • It does happen, like you can get in a groove and...

  • you have a little...kind of a routine.

  • It's hard to have a routine per se,

  • - Yeah. - because everything is different every day.

  • - You get so lonely too! - Even where the light switches are in the room is different.

  • - Yeah. - Who you know in that city is different.

  • You're constantly thinking...

  • what am I gonna be doing that's predictable,

  • If you wanna get a good cup of coffee,

  • you're yelping for half an hour trying to sort through–

  • - Coffee! - read between the lines. - That's all we– yeah.

  • So we're not the only ones.

  • - We spend... - And I'll be sitting there in the hotel

  • on Yelp or on something,

  • - just trying to sort through what's near, what's where... - We almost missed a flight.

  • - Yeah. - Really?

  • - Yeah we almost missed a flight for coffee. - Because of coffee, yeah.

  • You were searching out coffee in the airport?

  • - No, just– - No, we went to get coffee before a flight.

  • Yeah, and Eddy even called an Uber to get a coffee,

  • to make sure we get the coffee and back

  • - That's how se– - But when you're on tour, caffeine is just like...

  • - It keeps you going. - necessary.

  • - Mhm. - Just...yeah.

  • You have late shows.

  • Mmm.

  • - You have...a lot of excitement. - Jetlag.

  • Like there's a lot of adrenaline in the show.

  • It's really hard for the body after the adrenaline...

  • tanks.

  • Yeah.

  • You get up the next morning and you're still...

  • dragging, but that's the day that you travel.

  • - Mhm. - Yeah.

  • And you arrive, and then you're trying to...

  • You're still tired from travelling a little bit,

  • you're trying to reset, get checked in,

  • there might be something wrong with the hotel room.

  • But...usually there is not.

  • But there might be.

  • So then you might spend like half an hour trying to get

  • - the hotel key to work! - Oh right.

  • Going back down to the desk.

  • Finally got your luggage to the hotel door.

  • - Yeah. - And you try and get the key to work.

  • Yeah.

  • Doesn't work. Do you leave the luggage?

  • Do you take it with you?

  • - It's always the small things. - So many decisions!

  • - I know. - Mhm.

  • We once had a fire alarm go off.

  • Argh!

  • - At 3am. - Argh!

  • No!

  • No, not even kidding. In our room, hotel room at 3 am.

  • - It was the– - Did you a– What did you do?

  • Nothing! It's just the battery ran out.

  • We had to call someone,

  • - And then... - and the security guy

  • - Oh no! - that this biggest, buffest guy came in at 3am - Security dude!

  • - And we're just in our bed like... - we were just like–

  • Help!

  • And he reached up to...he can reach the ceilings essentially.

  • - No! - He just went...turns it off.

  • - Yeah. - I mean it was the night where we needed to sleep the most.

  • Mhm.

  • - And it just happened and I was like "ugh oh my god. Why?" - Mhm.

  • I mean, I guess it's just small logistical things that...

  • everything kinda adds up.

  • Yeah, you think you're gonna have a certain amount of time to do this or that,

  • and the at the end of the day,

  • you do get the things you need to get done, done!

  • But as far as the other stuff that's

  • - You push through it. - secondary on the list...

  • - Yeah. - Yeah.

  • This food is not very spicy!

  • - It's not that spicy! - No.

  • Damn it, guys.

  • Just stop being so weak.

  • - Go practice. - Which one is the spiciest?

  • I haven't had this one yet, but that one got me.

  • - Really? - I haven't had that one yet.

  • - Aha! - Oh I see.

  • Which one is– this one?

  • Yeah that one.

  • Good luck.

  • Reaching over you.

  • I'm sweating already.

  • But it's okay.

  • That's good!

  • - Should've got an extra spicy. - Oh yeah, it has the oil in it.

  • Mhm.

  • So it probably has...more spice.

  • The Pad Thai's spicy as well!

  • Okay. I have my work cut out for me.

  • There's something I really want to talk about is...

  • This was based off a conversation we had the other day.

  • But you said that...

  • In Korea,

  • - A certain... - Haha.

  • I mean uh...

  • - I don't know how to say, newspaper or press? - Oh yeah, this is a little spicier.

  • They like to call you the "Ice Princess."

  • What do you think about being known as the "Ice Princess?"

  • How does that make you feel?

  • That's kind of apparently my nickname in the Korean press.

  • I've never...

  • - Just checking the mic. - seen...

  • I've never seen how it's used

  • because I only get translations.

  • Mhm.

  • So I don't know contextually what it means.

  • Mhm.

  • But at least in America,

  • for an artist type to be called a princess

  • is not necessarily a compliment.

  • It kinda feels like it means your prissy

  • - or you expect fancy behaviour, - A lot of things.

  • or you're a diva, or...

  • you know, you have like a lot of...

  • requirements,

  • - and stuff like that. - Do you have a lot of requirements?

  • I don't think so?

  • - What's your backstage requirements? It's like "I need a... - I don't think so? What's normal?

  • - 16..." - My rider? What's in my rider?

  • Yeah yeah.

  • Only white M&M's you mean?

  • Yeah *laughs*

  • White M&M's, gummy bears...

  • Yeah, my rider? You wanna know what's in my rider?

  • - If you're allowed to talk about it. - Yeah, I mean...

  • Yeah! It's...

  • It's veggies and hummus.

  • - Veggies and hummus! - Hummus!

  • - If possible. - Like cooked veggies? or raw salad?

  • Like chopped pieces of vegetable.

  • - Woah! - It's not that complicated. - Okay.

  • - Okay. - They can even just give me a whole bell pepper,

  • a whole carrot or something and that will make...

  • That will make do.

  • - Okay. - So yeah, veggies and hummus, and...

  • - That sounds very healthy. - A selection of tea, coffee, whatever.

  • - Mmm. - Okay. - Whatever works. And...

  • Yeah, I think that's about it. A bottle of water.

  • - Water. - Oh that's quite simple.

  • Yeah.

  • We...Do we have anything? We don't really have anything.

  • We just want caffeine.

  • - Yeah just coffee. - Coffee. Keep us awake.

  • Oh I'd like 2 copies of the programme.

  • 2 copies of the programme!

  • Yeah! To save.

  • But that's like...

  • Now that's getting prissy.

  • *laughs*

  • - I don't think that's very princessy. - 2 exactly! No more than 2.

  • I'll take 3, I'll take 4.

  • I...I don't know! I think I have...

  • I have high standards musically, when I'm working.

  • There's that. And I'm very serious when I play

  • because I'm in the music.

  • I don't really...

  • I'm not being...

  • Not frowning at people or anything,

  • I'm just thinking.

  • - I'm not...I'm not so visual... - And do you think people...

  • I'm not so visual because I'm completely in it.

  • - I..I'm just...I'm listening a ton. - You play it inside the–

  • I'm watching the violin.

  • I'm...

  • thinking ahead. I'm...

  • absorbing what's happening

  • There's a lot going on.

  • - Mmm. - Okay. - And it's hard for me to...

  • pretend anything other than what's going on.

  • I'm not saying that people who are more visual are pretending.

  • - I don't think they are, I think it's genuine. - Yeah.

  • It's just my genuine is really being sort of in the middle...

  • sort of the eye of the storm.

  • - And gathering from all of these things... - That's a cool way to– - That's a great way to put it.

  • ...that are spinning around, like

  • grabbing the things that are interesting to me.

  • And putting my own spin on them and sort of tossing them back out there.

  • So then what do you think about performers that like move a lot?

  • I mean you said you think it's genuine, but like...

  • - I think for them it is! - Yeah?

  • If I were to do it, it would look weird.

  • Because it's not...

  • - I don't know, it was pretty amazing before, - It's not me!

  • when you did the dance.

  • - Yeah, that was incredible! - We made another video.

  • - You probably see it. Yeah. - But dancing is naturally me too, in a way!

  • - So that's not that... - But just all your focus is on the music and the sound maybe?

  • Yeah! I'm...I'm just...that's

  • That's my focused face.

  • - So I think a lot of our viewers– - But also people think that I'm not moving!

  • They think I'm not doing anything.

  • - Yeah, yeah. - If you zoom in on me playing,

  • I'm going in and out of the camera!

  • So I don't know how I could do much more than I do sometimes.

  • - I feel like...maybe I could do more with my face? - The cameraman can...

  • But my face doesn't actually do those things

  • that other people's faces do!

  • I don't know, I just don't have that face!

  • Yeah.

  • But as far as...

  • actual range of motion, I am moving a fair amount.

  • So I really don't know what more I'd have to do to meet those expectations.

  • I have a question for you.

  • Yeah.

  • If you were to rate how much you move on stage

  • - on a scale from 0...1 to 10, - Okay.

  • 1 is like...

  • - Just...I don't know, the stillest player. - Still?

  • - Mmm. - Mhm.

  • Heifetz?

  • - Yeah okay. So let's say Heifetz. - Heifetz.

  • - 10 is Lindsey S– - And 10 is like...

  • Lindsey Stirling?

  • Not even Lindsey. Like, let's say just classical soloists.

  • So I don't know. Someone like...

  • Who moves a lot?

  • - Joshua Bell. - Joshua Bell. Okay.

  • Where would you put yourself on 1 to 10?

  • - Oh this is very sweet. Just so you know. - Oh okay, I won't have it.

  • - Ah Imma have some. - Thank you.

  • Um...

  • What measure are we using?

  • - Well just...like width... - Are we talking about like how far I'm moving?

  • - Yeah, do you– - Yeah, pure like

  • - movement and facial expression as well, so like... - Yeah.

  • - And how will you move you feet– - Okay facial expression, if Heifetz is 1,

  • I would say I'm probably 3.

  • - Okay. - Okay.

  • - Scale of 1 to 10. - I can see that.

  • - Mhm. - Mhm.

  • As far as physical...

  • ...motion, up-down, side-side,

  • if you were to frame it,

  • - up-down...It's such a scientific way... - up-down side-side.

  • It's just like...here's a graph

  • - X Y axes. - X Y axes. - Because there's not much front to back

  • - without falling back. - Yeah, you can't see much front–

  • Or falling off the stage.

  • I would say I'm probably...

  • 7 out of 10?

  • - I see. Okay. - Ooohh.

  • But I keep...

  • ...a frame to my plane.

  • - I can see that, I can see that. - So I'm not... - Yeah.

  • - I don't... - Yeah.

  • Because that's how I play, I have a frame

  • that I play within.

  • And it's actually a very comfortable thing,

  • and it's flexible.

  • But it's just not...

  • I don't do like...my...I don't do the high elbow,

  • I wasn't taught that.

  • I don't do sort of extreme...

  • hold? Or extreme grip, or like extreme...

  • - ...scroll. - Do you go really low with the scroll? or...

