Sad Piano Music: an interview with composer and pianist Simeon Walker
For many of us, one of the most difficult things about the pandemic has been the forced isolation. We miss our family and friends, and if we're musicians, we miss making music for and with other people. As many fine writers have noted, music is a communicative art and it suffers when we can't share it with others. And while we're all grateful for the existence of virtual performances, the complexity of performing with other musicians over the internet has meant that most of us haven't been able to collaborate with others.
For World Piano Day 2021, composer and pianist Simeon Walker harnessed the power of social media and technology to create a truly collaborative performance opportunity for pianists all over the globe. Using Absolution, a piece he wrote specifically for this event, Simeon put out an open call to pianists anywhere to send him videos of themselves playing the piece and then took the best part of each performance to create a seamless whole. The result? A beautiful and touching reminder that no matter how isolated we may feel in our own homes, we're part of a family of musicians that includes pianists from every country in the world.
Absolution is just one project in Simeon Walker's varied career. A composer of a genre he jokingly refers to as "sad piano music," Simeon's Modern Classical music has received substantial play time on BBC's Radio 3, as well as other stations in the UK and the USA. As a touring pianist and a composer, he has appeared at the Latitude Festival (UK), Q3Ambientfest (DE), FAN Festival (PT) and a range of concerts, shows and live music events. It is an honor to feature him and his work on No Dead Guys.
At what age did you begin learning the piano, and when did compose your first composition?
I began having lessons when I was 7 years old. My Mum was a secondary school music teacher and I had a love for music from an early age. I was fortunate to have lessons throughout my childhood and teens with the same teacher, who was an excellent mixture of inspirational, challenging and understanding. I was always interested in the way that music worked, with a keen interest in theory and aural skills, and my teacher encouraged me greatly to think beyond music as just learning pieces. I would turn up to a lesson with a piece of manuscript featuring the most ludicrous of ideas to be played on the piano, and he would manfully - and seriously - try to interpret and perform them. I was always making up tunes and songs, and I don’t ever remember being encouraged to think of performance, composition, theory and musical appreciation as completely separate or distinct things - more that they interweave, interact and shape each other.
When did you know you wanted to pursue a career as a composer, and what prompted you to choose this as your life’s work?
There have been various moments throughout my life when I have simply known that music would be the way forward for me, the first main one being when deciding to pursue music at university, having spent my childhood learning and pursuing a variety of musical skills and passions. Music has always been “the thing” for me beyond anything else, although pursuing a career in it can, of course, be a notoriously challenging thing. The pursuit of being a composer/artist/performer has been a relatively recent thing though, perhaps since 2014-2015. I had been doing lots of musical things in a variety of contexts and musical styles, but it was around this time that I fell into a style of playing and writing that simply seemed to fit both my abilities, interests and character. This has coincided with a number of technological developments such as the internet, social media and streaming, which have enabled me to build an audience in an area of the musical landscape that is growing in popularity and interest amongst quite a wide-ranging group of people and localities, which has given me confidence to believe that I am in the right area, and broadly where I should be.
Which composers do you feel most influenced your compositional style?
As for many people working in my area of the musical landscape, I’d have to say that artists such as Nils Frahm and Olafur Arnalds and the collection of other artists who often get lumped together into some kind of scene, perhaps with connections to Berlin, or a label such as Erased Tapes, are some of the primary, recent influences on my music…certainly from a piano perspective. From the more established classical world, I have always been drawn to the later composers - Chopin, Debussy, Ravel, Scriabin, Satie for example - primarily due to the harmonic and textural developments that have often been ascribed to their work, and perhaps crucially the loosening of tempo, strict timekeeping and use of rubato. In recent years, I have become particularly interested in 20th Century composers such as John Cage, Howard Skempton, Morton Feldman, Arvo Pärt, Laurence Crane, who I admire for their desire to challenge the preconceptions of how music should be composed, performed and experienced. I have always had a keen interest in jazz too, and I love the music and playing of people such as Bill Evans and Brad Mehldau.
You’ve described your music as being Modern Classical. What are the characteristics of this style of music?
This is a pertinent question, and one which is tricky to answer. There are numerous prefixes that are prescribed to piano-based music being written today - Modern/Neo/Post/Indie/Contemporary-Classical, sometimes because the composers have maybe had a more traditional musical education, but have found different ways of creating music, perhaps incorporating aspects of other forms of music such as ambient/electronic/dance music, which has been made possible with the various forms of technology and ways of creating music.
I think there is a danger that it could be a little misleading and potentially confusing for audiences. I have often seen composers such as Einaudi be described as Neo-Classical, and whilst he has been very successful, I would mostly see my music as being slightly different, with less focus on pure arpeggiation accompaniment and seeking to employ a generally more spacious approach.
I feel the desire to lump this very modern form of music in with the broader genre of Classical music can be attributed to a number of things: the musical background many of it’s participants have had; perhaps the instrument itself still conjures up a feeling that it is more Classical than anything else; it generally tends to be of a more reflective nature and is often instrumental - both of which, whilst not exclusive to Classical music, might have an implied association with Classical music; and perhaps a general sense of being unsure of how else to categorise it.