  • Sometimes yeah! Like my scroll's at my waist.

  • - And then...yes! - At your waist?

  • If you were to freeze frame, you would see!

  • - Sometimes my scroll is as low as my waist. - Yeah I've seen that.

  • Yeah. And then it goes up as far as this.

  • So that's actually like...

  • - So what gives the impression of everyone thinking that... - I don't know, it seems like a lot.

  • - I think it's the face. - Your face right? - I think it's the frame, and it's the face.

  • Cos if the frame is moving, it doesn't look like things are changing so much.

  • - And the face is not moving a lot either. - Do you move your head a lot with your body?

  • - Are they moving in one unit when you move? - The face, the face.

  • Just the face.

  • Not my face, "the" face.

  • The face.

  • The face!

  • Well tell you something!

  • So I was taught to play with the posture of Heifetz.

  • - Ohhh okay. - In the sense that my teacher was Russian school.

  • And I was taught to have my foot pointing in one direction.

  • - The right foot would be like down the aisle, - Ahhh yeah yeah yeah.

  • - and the left foot would be sort of like out this angle. - It's very...

  • - And the violin would be this way. - Do you still play that way?

  • So that was what I played like until I was 10.

  • I see.

  • So then when... And very stoic.

  • There was no need to do any kind of expression.

  • It was in the...in the playing.

  • And then when I went to my teacher when I was 10

  • and I started at Curtis,

  • He told me, "Sweetheart, people have eyes as well as ears."

  • Oh no!

  • And he would push my shoulders.

  • Really?

  • Side to side when I was playing if I got too still.

  • - He was a quartet leader. - That's so funny.

  • - So he was saying you have to show the music. - Okay, so he was all about-

  • - That is true. - You have to give some cues.

  • And then when I was playing in a quartet when I was 12,

  • I've played in chamber music before,

  • but I hadn't... had my... had a steady group so much.

  • Not one that I'd selected and

  • friends that I knew I was playing with.

  • So they would just...

  • I would have to cue, and...

  • Cuz I was playing first...

  • I wanted to play second,

  • but they wanted me to play first

  • because the second violinist

  • didn't wanna play the parts.

  • - Didn't wanna play the high stuff. - She's like I'll be in your quartet,

  • but I don't wanna play first.

  • Yeah...

  • Like "please please please!"

  • "No, I'll play second, but I'll be in your quartet." - That's funny.

  • - So- - Wow...

  • I was cuing,

  • and I was the youngest member of the quartet,

  • and I didn't know how to cue.

  • So...

  • Bam!

  • I would cue, and they would just look at me.

  • I...

  • - Yup. - "We can't read your cue."

  • "Can you try it again?"

  • That was... yeah.

  • So I cued and I-

  • It's actually really hard to like-

  • - To lead, right? - Yeah. - People wouldn't have come in the right time.

  • Yeah.

  • And that's how I learned how to show the...

  • the way I'm playing and be very clear.

  • So apparently, I'm pretty clear to play with,

  • but I think for the audience, I'm not quite as emotive.

  • But I'm very tuned in to everything around me.

  • So...

  • I think I'm not projecting maybe as much as I'm feeling,

  • and, as the people around me are picking up on.

  • I mean, I think...

  • Personally, I think what you do is...

  • good

  • like I don't think you should try to-

  • I do me.

  • Yeah exactly, like

  • you shouldn't try to be what you're not.

  • But I'm just thinking about

  • the Ling Ling workout challenge

  • that we just filmed and...

  • I wish one of the challenge was that

  • - you had to express your facial expression out. - Aw, that would be funny!

  • Cuz I would love to see that.

  • Here's a question that's like...

  • Kind of related to this topic but not really.

  • Mhm.

  • Um...

  • And...

  • I don't know if it's appropriate.

  • So if it's not appropriate, we can always cut it out.

  • But um...

  • Would you rather, if you had to choose...

  • Cuz we actually had a friend.

  • He had like, um,

  • really bad stomach.

  • Hmm.

  • And he...

  • - Ohhh, here we go. - He was known for-

  • Oh no!

  • Are we getting into the toilet realm?

  • - Is that what we're doing? - Yeah.

  • So there was one particular quartet concert-

  • Aww...

  • - where he just felt... didn't feel too good. - Oh no.

  • - Yeah, I know where this is going. - But, because everyone was like

  • "We need to get on stage."

  • So he just went on stage.

  • And then, during the middle of the concert, he...

  • He...

  • - Pooped his pants. - You know, he pooped his pants.

  • *gasps* Mhm.

  • - And he just kept going- - He kept going-

  • - Oh my god! - And it was an intimate chamber setting

  • - where the audience- - What are you supposed to do?

  • How can you get out of that situation?

  • - Like, you just kinda have to stay there, right? - Well, I would've just walked off, man.

  • I would've just walked off.

  • But how?

  • Apparently it was just like-

  • Pick up your chair?

  • Yeah!

  • - No, apparently the stain is still there. - "Excuse me, I gotta go."

  • It's, like, everything just-

  • - Don't know if that's true, but that's all I know. - We're eating- We're talking about this with food.

  • - I know hahahaha! - I'm just looking at this.

  • Hopefully this is not the situation tomorrow.

  • Yeah. Oh no.

  • Oh yeah, we got a concert tomorrow.

  • Eating spicy food is probably not the best idea.

  • So the question I would ask is

  • would you rather-

  • Okay, okay.

  • - Like I said it, this is a big concert. - Okay.

  • It's being recorded.

  • It's like with a world-class orchestra.

  • Would you rather-

  • Oh god, here we go...

  • Poop your pants on stage,

  • but then you played the best you've ever played,

  • and it's recorded.

  • Mmm!

  • - But everyone... people will smell it. - But everyone smells it,

  • - they can see it trickling down... - They can see it. They're like,

  • They know it's you.

  • They're like "Oh my god, it's you."

  • But I wear a floor-length gown.

  • - They can just see the puddles on the stage. - Yeah, it just...

  • Like every movement you do...

  • Every movement you do just-

  • - Like a whaff! - Just, whaff just come goes out.

  • Whoof! Whoof!

  • Or...

  • Would you not have that,

  • but you have to

  • sight read the concerto on stage.

  • Ohh...

  • - I mean, I don't know how good your sight reading is. - Ohh...

  • - It's probably still pretty good. - That's a tough one.

  • I am a terrible sight reader.

  • Oh!

  • Okay...

  • Hmm, how about you guys?

  • - I mean, either way is pretty bad. So... - What would you rather do?

  • I would rather sight read.

  • I think I would rather sight read, too. Because I think-

  • Because our standards are just...

  • That's my standard anyway.

  • Eddy: Yeah like, people don't really- Hilary: You have to think

  • which is more immortal though?

  • Okay, we're back again!

  • - Can you backtrack to the beginning? yeah yeah. - Immortal, immortal, immortal.

  • - I saw it when it flicked. - Yeah, okay.

  • So the recording of you sight reading...

  • Mhm?

  • It's a video recording or an audio recording?

  • Audio. So they don't know that you-

  • Yeah, they don't know.

  • Yeah.

  • - They can't smell it. They can't see it. - They might hear the poop noises.

  • Woah! Woh!

  • Shuffling around.

  • Okay but yeah, they don't see it.

  • They don't know.

  • Mhm.

  • - The context always gets lost with the recordings. - Mhm.

  • - People just take them at face value. - Mhm.

  • So...

  • What is more important to your legacy?

  • That people...

  • And also,

  • isn't it super impressive if you play it amazingly,

  • and you're going through that?

  • - That will be like a PR story! - That would be legendary! - It'd be a PR stunt.

  • - Like, not only is this the best recording, - That would be legendary!

  • but they did it under...

  • - Pressure. - poop situation.

  • Poop pressure.

  • I mean I think-

  • - So you'd pick the poop. - There's no explanation for

  • why you're sight reading a concerto

  • other than that you didn't prepare,

  • - you don't care, you don't value your audience. - Yeah. Yeah.

  • I mean...

  • - Oh man... - Oh my god.

  • - Like that's- And it's recorded forever. - But I feel so sorry for the front row though.

  • I know!

  • *laughs*

  • No, imagine the whole hall stunk up.

  • I know but,

  • - no one can smell it on the recording. - That's true.

  • Maybe the secret...

  • And it'll be like a whole PR.

  • And the secret just-

  • No, I'm just picturing like a 45-minute concerto.

  • - Yeah. - And the poop-

  • I feel like you want me to give a different answer.

  • No, I mean-

  • It's a good answer.

  • Nah, I think-

  • - You have to weigh what's valuable here. - Yeah.

  • - Yeah, that's true. - Right.

  • - We always do this would-you-rather. - I'm taking it super seriously.

  • Okay.

  • - So okay- - I would say...

  • She's a strict professional.

  • She truely-

  • No matter what happens-

  • - cares about the music. - I hope that never happens.

  • *laughs*

  • I would probably find a way to kind of...

  • - Get off stage? - Disappear?

  • What I would do is probably...

  • *sighs*

  • I would excuse myself.

  • Oh no.

  • They can't... They can't...

  • Like there's no point in recording

  • when I'm not there, right?

  • Yeah.

  • Excuse myself like,

  • take care of whatever needs to be done,

  • come back.

  • Oh man...

  • - What would you say- - Spare the audience.

  • - Yeah, spare the audience, like " Guys, sorry," - Let people clean up.

  • - "an accident just happened." - You know, like

  • spare people the misery of

  • dealing with that in the audience,

  • and dealing with a bad performance on the recording.

  • That's so funny.

  • I'm trying to find some way-

  • Some balance.

  • - Some way, yeah. - Best of both worlds.

  • That's so funny.

  • What would you do?

  • If I had to...

  • - If I had to do sight reading I would tell the audience- - Sight reading. - Sight reading.

  • It was because this is my only other option.

  • Sorry guys.

  • I was given this choice.

  • - And I want to make you have a better experience. - Yeah.

  • So I'm gonna do my best sight reading.

  • I don't want to put you through the torture of

  • that other circumstance.

  • - That's the only way I can think- - Then they will be supportive then, I guess.

  • That's the only way I can think to make it okay!

  • Mhm.

  • They will definitely be supp-

  • Oh, hopefully be supportive.

  • Wow, okay.

  • Yum yum!

  • - This is- - Hahahaha!

  • That was go- Yeah!

  • Mm!

  • Mm!

  • That's not too spicy.

  • - It's not too bad. - I think it was this one that got me.

  • Yeah.

  • How's the milk tea, is it good?

  • It's good. It's saving me.

  • - Yup. - It's just like a...

  • You're actually dying.

  • Yeah, that's fine.

  • Oh wow.

  • What are your other would-you-rather's?

  • Um...

  • Well, this isn't a would-you-rather, but,

  • I like asking this question to people.

  • If you could have a superpower, what would it be?

  • Yeah, that's a good one.

  • Mmm...

  • Do more stuff with my face?

  • - Not be called the Ice Princess! - Not be Ice Princess.

  • Dude, Ice Princess is pretty cool.

  • It's like you're the-

  • - Maybe, yeah... - The cool Ice Queen that-

  • - The popular Ice Queen- - I'd rather be Ice Queen, or Snow Queen.

  • I see...

  • Do you like Frozen? The movie?

  • I've never seen it.

  • Me neither!

  • We haven't seen it.

  • Yeah.

  • - There you go. - Dude, everyone's gonna be like triggered.

  • How can you not see it!?

  • We were practicing!

  • I know, yeah, exactly.

  • Well, Ice Queen, you're the eye of the hurricane,

  • the storm. I love that.

  • - Superpower... - Mm!

  • Hmm...

  • I don't know!

  • I don't have any answers to that.

  • - I've never thought about it. - I love how like...

  • Most people will be like...

  • "To play in tune."

  • And then Hilary is like "to have facial expressions"

  • "cuz I already play in tune."

  • Yeah, OHHHH!!!

  • TwoSet: That, that is when you dab!

  • - OHhhHHhHh! - That's when you dab!

  • Yeah.

  • That's the dab.

  • Yeah.

  • Superpower, I mean, you could be like, fly,

  • you could be invisble.

  • Mhm.

  • Time dilation, time travel.

  • Yes, slow time down,

  • Walk through walls.

  • Have a s... ultimate sme... like really good smelling.

  • - Not get checked at Customs. - That one would be really awesome.

  • It's like if...

  • I think if I could

  • If I could-

  • - Is that a thing you've been dealing with? - He, he, he,

  • - Airports, man. - He gets caught up every time in Custom.

  • And they always like...

  • - Whenever I walk through that thing- - Does it happen to you at Heathrow?

  • Oh, Customs? Or just like security?

  • - Actually no, mostly securities, not so much Customs. - Security, okay.

  • Sometimes but-

  • Security always gets on Eddy.

  • When I do that machine, they always

  • siren something's up.

  • And they always start like feeling me up.

  • - And it just so like unpleasant. - Do you eat a lot of iron or something?

  • I don't know... I was-

  • I don't know what would...

  • Hmm.

  • Yeah, that would be a nice superpower

  • - not to be felt up at every- - Maybe I went to Japan.

  • - I know, dude. - Every stop.

  • No okay, this is...

  • - This is awkward. - Okay, I think I'd have a weird...

  • - Mhm. - A weird, very esoteric superpower though.

  • That would be very cool.

  • Okay.

  • If...

  • - You know how you- - Esoteric... What does that mean?

  • - Like, like- - Esoteric?

  • Ah, my mouth %^#&*

  • - Sorry I'm just- - Yeah.

  • So yeah yeah.

  • Obscure maybe.

  • Okay, obscure, mhm.

  • Or something academic, or...

  • Whatever.

  • Mhm.

  • You know how you think

  • sometimes you get to a point in life and

  • you could go this way or that way.

  • Mhm.

  • And I would like to be able to

  • like pause this version,

  • and go that way to see where it goes.

  • And then come back,

  • pause that version, and try the other way.

  • I think it would be really cool

  • to be able to have parallel versions-

  • - Like timelines? - of your life.

  • Yeah!

  • - Yeah, that you can jump between- - So jumping timelines? Here we go.

  • - Okay. - And see what it's like.

  • - Experience- - Does it-

  • - different versions. - Do you actually live out the different versions?

  • Or you just a-

  • that you're kinda see into the future.

  • No, live them!

  • Yeah? So you get to live all-

  • Like fast forward, rewind, fast forward, rewind.

  • - So that's time manipulation, jumping timelines. - I guess so.

  • And just...

  • That would be really fun.

  • That would be crazy...

  • Mhm.

  • It's not like you get to choose

  • - which way you go on. - But you can't change... Like do-

  • - Would you want to change things in the timeline? - It becomes very confusing, right?

  • - You know there's an effect- - Because it becomes infinite.

  • It would be confusing!

  • - Like "where am I?" - Yeah.

  • - You forget which timeline you're in. - "Where? Which one?"

  • Yeah.

  • "Which one is the one I belong in?"

  • "Which one do I want? I don't know!"

  • - Wow... - Very confusing.

  • - But it would be- - That would be cool.

  • It would be cool to be able to-

  • So what would you do if you didn't have violin?

  • be different versions of yourself, to-

  • Yeah, imagine you chose the timeline

  • - where you didn't do violin. - No violin.

  • - No violin? - Yeah.

  • Hm. Probably I'd be a visual artist of some sort.

  • Ooh, okay.

  • Mhm.

  • - Visual artist! - Mmm!

  • It's not that different, I guess.

  • - And you don't move to much with your... - I don't know why. Cuz I always did a lot of crafting.

  • Expression!

  • Yeah.

  • But I love... I love the...

  • interpersonal aspect of performing.

  • So if you're a visual artist, you don't get that.

  • So I think I would-

  • That's true.

  • feel like something was missing in a sense,

  • but I wouldn't know it's missing.

  • Mhm.

  • Cuz I wouldn't know what's it's like-

  • That's true.

  • What would you do?

  • Mm...

  • Mm...

  • What's something nerdy?

  • Something that like-

  • Something...

  • Scientific innovation-

  • - In MIT? - that'll benefit society.

  • Yeah.

  • Innovate the future!

  • I don't know.

  • What would you do?

  • - Mm... - What were you good at in school?

  • Or what were you not good at in school?

  • What would you have whelmed up?

  • What would you have followed?

  • Architecture, you were gonna do that for a while.

  • I would, but I don't know if I was gonna be good at it.

  • Yeah.

  • But um...

  • Oh greens!

  • I think I always like to change things up.

  • So I'd do a lot of everything.

  • Mhm.

  • I could do architect for a while.

  • Then I'll be, might be interested in

  • Invent... creating something, building things, maybe.

  • Well like, designing.

  • Mhm.

  • Maybe another instrument.

  • Um...

  • Yeah, I don't know.

  • My mum was an artist.

  • But I was never good at art.

  • Hm.

  • So in my high school, I came home with a drawing,

  • my mom was like "What is that?"

  • And then she fixed it up.

  • Then I went back to school.

  • My art teacher was just like...

  • "Wow, Brett." Very confused.

  • I was like "Yeah... Mm... haha!"

  • - "Yeah, spent some time on that." - Awkward. Haha!

  • Yeah homework. I actually did it.

  • I don't know, I like to dabble in things.

  • But I need to...

  • I feel like I need to be obsessed with it.

  • Creating something or some-

  • Hmm...

  • Yeah.

  • Are you obsessed with this?

  • This?

  • Yeah.

  • Yeah.

  • Of course.

  • - Yeah. Yeah. - That was...

  • a long pause.

  • Yeah, I was like "Was that a trick question?"

  • Yeah, of course, I love it.

  • Because you create a lot with-

  • Mhm.

  • It's fun.

  • this, I guess it's a job? I don't know how you'd call it.

  • It almost doesn't feel like a job.

  • Yeah, that's what I mean.

  • - Didn't feel like a job. - It's just... - I don't know what you would call it.

  • work is... Oh, I actually love working on this, so-

  • Mhm.

  • - Um... - Yup.

  • Even if we're just so tired, we still do it.

  • It's just fun.

  • Why did you start?

  • What was the first thing that started you doing this?

  • Do you remember? I remember we were in that dorm.

  • Yup.

  • We were at a music camp.

  • Mhm.

  • Um...

  • Like Australian Youth Orchestra music camp.

  • Mhm.

  • And then, we watched a video, you know, PSY?

  • Gangnam Style, this dance?

  • It was the first video to get a billion views on YouTube,

  • 4 or 5 years ago.

  • Mhm.

  • And then, so we thought "Maybe we can do that as well."

  • Um...

  • And that idea started like

  • "We should make a music video."

  • - Which is our very first video. We danced to- - Well, we danced with the violin. It was stupid.

  • - Nah. Yeah, we took it off. - It was so bad.

  • We took it off. It's so bad.

  • And then... That's when it started.

  • The idea started.

  • Mhm.

  • Took us about a year or two... Two years I'd say,

  • to really get into the videos.

  • Mhm.

  • Because we were still...

  • We just finishing uni, right?

  • Yeah, it was our last year at uni.

  • Everyone in uni was like "What are you guys doing?"

  • Yeah, everyone was like "What are you gonna do?"

  • Um, we made some stupid...

  • I mean, yeah-

  • Wait, they said "what were you doing"

  • because you were thinking of doing it full-time?

  • Professionally?

  • - Or was it because- - We weren't even thinking that far.

  • - Just random videos you were making- - We weren't thinking. We started trying new things.

  • - Just trying things. - They would say "Why aren't you practicing?"

  • Yeah.

  • "What are you guys dancing on camera for?"

  • "You should be studying here. You should-"

  • "You should continue your studies here."

  • - Yeah. - Wait, who were saying this?

  • I mean-

  • Your fellow students? Or like...

  • - Or the dean? Or your teachers, or- - Everyone.

  • - Everyone, everyone. - Hm.

  • I mean, cuz it was kinda like the path that was paven.

  • Paven? Is that a word, paven?

  • Paven.

  • Paved!

  • - Spicy food! - Pove!

  • Poved.

  • Poven.

  • (paved) for us.

  • And then we kinda just started to make videos

  • and tried other things.

  • Yeah.

  • And we got into it.

  • That's how we got into video editing,

  • started learning new things.

  • It was kind of a breath of fresh air for me.

  • Mm.

  • Um...

  • I mean a lot of people we know all go overseas.

  • I didn't feel like it was the right thing for me to do yet.

  • Mm.

  • But well, everyone was pushing us to do it.

  • Mhm.

  • Yeah.

  • Both of us actually at the same time

  • "You should go overseas now!"

  • "Go here, go there."

  • Overseas meant what?

  • - To study. Continue to like- - Yeah.

  • - But like where? - London, America...

  • Yeah, where were people going?

  • But... people were going to London, mostly.

  • Or... from Australia.

  • And if not London, then either Germany or America.

  • Yeah.

  • And it was just a thing everyone did.

  • And so...

  • When we chose not to do that, it was like a blast for me.

  • - Hm. - It's like...

  • - It almost seemed rebellious or something. - You're just wasting your-

  • - Wasting your potential. - Wasting your potential, wasting your...

  • all this hard work.

  • I mean I think some teachers...

  • - Yeah, you would never become successful like-

  • Yeah. Well...

  • Yeah.

  • - Yeah, it was like that's your one chance, - They were wrong.

  • - at going for it. - They were so wrong.

  • I mean...

  • I understand like I think they're worried about us.

  • And so they felt like a responsibility.

  • Mm.

  • Um...

  • I mean I...

  • It's-

  • I don't wanna say talk badly

  • because I love her, but...

  • I know she was quite worried and she was just like...

  • "I don't think this Internet thing would work."

  • Like she literally said that, and...

  • Yeah, and I remember people like...

  • friends of us...

  • apparently would like...

  • talked-

  • - Oh they talked- - behind our back.

  • Yeah, they talked down on it.

  • They were just kinda like...

  • Very close.

  • Did you ever have experiences like that?

  • Or is it... not so much?

  • Because not everyone had- goes through

  • that kind of a rebellious thing.

  • - What is your- - Like being discouraged from doing-

  • - Yeah. - Yeah, from what you're doing.

  • "You won't be able to make it,"

  • or "What are you think you're doing?"

  • You don't have that?

  • There you go.

  • It's cuz she can play in tune,

  • - and we can't! - Yeah, cuz we couldn't.

  • That's why our teachers were just like

  • "Aw, guys you gotta get the basics."

  • But I mean you get feedback

  • people don't like what you do.

  • Mhm.

  • Okay.

  • People have a certain idea of who you are or they...

  • think you're a certain kind of player,

  • or they think you're trying to do this or that

  • when you're actually not.

  • Mhm.

  • - How do you feel- - It's a bit disconnect between...

  • what you want to do in the music

  • and what comes across.

  • I see.

  • - I see. - It's sometimes hard to link those two.

  • Can I have a chopsticks?

  • Yeah.

  • Ooh.

  • - The noodles just go flying, yeah. - I know! It's impossible! Yes.

  • So how do you deal with... I mean do you get a lot of...

  • I mean obviously you get a lot of good feedback,

  • but do you get bad feedback?

  • - And how do you deal with it? - Sometimes.

  • Um.

  • Does it affect you? Or you kinda just like

  • ignore it? Do you-

  • Well,

  • So Jaime Laredo said,

  • "If you are gonna listen to the good stuff,"

  • "you have to listen to the bad."

  • Mhm.

  • So either you-

  • Makes sense.

  • Disregard it all, or you read it all.

  • Yeah.

  • And these days, you can't pick and choose

  • what you read because it's all mixed in together.

  • Yeah.

  • You never know what you're gonna see in the review.

  • But then there was this one time I did a concert

  • where there were 4 reviews

  • just because of the location it was in,

  • and because it was a big Gala Concert thing that I was-

  • I was relatively young and...

  • I think I was maybe 15 or 16...

  • Woah!

  • And I was a part of the concert,

  • but I was not the main thing in the concert, so it was...

  • It was a big deal, but not...

  • Not crushing if I got one review kind...

  • one kind of a review or another kind of review.

  • So...

  • There were 4 reviews

  • that were entirely different from each other.

  • - Mm. - And that's the moment when I realized

  • "Okay, it's a perspective."

  • Yup.

  • Yup.

  • But it's interesting when you keep getting a consistent

  • type of comment on your playing, and you're trying

  • - so hard to not get that kind of comment. - Really?

  • It's not very helpful

  • to try to not get that certain kind of reaction.

  • It's more helpful to think about what you're trying to do

  • and aim in that direction.

  • - So what's something you get- - Aim positive instead of aiming "not negative."

  • Oh, that's a good point.

  • Aim positi-

  • So do you get some... Do you mind sharing what you-

  • And what's that thing you didn't-

  • Ice Princess!

  • Ice Pincess, ohhh!

  • In a nutshell.

  • Mhm.

  • - So okay- - But I see where it comes from.

  • I totally see where it comes from.

  • And I don't entirely understand the nickname.

  • And I think it's good

  • when you do see that people have

  • a consistent impression of your work.

  • - It's good to think about that. - Mm.

  • Why do they keep thinking that?

  • Is that really what you are?

  • What is their frame of reference?

  • Mhm.

  • Why did... Like why do...

  • Why is their mind to go to that,

  • and what are they comparing it to?

  • And I think I just realized after a while that...

  • Worrying about having a certain impression

  • or not having a certain impression was keeping me from

  • just playing the way I wanted to play.

  • - Mm. - I see.

  • So I just needed to completely

  • dive into what I wanted to do.

  • Not apologize for the preempted,

  • or wonder if it was the right thing to do. Just do it.

  • - Just focus on what you want, - Do it, focus on what you-

  • which is the music.

  • Yeah.

  • And not... yeah!

  • Also, what is my instinct telling me...

  • I think it's really hard when you are in school,

  • you have all this feedback.

  • And you're growing up and

  • you have lessons, you have um. ..

  • You know,

  • people are in the next room when you're practicing.

  • Yeah.

  • Mhm.

  • You just always have the awareness that

  • there's someone else that's a part of your playing.

  • And there's someone to measure up to.

  • Then when you graduate, you're in your own apartment.

  • You're not practicing next door

  • to anyone in the conservatory.

  • - You become antisocial. - You don't have lessons.

  • - Yes! - Antisocial practice-

  • Check out the merch, guys!

  • www.twosetviolin.com

  • - Anyway. - That stupid plug.

  • YAY!

  • *cheers*

  • I was waiting for that.

  • Like here we go.

  • "Time time time... Ding ding ding!"

  • Are you gonna drink that?

  • - Do you guys want that? - No.

  • Not that one.

  • Can I steal it?

  • Yeah.

  • - Go for it. - I'm dying.

  • - Sorry to cut you off for the merch plug. - Well, there are only two straws.

  • - Yeah, yeah there you go. - That's why.

  • They knew.

  • - One person needed to have two. - I needed two.

  • I'll put this here.

  • Would you like a serviette?

  • Serviette.

  • Yeah, so- Oh thank you.

  • Yeah, so I think that...

  • - When you're a member of Antisocial Practice Club, - Yeah

  • and you don't have lessons,

  • and...

  • people are expecting professional things from you,

  • I think that's a really weird place to be in.

  • You might be doing auditions, you might be performing.

  • In my case,

  • I was already established as a certain kind of player.

  • Yup.

  • And I had to decide

  • am I going to maintain that expectation.

  • Is that really who I am?

  • What's natural to me as a player?

  • I had to learn how to listen to my own instincts and...

  • Develop my own sense of direction.

  • And ultimately, I'm still the same player.

  • So it wasn't like there was a major shift in anything

  • because I still...

  • All that training, all those aesthetics were deeply rooted.

  • And I just had to figure out

  • a different way of relating to it

  • - for myself. - How did you... like...

  • maintain your career?

  • Because... I mean there's... We see a lot...

  • And you probably as well... So it's...

  • Amazing musicians that come out at a young age.

  • But then all of a sudden,

  • you don't hear about them anymore.

  • Or doing... they're not performing as much.

  • Sometime it's the reputation, sometimes is their playing.

  • Sometimes is they don't wanna play.

  • Or, yeah. So it could- there's balance of both.

  • And for you, it seems like it's... just...

  • Like you're still there. Like you're still going,

  • improving, continuously... like...

  • Were you always aware of that?

  • Or is it something you kinda actively try to manage?

  • Just...

  • - Is it a good management, or is it like how'd you- - Well...

  • A lot of things, I think.

  • I have always done...

  • I don't know, let's see, where do I start with that...

  • I don't know what it's like to not have it be

  • the way I've had it.

  • I only know my own...

  • Sequence of events.

  • But a lot of the career stuff

  • in classical music is word-of-mouth.

  • So...

  • If there's anything that's not working with colleagues,

  • it can really negatively affect your career.

  • But, because concerts are booked out

  • a couple years in advance,

  • you do have a bit of a grace period.

  • Once you have a certain level of...

  • Of booking and of career and of...

  • - Collaborations and stuff like that - - Our bookings are like two months in advance...

  • The way you're doing your own tour is actually

  • the old fashion way, that's how people used to do it.

  • Really?

  • - Yeah, like, people like Maud Powell, violinist, - I didn't know that.

  • She would..

  • I'm sure other people did it as well.

  • - I just know about this from her, from her... - Really?

  • - Biography. But she would... - Okay.

  • Get on a train,

  • go to the next city,

  • see when the hall was available,

  • book the hall, hang up the posters...

  • Sell the tickets.

  • We're old-fashioned.

  • Yeah, didn't Paganini do that?

  • Probably.

  • We're all Paganini.

  • - No social media, no advanced notice, no pre booking, - That would be so hard.

  • you know, just going from city to city.

  • - With all the posters, you put them up, and then, - Yeah.

  • you take them down, go to the next place on the stop.

  • We heard Paganini collects his own money at the front.

  • If someone comes in, he is just there taking the money.

  • He is his own cashier.

  • - He has his own - Yeah. - It's just like a jazz club or something, I don't know.

  • And he gets his own music out,

  • and he takes it all back after rehearsals.

  • Yeah.

  • Yeah, that's how it's used to be.

  • But now I mean...

  • Now it's booked out.

  • I think the reason things are booked out

  • so far in advance,

  • is just the number of things that need to coordinate.

  • So you have to coordinate all the repertoire.

  • Orchestras have to coordinate all the parts.

  • The rental parts and...

  • They have to coordinate, you know,

  • if they want a certain soloist,

  • when that soloist is gonna be available that week and

  • - if the conductor, they want the conductor... - Conductors, wow.

  • Soloist and then that repertoire for the soloist...

  • It's just so many... Logistics.

  • That's why operas are booked out so far in advance.

  • - So much further. - Really?

  • - Operas? - 4 or 5 years?

  • - A lot of conductors who do operas - What?! - 4 or 5 years??

  • are booked about 5 years in advance.

  • Are the singers booked five years in advance?

  • Maybe?

  • Dude, I don't even know what I'm doing like, tomorrow.

  • Yeah.

  • I can't imagine five years...

  • I can do two or three cause I'm used to it, but...

  • Yeah.

  • Five years?

  • - Might not even be playing violin in five years. - Dude...

  • - Nah, I'm joking. I'm practicing. - Oof.

  • - Might be a violist in f - Oooh! - Be a violist by five years? Oooh!

  • Aw... Poor violists.

  • - Do you... - It's a beautiful instrument!

  • Mm...

  • Beautiful.

  • - I love em. - I think it is.

  • Viola gang.

  • Um... Do you...

  • - I mean this might be a dumb question - - Oh, wait.

  • - So, I don't think I answered your question. - Oh, yeah, sorry. Yeah, yeah.

  • - Um... - What was the question? I forgot.

  • - The question was how I sustain... - Career, sustain career. - Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

  • Sorry, I will just...

  • You know, I think I've just always been...

  • If I'm interested in pursuing a project,

  • I'll try to find a way to do it.

  • And even if it doesn't make sense

  • to other people, I'll just do it.

  • So then, people know who I am over time...

  • And I can pursue one...

  • Area of interest or another area of interest.

  • It doesn't mean that I'm changing as a musician.

  • Does that make sense?

  • What do you mean areas of interest?

  • So, if I want to do...

  • You know, contemporary music.

  • - I'll do a contemporary music project. - Okay. Okay.

  • But then, I'll also go and do...

  • A Bach project or I'll do a number of different pieces

  • in the course of the season and that's just an example,

  • that's a repertoire example.

  • But also who I am as a person I pretty much represent...

  • I try not to get...

  • Put in a category that's not me.

  • - That's cool. - Yeah.

  • So if people say that -

  • If people consistently say that

  • I'm something that I'm personally not...

  • I try to just...

  • Um...

  • Keep doing the things that I do.

  • Like prodigy.

  • If - If people say... when people would say

  • I'm a prodigy or something like that.

  • I was actually just a musician who was young.

  • I see. Yeah.

  • It's not - I don't live the life of prodigy.

  • I just do the work. I just keep doing the work.

  • I keep trying to improve every day.

  • Doing my lessons or not doing lessons if I graduated.

  • I'm just doing the work, just very steadily keeping at it.

  • Yeah, it's a fun...

  • Interesting term, people talk about prodigies.

  • Mmm.

  • It's almost like...

  • It seems like an unattainable...

  • Mhm.

  • Situation.

  • Dude, I was being called prodigy at 29.

  • And I'm thinking...

  • - Wow. - When does it end?

  • Yeah.

  • - Prodigy at 29. - To which I just said...

  • Okay, I'm not a prodigy, I'm 29.

  • Just like - Just - Let's find a different word here.

  • Yeah.

  • - I'm a musician. - The second I turn 30, the word's gone.

  • Really?

  • - Wow. - So weird.

  • That is weird.

  • 29?

  • I felt like when I turned 30...

  • The people I worked with

  • took me a little bit more seriously.

  • The...

  • Um...

  • You know, other people thought that

  • I was older or something... I don't know.

  • - It's like 30 is the magic moment that kind of makes... - Yeah.

  • Wraps everything up as a prodigy.

  • Well, as a violinist,

  • if you're a soloist, you're considered to be in your prime

  • somewhere around 40 to 60.

  • I see.

  • - That's so different. - So...

  • Wow.

  • For conductors,

  • they're in their prime when they are like 60 to 70.

  • Wow.

  • You know and so they have to deal with being called

  • young conductors when they're 45... 50...

  • Wow.

  • - Well, that's a little exaggerated. - How does -

  • - But if they're 30, they're still a...

  • - Young, upcoming conductor. - Young conductor.

  • - But that's so annoying, because it's not like... Yeah. - A violinist would not be a young violinist, but still...

  • Because it's not like when you're 29 and you turn 30,

  • you magically mature tenfold musically.

  • I know!

  • - But then... But then, - It's all a gradual process but the number... - There's no difference!

  • that one day like on your birthday,

  • - suddenly you're a musician not a prodigy, right? - I'm glad for it, but...

  • Must be a time lapse thing, you jump time lines

  • - like boom. - Yeah, yeah.

  • - Where you live a different life. - Yeah.

  • But I get where it comes from.

  • - Mhm. - Yeah.

  • - It's just that they really think - - but it's also convenient for...

  • - I think... media's - - People need titles.

  • They need titles to...

  • - Media is words. - Yeah.

  • - Have you ever been called a prodigy? - You have to -

  • - No. No. - Neither have I.

  • - Far from it. Yup. - We dodged that bullet.

  • I'm gonna try for the spicy one, again.

  • Good luck.

  • I have not been outspiced yet.

  • - This is getting spicier towards the bottom. - It is spicy.

  • - I took a bite and thought... It's stacking up on me. - Yeah.

  • So, what do you think about Ling Ling?

  • - Yes. - Do you know who Ling Ling is?

  • I do not know who Lin -

  • I can't even say it.

  • It's that name I can't say.

  • Ling Ling.

  • - Ling Ling is... - I don't know.

  • I don't know who Ling Ling is.

  • *Gasp*

  • - Wow. - People in the comment section are just like...

  • They're gonna go crazy.

  • Guys, comment who Ling Ling is below.

  • Well, you guys don't know who Ling Ling is either?

  • Or you do?

  • - It's a mythical - - Well, we know Ling Ling - What Ling Ling represents.

  • Ling Ling represents the...

  • Embodiment of practice.

  • - Yeah. - And 40 hours a day.

  • - Okay, I think that's hilarious though. - But Ling Ling can do everything.

  • Ling Ling can... Ling Ling can...

  • Do backflips and practice 40 hours a day.

  • - And never get injured. - And never... Yeah, never get injured.

  • Ling Ling can play

  • and practice five instruments at a time.

  • Ling Ling can do everything, I mean...

  • Yeah.

  • I think it's pretty awesome

  • there's a Ling Ling out there somewhere.

  • Yeah. People that are called Ling Ling, they're like...

  • - We - We met um... - That's true.

  • Have you met a Ling Ling?

  • - No, we met someone who said... - A literal Ling Ling?

  • His cousin, I think? Or niece?

  • Her name was called Ling Ling

  • and she plays violin and apparently...

  • - She got a lot of - - She gained a lot of instagram followers purely by

  • - being called Ling Ling. - Called Ling Ling.

  • - Yeah. Yeah. - And having a display pic with a violin.

  • There you go.

  • There's a YouTube video said Ling Ling play something,

  • - by someone by uploading Beethoven something. - Really?

  • - They were like: "lol, lol, Ling Ling, Ling Ling." - That's so funny.

  • - Poor Ling Ling. - Yeah, poor Ling Ling.

  • - It's like, guys, I am not. - What, what?

  • - That's so funny. - It's a person.

  • Well. I'm not - I'm not Ling Ling.

  • *Gasp*

  • There you guys have it.

  • - So, I'll continue our quest. To find the one and true... - Yeah, we'll find Ling Ling.

  • - One day... - Should I have said that I am Ling Ling?

  • - Okay, jump time line. - What do you -

  • What do you need?

  • What do you need from me right now?

  • - Wow. - It's alright.

  • I'm sure when everyone sees your Ling Ling workout...

  • - They'll just be like, holy crap. - I mean...

  • - I just don't... - It's pretty amazing.

  • - I don't practice like that. - Yeah.

  • - Yeah, how many hours do you practice? - Yeah.

  • - Are you allowed to say that? - I practice the minutes that I can find.

  • Ohhh.

  • That's a nice answer.

  • - I practice the minutes I can find! Yes! - We can use that one from now on.

  • Yeah, I can find.

  • - I put in a ton of time earlier. - Mhm.

  • And I also got injured at one point,

  • so I had to learn how to practice efficiently.

  • - I see. - So...

  • So how do you practice efficiently?

  • Um...

  • I think I've learned -

  • Is there a... A cappella group outside?

  • They are serenading us. These are the fans

  • - Ling Ling. - who were in the hall.

  • It's Ling Ling?

  • It's Ling Ling.

  • - Singing 40 parts at once. - Singing 40 parts at once. - Singing... Yeah, 40 parts at once.

  • No, I guess I just have learned how to fix the things

  • that I need to fix and then...

  • I daydream a lot when I practice.

  • - Daydream? - You daydream a lot?

  • Yeah, I don't practice full volume all the time.

  • I don't practice like I'm performing.

  • I'm daydreaming about the music.

  • I'm playing it, but I'm thinking what could I do?

  • Can I....

  • - Do more of this here or could I do more of that there? - That's interesting...

  • I just kind of leave my mind blank

  • to see if something suddenly occurs to me

  • that I wanna then...

  • Practice, expound upon in the practice session.

  • Do you visualize?

  • Sorry, guys.

  • There's Acappella singing in the background.

  • It's like Ah~~

  • Are they outside?

  • It's not even Christmas carols or anything.

  • Not sure what it is.

  • Getting warmed up for it.

  • This is how these students warm up.

  • Yeah.

  • Singing Christmas carols.

  • *Brett singing*

  • - Or like... I mean... - I don't do visualizations, I guess. I don't know.

  • - Do you - - I'll be practicing and I'll think...

  • Well, I kind of want to...

  • Someone is singing so -

  • Is someone's phone playing?

  • - No, I think people are singing outside. - No, They are singing outside. - Okay.

  • Is that okay for you guys?

  • - It's fine, it's fine. - That's fine. I don't think the audio will pick it up. - Oh, okay.

  • - Okay. - It won't pick it up.

  • So the - I mean, you talk about...

  • - Tinkering with practice. - Yeah.

  • How does that work? because it's - I mean -

  • I think a lot of people watching this would love

  • - to know how to... - Just to know how...

  • Even help their own practice

  • - improve in efficiency, right? - Like what goes in the mind of Hilary Hahn.

  • I could do a little demo at some point.

  • - Okay. Let's do that. That'd be cool. - Oh, yeah.

  • - Yeah, not right now. - Yeah, okay.

  • - Yeah. When - Yeah, yeah. - When we finish with this? - We have to wash our hands. Yeah.

  • I can demo like what...

  • What occurs to me while I'm practicing...

  • - That'll be so cool knows. - Where my mind goes.

  • Yeah.

  • - Yeah. - Should we leave ten minutes of that at least?

  • - Yeah. - We should wrap this up like in five. - Definitely, let's finish this in five.

  • - Yeah, awesome. - Because...

  • To me when I hear daydreaming that sounds...

  • - Spacing out. - To me or like to anyone...

  • They might - they might misinterpret that as they...

  • Like you're giving them permission to like not focus.

  • Yeah, not thinking.

  • - Cause they - - No, no, no, no.

  • Cause someone might be like... Oh... Daydream...

  • - What am I eating for - - I'm not daydreaming about other things

  • I'm daydreaming about what the music could be.

  • So, how do you do that?

  • Do you hear it?

  • - Do you see like characters playing a story? - Do you see yourself doing it? Do you see colors?

  • Do you feel something?

  • - Smell? Taste? - Let's see. So...

  • I'm trying to think of a...

  • Sort of a parallel...

  • - Timeline. - In another...

  • Parallel timeline.

  • In another topic because it's really hard to describe...

  • Yeah.

  • It's like, if you are...

  • if you just have a blank piece of paper

  • and you have a pen and you draw a line...

  • What else can you do with that line?

  • Are you gonna draw another line off of that line?

  • Are you then gonna do like a circle? It's kind of doodling.

  • It's mental doodling, with phrasing, with tempo, with...

  • Everything...

  • I kind of start with a blank slate.

  • I reverse the assumptions that I have.

  • I just neutralize everything.

  • I play something and then I'm...

  • Kind of letting my mind wander.

  • I'm thinking about what is going on with the orchestra.

  • Waiting for something to occur to me.

  • I think people don't ever think that happens in practice.

  • For a lot of people, I think practice is about being...

  • More accurate, improving your playing...

  • Being more expressive, being this or being that.

  • But for me...

  • Yes, there's that but...

  • Those are the tools to get to the point where you can

  • let your mind wander and get ideas.

  • - So... - Or it's like having a bunch of Legos.

  • What are you gonna build with those Legos?

  • You put - You know...

  • You put one Lego on top of another

  • and it kind of looks like a house.

  • But then you realize, oh, I have these other Legos.

  • Am I gonna build more in this house? Or am I gonna...

  • Go off in that direction?

  • I'll think about basic things like

  • do I want a crescendo when it goes up

  • or a decrescendo when it goes up?

  • - I see. - I'm always trying to trigger in my mind into new...

  • Phrasing ideas, so I don't get stuck

  • and so that when I'm working with other people...

  • I don't have a lot of rehearsal time

  • and I need to present a unified concert.

  • So, when I'm working with other people, how can I...

  • Play it in a way that's authentic to me, but...

  • Really coincides with what they're doing

  • and brings out a better version of the music than

  • we could arrive at ourselves separately.

  • - So do you develop your technique with that? - Have to be adaptable.

  • - I mean, I mean cause it seems - Okay. - I change my technique all the time too.

  • I change...

  • I tinker with the angle of my thumb,

  • the angle of my hand and

  • I notice something's getting inexplicably tired.

  • So, I'm playing and thinking

  • why is that - why is that tired?

  • - So it's a very creative process. - Is there something in my -

  • Yeah.

  • - And it seems like you are very aware of everything. - Is it something in my shoulder?

  • Am I doing this weird or what is it? What's happening?

  • Why is this... Is it how I'm... It's like...

  • What is it? I'm just asking questions.

  • What - Why is this happening? Where is this going?

  • What...

  • What's that about?

  • I think you said something really cool.

  • - About what you said... - Doodling.

  • - That um... - Yeah.

  • You like to...

  • Question assumptions.

  • - Mhm. - Mhm.

  • Um...

  • Because I actually found, personally with me...

  • Like you said...

  • After uni, when you are kind of like just by yourself...

  • A lot of my playing improved from actually...

  • Going against kind of traditional things that are taught.

  • Mhm.

  • I don't know just...

  • - It was very interesting. - Do you have an instinct to do that?

  • Well, I think it's not - I think it's like...

  • Rather than just following like

  • a textbook of being told what to do is right,

  • you start really questioning, why...

  • Certain things are done.

  • and then you kind of play around with it.

  • But then I guess...

  • The flip side of that is...

  • Like how much do you think

  • one should balance between just self experimentation

  • and that creativity versus

  • having like a strong kind of teacher or guide?

  • Because you'd - someone could just experiment and

  • just - they could just spend 40 hours experimenting on

  • - the most random things and not get anywhere, right? - 40 hours. Yeah. - Yeah, and then you don't wind up with any...

  • - Result. - I guess... How do you know when?

  • - Yeah, well, how do you... - Let your -

  • - Optimize that experimentation, right? - Give yourself permission to kind of

  • move ahead forward, like okay, this is done.

  • - Yeah. - Now it's time for me to...

  • - Take it to another level. - I know it's good when I get goosebumps.

  • Woah.

  • - Dab. - Well, obviously I've never played -

  • It's like - Ah, god.

  • - No, but like in a concert I'll be playing... - So I have never played...

  • I'll be playing a concerto

  • and I'll be playing with the orchestra

  • and I'll know it was a good moment because I feel it.

  • It's not necessarily that I gave myself goosebumps.

  • It's that the whole...

  • Every - Just - There's something in the air...

  • You know something just...

  • Happened.

  • And it's just this feeling maybe the

  • orchestra played something that was really powerful or

  • someone took a little bit more time in a certain place,

  • totally changed your perspective on

  • what that part means in the whole piece.

  • Or...

  • You feel like the audience was just 100% silent...

  • For a second and that second felt like forever.

  • It's just wow something magical just happened.

  • I don't know how, I don't know what, but...

  • That was good.

  • - It's a really amazing feeling. That's when I know. - Yeah.

  • - And so that's what I'm going for. - Does that happen to you?

  • And that's how I...

  • That's how my instincts tell me...

  • That it's going in the right direction.

  • I can't make it happen.

  • - But I know what that feels like... - You know when it happens. Yeah.

  • And I know what it felt like

  • right when that was happening.

  • Wow.

  • What about you guys? Cause you have a different...

  • You have a different performance.

  • You were very interactive...

  • You have to read the room...

  • - I mean we both - Everyone does, right? - I mean, yeah.

  • - For us is - Instincts. I mean, yeah. - Instincts. Do you -

  • Do you get that? Like goosebumps?

  • - I'm very curious. - A long time ago.

  • - I don't think I have. I mean... - Not now. I've kind of lost that.

  • - I mean sometimes - Yeah, my s - - You have very smooth skin now.

  • - My skin is mmm... - You can't - You can't goosebump.

  • - Yeah. - You lost it. - Do you think -

  • Do you think that's something everyone has?

  • - Like a... Like a... - What?

  • - Instinct. - Natural... Inner...

  • I don't know if it's instinct but like...

  • - Because I'm picturing the idea and then - I think it's there.

  • everyone just kind of just...

  • Tinkers with their instrument until

  • they find something that speaks to themselves?

  • Yeah, I mean, you can...

  • It's harder for me to know that in a practice room.

  • I don't know it until I'm on the stage.

  • - Ohhhh. - Ohhhh.

  • - That's interesting. - It's a stage thing.

  • It's an audience thing, stage thing, colleagues thing...

  • There's a feeling in the hall.

  • It's like someone just changed the lighting or something.

  • That's fascinating.

  • It... It's something about...

  • - I mean, something - - So it's - - The performance, so when I'm practicing, I'm...

  • Trying different things that I then have in my...

  • Toolbox, so to speak, for the concerts.

  • - So that I have that. - Preparing all these -

  • And that...

  • That mindset of trying things, of being free, of...

  • Of being flexible is really really helpful in a concert

  • to get to those moments.

  • - Yup. - Because if you feel you're in that moment,

  • you want to hold on to that moment.

  • You might want to change the tempo a little bit.

  • You might want to change the dynamics,

  • do something you've never done before

  • because you just noticed something about the piece

  • that you've never noticed before.

  • So, to be able to be flexible

  • and be comfortable within that flexibility,

  • maybe that's what it is that I'm practicing, I don't know.

  • - I - I think we talked about this a lot how... - Yup.

  • Ever since we started touring...

  • - There's a massive improvement... - We've felt so much more comfortable...

  • That doesn't come from the practice room,

  • - like it's impossible to get like... Just... - Mhm.

  • Something about playing on stage

  • - and that constant experience and like - and the succession...

  • - compressed as well, a lot of it... - Yeah, compressed.

  • - You get a lot of... - This ease but also...

  • - It - It feels like - But you can feel like - - So pa- Yeah, part of it is like the ease, but there's also -

  • You can tap into new things.

  • - Well, do new things - Physical like - - I think it's physical too.

  • Like try things, but still within the music.

  • - And there's - Yeah. - It's adrenaline too, right?

  • - Yeah, and the adrenaline - - It changes your brain.

  • It changes your brain. It feels like

  • you have some control over this amazing power.

  • Adrenaline. Excitement.

  • - Yeah. - Mhm.

  • Before, it's the first time, you're like...

  • It just overwhelms you.

  • I mean, it was interesting because we're playing

  • and then we can always...

  • We can feel the room as well.

  • - We can feel the room . - What you said is very interesting. - Mhm.

  • The audience's energy... The... How they're responding.

  • Um...

  • You wouldn't be able to run with it.

  • - Yeah. - Like, if you're a...

  • Hmm?

  • If you're a snowball...

  • Ohhh.

  • Rolling down a hill...

  • You want to be able to become an avalanche.

  • - Yeah. - I see.

  • - I thought there was going to be ice princess reference. - I don't mean it that way.

  • No, I was not thinking that.

  • - Let it go~ - Let it go.

  • No, I like to think of music as a roller coaster.

  • - Mhm. - So...

  • If you - If -

  • If you start to feel that momentum

  • you want to be able to go with it.

  • You want to be able to accelerate down into that

  • and then you want to be able to let it take its time

  • where it wants to and then really go with it.

  • You don't want to be holding on.

  • You don't want to hold,

  • like, try to put on the brakes on a roller coaster

  • or try to accelerate up the up.

  • - Yeah, I see. - You know, when you're going up a roller coaster

  • at the very beginning, it's like ahhh!

  • That suspense is so powerful.

  • - Mhm . - And then you crest,

  • you start to go down and

  • your heart just is in a different place from your stomach.

  • Mmm.

  • It's just a different place from your head.

  • And that speed...

  • If that speed started to be, you know, steady.

  • It wouldn't have any effect.

  • So, when you practice, it's helpful to be aware of it.

  • Things can just...

  • cascade in ways that you've never expected before,

  • and you want to be able to go with it.

  • So it's how about having the flexibility so that you can...

  • Adapt to whatever...

  • - Inspiration or whatever...happens in the moment... - The moment that comes. - Yeah.

  • Like the technique to be able—if you get that...

  • I don't know, I call it a sort of an attack instinct.

  • If I'm doing a masterclass and I sense that a student is not...

  • Is holding back for some reason,

  • but they really wanna attack the music,

  • they want to...like jump in in a moment and play faster or play louder, but they're thinking,

  • "Oh I probably shouldn't, it wouldn't be in good taste."

  • I can kind of tell when they're not engaging with that,

  • so...I might ask them,

  • "Do you feel like you have an attack instinct in life?

  • Do you feel like you see something and

  • there's just this inexplicable thing in you that wants to...

  • Pick at something, or jump on something, or..."

  • - Um...you know, do you... - Um...

  • For example, like do you love to drive fast,

  • or something like that?"

  • You know, some instinct,

  • something that is some reward system to that kind of....

  • Sort of aggression or creativity, you know,

  • whatever, whatever it might be.

  • And if you can identify those things in yourself and find ways to reflect them in the music,

  • then it's really exciting for the audience,

  • and I'm sure it's the same when you're doing um...

  • A show that's so dependent on the audiences being with you.

  • You know when you should do things,

  • you know what you should do...you can just sense [it].

  • And if you don't engage with it, I'm guessing it doesn't work.

  • - Stuff doesn't land if you don't...listen to those instincts. - Mmm...yeah.

  • Yeah, that's—there's always pulling and pushing,

  • kinda like there's this fine sweet spot.

  • - Mm-hmm. - We need to flow with the audience.

  • How do you know what that is?

  • I mean, ours was a bit more obvious,

  • - because we do a lot of comedy as well as playing. - Mm-hmm.

  • And so when it's like stand-up comedy,

  • it's very obvious whether they laugh or not.

  • Yeah, but you need to know where to go with it.

  • - Yeah...! Well... - How do you know where to go with it to get it back?

  • I mean...I think it's like...

  • It's not that we know so much, I mean,

  • - I think we're still learning. But, it's like... - Oh yeah, we're still...

  • One thing for sure, is you can't...

  • - Just do the same script, because... - Yeah.

  • If you do the same thing that worked,

  • the next time it might not work, because...

  • Maybe something slightly was different, and then you...

  • - You have to go with it. You have to improv off it. - Yeah.

  • Say, the audience...

  • - Screams, or like... - Yells, or laughs, or says a certain thing.

  • If you go, "I'm gonna stick to what I've always done."

  • - Then...that doesn't work, what you have to kinda... - It's not funny anymore. - Yeah.

  • "Oh, I'll play with what the person said." or...

  • Yeah, they call things out....I see as new material.

  • - I try to do something but... *chuckles* - Mm-hmm.

  • My brain at split second decides if it's gonna be useful,

  • or am I gonna just...

  • Screw myself over or like bail out. So I...

  • And also I think it as well depends [on] how we feel.

  • - Yeah, yeah. - Very heavily of how we feel on stage.

  • So we're feeling not...quite odd, takes some time to...

  • Get into the momentum.

  • Um...

  • And jokes we like to do spontaneous things.

  • - Because I think the audience feels what we feel as well, - Mm-hmm.

  • So whatever...we find it funny,

  • the audience find it funny.

  • - So we're trying to keep it fun for us. - Mm-hmm.

  • And despite knowing the script might work,

  • We'll always go for the thing that makes us feel like...

  • it's gonna spark a fire or sort of light.

  • - Because otherwise it's not authentic to the moment, right? - Yeah, humour.

  • - Yeah. - Because if you feel a certain way,

  • but then you choose to stick to the script,

  • - That's opposed to what you're feeling, - Yeah.

  • - then you're just doing a scripted performance. - Yeah.

  • It's kinda similar with interpretation,

  • but we have the same notes.

  • - You can't...deviate from the notes. - Yeah, yeah...play different notes. *laughs*

  • But say like, maybe on a...

  • In chamber music, maybe someone on the moment might decide to play a little bit softer than usual.

  • - Yeah. - And then you have to respond. - You have to go—

  • If you just keep going, "This is how we always play",

  • - then it wouldn't work. - That's not right, yeah.

  • Yeah, it's the same with solo stuff. - Yeah, like orchestra,

  • - or even how you feel on a moment like this. - Mm-hmm.

  • Can you tell how each other is feeling?

  • - Can you tell if you're having... - Yep.

  • - Do you know in advance if it's gonna be an off... - Oh, yeah. Yep.

  • - Uh...I think... - ...day? Or is it in the moment when you're on stage.

  • You just look at each other and you just...can tell.

  • I think we can tell more, like...

  • Because we've obviously done this so much with each other,

  • so we can tell. But I don't know.

  • 'Cause there are different kinds of duos.

  • There're the duos where one person picks up the slack

  • when the other person isn't quite so...

  • - Ohh, I see. - You know that...

  • - Yeah. - It's always gonna...

  • Roll a certain way, and...

  • If you're not feeling it, if you don't have a lot of energy,

  • or just...can't quite get in your groove,

  • The other person will hold it together until you can find it.

  • - They'll kind of pull you along with it. - Mmm.

  • And then there are duos where you're both in the same boat,

  • and you're trying to...

  • Be there together, and then you're finding a different way...

  • to get to where you're...where you're trying to go.

  • - Those were the negative aspects. - Yeah.

  • And then there are other times, when you just...

  • - I think we feel each other out... - Play off of each other.

  • - Play off each other on stage. Um... - Mm-hmm. - Yeah.

  • I do think probably one of the bigger challenges on this tour...

  • It's 'cause we were...

  • We underestimated a lot of...the cities,

  • and so we actually booked too small, too little, venues.

  • - Ohh. - Which meant some...

  • - A lot of times we actually had to do [an] afternoon concert - 2 shows.

  • and a night concert.

  • - Ohh. - After each other. - And I just think because of that, probably the biggest...

  • ...challenge for us was energy levels.

  • Is it because you were in a certain flow

  • with the arc of the whole day,

  • and people were arriving...

  • With...like they were in a beginning

  • when you were in a middle of the day?

  • No, I think—well,

  • I mean, I'm just thinking about one particular concert.

  • Um...

  • We were—I think it was just actually exhaustion,

  • and then um...

  • I mean, I think...

  • I think when that happens,

  • one of the other one's tries to like amp it up,

  • and then the other person's like, "Oh yeah, okay." Like...

  • - It's a reminder, like...c'mon, like... - Mm-hmm.

  • - But um...that doesn't happen that often. - It must be hard to restart.

  • - Yeah. - It's almost like your...

  • Physiology and...

  • - Both body and mind has to come in sync. - Mm-hmm. Yeah.

  • If your mind's tired, your body's like, "...Guh!"

  • I try to move or do something to keep it going.

  • If your body's tired, your mind's like "C'mon."

  • - Yeah. - Do something, like we got to get in sync.

  • - So the audience can also understand that we're there. - I'm like literally backstage,

  • like during bits where I go off, I'm just like... *hyped mumble*

  • and like the stage manager's just like, "What the hell?"

  • *laughs* So what do you...he gotta...eats a lot just like... *mumble*

  • - I'm trying to like...pump myself up. - And then he walk on stage...yeah. - Mm-hmm.

  • And it's always...a good...yeah.

  • I mean, I used to never touch coffee,

  • because I get nervous playing on stage.

  • - But it got to a point where I needed to have a coffee before stage. - Mm-hmm.

  • - Which is probably not a good thing. - But also because we uh...... *chuckles*

  • So we—like Eddy said, we booked a tour...

  • ...that says it's like 400 seater or 350 seater.

  • It sold out so quick,

  • so we had to double up the shows.

  • - So that wasn't also within our calculations of... - Mm-hmm.

  • Yeah.

  • Like um, the second one in Maryland,

  • the second one in Toronto, second one in Chicago,

  • - second one in LA, second one in Vancouver. - Yeah...you're just extending, extending, extending. - And we do S—yeah.

  • So you're seeing like, 7 extra shows already.

  • Booked San Francisco, third show!

  • Ooh!

  • - So there's 8 extra shows that wasn't with our calculations. - Yeah.

  • And...a lot of it is—

  • - I feel like my voice is going from the chilli— - Mmm.

  • A lot of it is just...

  • *clears throat* Any reserve we have, we tried like...

  • Like pump it up, um...

  • We got to a point where we had coffee and Coca-Cola.

  • *laughs* - Yeah. - I remember going on stage, I was like...

  • *excited mumble* I was like, "Oh! I'm here!" *laughs*

  • I actually kind of got shaky from it, coz it was so much.

  • - Yeah. - But I needed it...oh, so... *sighs*

  • - Yeah. - It's a new challenge.

  • - It's a challenge and it's like controlling it and... - Yeah.

  • So I mean it's fun, it's great. Yeah.

  • - It's [for] good reasons, but it's... - Yeah.

  • - It's...it's new ground. - It's new ground, so it's all new to us.

  • - I think next time we'll be even better. - Yeah.

  • What I found is, instead of fighting,

  • and this is the difference between our performances, instead of...

  • If I have low energy,

  • instead of trying to amp it up, I play...

  • ...more mellow.

  • - Oh that's cool. - And I play even more mellow than I am. I slow it down.

  • I...go much more introspective,

  • and then all of a sudden because I'm in that zone,

  • I've relaxed, I get a jolt of energy.

  • And...for example,

  • the fast passage will show up in the music,

  • and uh...that's when I attack.

  • So...I'll just jump on that passage,

  • - and I'll go suddenly much faster than I've ever played it, - Ohh.

  • and...that is like...

  • "Whoa!!!"

  • - For, I think...for the– - Mmm. Yeah.

  • I feel like the audience feels that way,

  • because they've been lulled into a certain zone,

  • and then they feel that jump.

  • - So everyone then...is in it together, because it's real. - Mmm.

  • It's not something I planned, like...

  • - "Oh, here I should be more exciting." - Yeah.

  • - It doesn't come across as forced. - Yeah. - It wanted to happen, and I just...

  • ...went with it, and I see also in my colleagues,

  • they can see, if I'm playing with orchestra or with a conductor,

  • I do actually have a lot of eye contact with the conductor,

  • because I kind of um...

  • I indicate some things that I might be doing

  • - a little bit in advance, just so that he or she...knows. - Oh. Okay. -Mmm.

  • And it's just a little look, but it doesn't take very much.

  • And so, I'll...

  • You know, I'll be playing kind of like...

  • And then I'll go like...

  • *laughs*

  • And the conductor like, goes to the front of the podium, *chuckles*

  • Musicians are like, "What?!"

  • *laughs* What's happening?

  • And...you know...will—

  • I'll...like, push the tempo all of a sudden a lot,

  • and everyone's like..

  • *gasp* "Whoa!!!"

  • - *chuckles* Yeah. - And it's not really anything that you would think is any novel idea,

  • - It's just different from what we did in rehearsal. - Mmm.

  • - It's different from what people were expecting, - Mm-hmm.

  • and it's genuine, and I feel like sometimes

  • I feel very aggressive onstage, like I have...

  • ...frustrations from the day, or I just have a lot of energy or something.

  • And so I will play really hard and really like dig in,

  • until I get that out of my system.

  • Until I can have a little bit more nuance in my playing,

  • and...that's helped me immensely to not fight against the...

  • The changes in mood that are natural in life are...

  • You know, in tour, but people don't expect me to play...

  • Exciting or mellow or anything;

  • they expect the piece that I'm playing.

  • - So I play the piece they expect. - That's true.

  • An emotional experience of some sort,

  • whatever that's gonna be.

  • They don't know what to expect either,

  • because their day has been different from any other day when they went to a concert.

  • But, I think for you,

  • there is a different set of expectations.

  • Is there...

  • What would you say the expectations tend to be,

  • when someone is seeing before the show?

  • - Well... - They expect us to not be able to play the violin.

  • That's the one that's going, it was like,

  • "We're pleasantly surprised that..."

  • - "You guys can actually play!" - "You can actually play violin!" *laughs*

  • - "Coz in your videos, you guys just shred it." - Yeah.

  • - So I guess— - You can't shred well if you can't play well.

  • OhhhhhHHHHHhhhhhhh!!!!!

  • - If you can— - You can't shred well if you can't play well!

  • - Yeah, that's a new—that's a new line. - New T-shirt, new T- shirt guys. *laughs*

  • Yeah, I mean...I think we set the bar so low.

  • - In terms of playing-wise. - Yeah.

  • And I think—well, also because we have no...

  • - We try to keep it very mysterious. - Yeah.

  • Um...we don't have much footage online,

  • - so people don't know what to expect. - Yeah.

  • Um...but I do think...yeah, it's...

  • - It's definitely fun, like... - Do they expect to be entertained? Do they expect...

  • Well...

  • Do they expect skits? What do you think they expect,

  • - without giving away what you actually do? - Yeah.

  • What do you think they are...

  • - I honestly think people don't know what to expect. -Yeah.

  • They just come in being like,

  • - "What's it gonna be about?" And they have no idea. - That's kind of a mystery, and they...

  • - And um... - They like our video so they kinda just like, "Okay."

  • - Well, let's see what TwoSet cooks up this time. - Yeah.

  • But live, you know. Um...

  • Yeah, I—no one's really give us a frame of what they actually expected.

  • - I think because of like...yeah. - It's the best place to be in. - Yeah.

  • Most people...

  • I mean, I don't think that for anyone [to] be disappointed after concert.

  • - I think...everyone... - I think it's because there's no expectations,

  • - Yeah... *laughs* - so they can't be disappointed. *laughs*

  • - There's like, "Wow!!!" there's like, "I didn't expect this!!" - Your lines are crazy though! Your signing lines.

  • Ohh...

  • - So you have a lot of support, that's awesome. - Yes, yes, that's crazy. I mean, we stayed back—

  • - We like, signed for at least one hour every concert. - Yeah.

  • - And that's like, "One , two, three, boom!" - And we tried to get through it, coz everyone...

  • "One, two, three, boom! One, two, three..."

  • - And I do think 80% of the people at the concert do stay. - Mm-hmm. - Yeah.

  • - And that's another logistical problem. For example... - That's a real testament.

  • Yeah, I mean, I tell the venues—I'm like, "Guys, it'll be..."

  • They all [went], "Really? No, no, we got this."

  • - I'm like, "No, no...like, it's..." - They're like, "Yeah, yeah, yeah."

  • - Yeah, yeah—no, no...San Fran Con, - And then they freak out.

  • They lined up to third floor.

  • The security guards was just like, "I've never seen this before in my li..."

  • - I'm like, "I...We have to..." - I told you something.

  • I told you we had to prepare and it's gonna be chaos.

  • - I mean, they're not chaotic, our fans are all like... - But for people who aren't used to it in the venue.

  • There's a lot and they've got fire rules,

  • and people can't stay in one area, and just so like...

  • - Guys we need some plan, where's this line gonna go... - Yeah.

  • - Yeah. But anyway. - Yeah.

  • - Should we do the...wrap things up? - That's cool.

  • - Yeah, yeah! Let's wrap up. - Oh my God, it's nine! - We don't have time to...

  • - Haha. - Oh okay.

  • - We're gonna get kicked out of our practice room. - I know.

  • - Food. *chuckles* - This isn't a practice room.

  • - Yeah. - This is our...dining hall.

  • Dining hall, yeah. *laughs*

  • - Um...yeah. So... - Cool. That was fun. - Yeah.

  • Thank you guys so much for watching.

  • I'm so full. Um...

  • - Yeah. - Hah......yes!

  • Go...check out Hilary if you haven't.

  • But I'm sure you guys all know.

  • - Uh...go to her concerts. Um... - Mmm.

  • - Go to your concerts. -Yeah, come to our concerts.

  • I mean, I guess by the time this video's out we'll be done.

  • - Yeah. - Not forever.

  • Forever.

  • - Not forever! You'll be back! - Not forever! *laughs*

  • - Yes, we'll be back, so...check it out. - Yeah.

  • - Hope you guys enjoyed this, let us know in the comments... - Mm-hmm.

  • What you liked and what you wanted to hear—

  • What you want to hear in the future.

  • Smash the subscribe button.

  • - Yeah. - Bye.

  • Bye.

  • *clap*

  • Practice review! *claps*

  • Practice! C'mon! Okay. *claps* *laughs*

  • So, Hilary's gonna demonstrate how she practices.

  • - Tinkering practice, doodling practice. Uh... - Mm-hmm.

  • - Daydreaming. - Daydreaming while practice—

  • - In practice. - Mmm!

  • - Challenging assumptions practice. - Yeah.

  • Practice.

  • So I thought that I could...

  • - Demonstrate with a phrase or two. - Mm-hmm.

  • - Where my mind is going when I say that I'm daydreaming or tinkering. - Okay.

  • So, most people know the beginning of the Tchaikovsky.

  • That solo.

  • It's not the whole beginning, it's the beginning of the violin part.

  • - Mm-hmm. - Um...

  • - That phrase. - Yeah.

  • So, there's a technical aspect to playing,

  • and of course you want to work on the technique when you're practicing.

  • Um...

  • So that might be intonation. So...

  • If I were playing out-of-tune,

  • I would notice, maybe something sounds weird.

  • Something...

  • Something with the shift.

  • Is it sharp or flat?

  • And then I find where it is,

  • I kind of memorize where it feels like it is...

  • Okay, next.

  • That doesn't want to extend.

  • So is it because my pinky has hopped...

  • So that kind of thing,

  • just figuring out...the basics.

  • Why is this thing happening or what can I do to make it better.

  • - So...once you get all of that out of the way, - Mm-hmm.

  • what do you want to do with the phrasing?

  • What do you want to do with the tone?

  • Let me just kind of play it...

  • So this is how I would play it when I'm not sure what I want to do.

  • So right there,

  • I heard the violin kicked into a certain resonance.

  • And I was really listening for that.

  • And that felt like it had a certain tone quality I like.

  • And that feels good, so that gave me a little bit of inspiration—

  • Let's go back to the beginning.

  • "Do I want to do a long diminuendo like that?"

  • That just occurred to me.

  • I'll go for it.

  • And this is bigger now.

  • That's more aggressive, how do I carry that through?

  • I'm like, "Ahh I'm just gonna mess around with it."

  • Perhaps if I take that further...

  • How quiet can I go?

  • How long can I hold it?

  • Could I get away with that?

  • I imagine the conductor's looking at me like...

  • *laughs*

  • Okay, that was kind of fun.

  • So I know how long if I ever want to play a little joke, or have a moment, like okay.

  • I know I can go that quiet for that long.

  • How do I actually want to phrase it today?

  • Let's see.

  • Might want to play that flatter, because it adds more tension.

  • I could use more contrast.

  • You know, right there,

  • when I went to 16th notes I assumed it was supposed to accelerate,

  • but maybe it's supposed to expand.

  • But I expanded, so what am I gonna do to catch up?

  • Those grace notes, hmm.

  • - So then I've practiced that phrase. - Whoa.

  • I don't know what I'm gonna do...

  • That's not what I was trying to do just now.

  • On another day, I might...say,

  • "Okay, I want to actually answer some of those questions,

  • but...

  • ...I just spent a lot of time with that,

  • and now I'm kind of having fun and my brain's...

  • ...a little primed to be creative, and...

  • I feel like I just cleansed the whole bunch of stuff out of my system,

  • because I just got rid of some instinct."

  • Like something I might have been holding in,

  • I just put it in the music.

  • I got it out and then something else popped up,

  • and I put that into the music. So now...

  • Just like I got a mental creative workout,

  • and now I can go on to the next thing.

  • - That's so cool. - Yeah.

  • - That's like a framework of getting the questions to the surface. - Mm-hmm.

  • And then...

  • The next time you come back, it's like...

  • - The answers, you're trying to find, some—or more questions. - Right.

  • - I don't know. - Yeah, you just don't know.

  • You plant those seeds, and then...

  • You might get answers in different ways at different times,

  • but you can actually act on those answers when they occur to you.

  • It's helpful sometimes to create a definite structure though.

  • So some days I might...

  • ...have a definite structure that arises out of that process.

  • Or I might not have any questions,

  • and then I just do my best to play it.

  • - In a way that feels good, and the I move on. *chuckles* - Yeah.

  • That—you know what's so crazy about that? It's like...

  • What you said then,

  • is so similar to kinda how we make videos.

  • Ohh!!!

  • So a lot of—the big question we always get is like...

  • How do you come up with so many video ideas.

  • One of the things we find is...

  • Actually if you have an idea,

  • - but you don't do it, it kind of stays there. - Yeah.

  • But, if you have an idea,

  • and you do it—and every time you just kind of let it flow through you,

  • New ideas will naturally come in.

  • Whereas if you don't do the ideas, it'll almost kind of like...

  • - It's stuck. - Clogs it up. - Mm-hmm.

  • Which reminded me of what you said, it's just like...

  • A cleansing, like...

  • - You have musical ideas and you have to do it, which then... - Mm-hmm.

  • - Gets that through out your...I don't know, it's so weird. - It's like you need to get it out, and then you kinda just... - Yeah..

  • And it keeps flowing—and it's so—it's deliberate, as well, some of the things.

  • - Yeah. - It's really like, "Ah. Another one. Let's try it." - Is that what happens for you?

  • Yeah, well, ideas just come. So, "Oh, here. We have this...just write that down."

  • - We write that down, and we're gonna do it. - We try to elaborate on it, and do it.

  • Do you have to make the video in order to clear it out of your system,

  • or do you have to plan it, structure it, just think about it...

  • How—what counts?

  • - Bit of both. - We um...

  • Most of the time we make the video. I mean...

  • - In the beginning, it was like any idea we'll do it, - Yeah.

  • and then over time, through experience...

  • You...

  • You know some like may be 10% of the ideas you get.

  • You just know they won't...ke—

  • - Like you don't need to make it work but, whatever, but... - Yeah.

  • - You learn your own shortcuts, too. - Yeah.

  • - You get a feel from it, as well, you're like... - Yeah!

  • - "This will work." - That's what practice helps with.

  • *murmurs in agreement* - Yeah. - Practice!

  • - *chuckles* You learn— - Battery's dying, so...

  • You learn how to do it, and then you...

  • - ...know how to get there faster the next time. - Yeah. - Mm-hmm.

  • It's not you always do it the same way,

  • but if you choose to go in that direction...

  • - We can...starting point's here. - You know what that is.

  • -Yeah. - And if we want to go back and explore, we can always...

  • - That's like this video, this video's like a new idea. - Yeah.

  • - And we just have to try! - We did it, we did it!

  • So here you go guys.

  • So if you like the idea and want to practice more,

  • Yes, do it. Just do it! *laughs*

  • Just do it!

  • Practice.

Yep. Let's do it.

Subtitles and vocabulary

Click the word to look it up Click the word to find further inforamtion about it