I have tended to use the tongue-in-cheek description of “Sad Piano Music”, which often seems to give people a pretty good idea before they have heard it! I feel that I am trying to create space for reflection and to not fill the space with notes simply for the sake of it - I think this often creates a sense of melancholy and introspection as listeners are encouraged to engage with the feelings engendered in the music, and in doing so, I feel I’m able to be truly myself and allow my music to be an expression of personality.
Tell me about Brudenell Piano Sessions, an event that you host. What is it and what prompted you to create it?
The Piano Sessions emerged out of a slight sense of frustration about trying to work out where and how I could perform my music, but also a desire to help bring music to new audiences away from a more traditional concert hall environment. In the context of the difficulty in trying to categorise modern forms of music, I felt it would be interesting to see if we could create an evening of music in which the central defining aspect was the instrument itself, rather than programming performances around a specific type of music. As the event has grown in popularity, we have featured a range of piano-based music across an increasingly wider set of musical styles.
Crucial to the events’ success has been hosting it at Brudenell Social Club here in Leeds, which is one of the UK’s most iconic music venues. It has an international reputation for programming excellent music across a wide range of musical styles, and draws a hugely knowledgable and appreciative audience. However, the Piano Sessions offered a chance to bring something slightly new to the venue and it’s audience, and it has been a huge success so far. We have had some ticketed events with larger, more established artists, but the mainstay of the series has so far centred around the variety of the music being performed and giving opportunities for up-and-coming artists to showcase their work to an engaged and supportive audience. The events are pay-what-you-can, and always feature a warm and encouraging atmosphere. I love it, and I can’t wait to start them again.
For World Piano Day 2021, you created a collaborative performance event around Absolution, one of your compositions. Had you created online collaborative events in the past, or was this the first time?
This was very much the first time I had tried something like this! Piano Day has quickly become a huge event in the musical calendar, but what I have always loved about Piano Day is not so much all of the big events, releases, videos or other things that are now timed with it, but more about the ethos and intention behind the idea in the first place - the celebration of the instrument; the range of music that can be played on it; the huge variety of sounds of pianos and keyboards that people play around the world on a daily basis; and the fact that it is an opportunity to bring people together around a shared love for the instrument.
Of course, we have sadly become accustomed in the last year to not being able to gather together in person, and so this was my attempt to redress the balance a little, by asking people to perform their own versions of my piece Absolution. I was delighted with the amount of people who got involved.
Tell me about Absolution, the piece you chose to compose for your World Piano Day collaborative performance. How difficult was it to write for pianists who could read notes, pianists who learn by ear, and pianists who learn via Synthesia?
Due to the nature of the piece working mostly in two-bar phrases, I felt confident that I’d be able to create a collaborative performance that was vaguely cohesive, whilst containing all of the quirky differences that would naturally be there by putting out an open call for involvement - tempo, phrasing, dynamics, tuning of the piano, confidence of the player etc.
One of my key motivations for this project was that it shouldn’t be limited just to people who can read music, or indeed for a certain level of player. I am very keen on promoting participation in music for all, which was why I worked hard to create a variety of resources for people to be able to learn in a way which was most comfortable for them.
I felt that the inherent simplicity (and by this I think it is important that we understand the nuances of what simplicity as a term can mean, and not reduce it purely to thinking that simplicity equals “easy”) of the musical phrases, gently shifting rhythm, overall slow tempo, repetitive melodic figures and approachable key signature would all contribute to a sense of “I can do that”.
What is Synthesia and how many composers are writing for it?
Synthesia is a programme which has gained popularity for people to learn to play pieces on the piano by watching YouTube tutorials and seeing the notes cascading down the screen, with players matching up their hands to the dots they see - perhaps a form of piano karaoke!
It is very different to how I myself learnt the piano, and it doesn’t always have an overwhelmingly popular reputation amongst music educators, which I do understand. However, I have some piano students myself who have started by learning this way, and then come to me for lessons, and I feel that it does have many benefits, not least in helping musicians develop their confidence to play perfectly achievable pieces that may have taken longer to learn had they tried to read it. I personally feel that a balanced approach that utilises a variety of ways to help us learn about music is most useful, but I still believe that participation is the most important thing, and I was very keen to not alienate a section of the musical community from being involved, simply because they might not read music in the traditional form. Some of the most revered and celebrated musicians have not always followed the traditional note-reading path, and I think it is important that we don’t hold too close to a prescribed “correct way” of learning or indeed, the simple joy and pleasure we can gain from playing, making and being musical.
How many pianists participated in the online collaborative performance of Absolution, and how many different countries were represented?
We had twenty different pianists send in submissions for the project, which I was so delighted with. I know there were many more who had a go but couldn’t find the time to make a proper recording, or were perhaps a little too nervous or not used to filming themselves playing, which is fine! I had quite a few from here in the UK, and a number from Germany and America too. I was perhaps not expecting so many people to participate, and so to avoid the piece being too long, I was only able to include a few bars of each persons’ submission, but I was so delighted with the enthusiasm for the whole thing.
In opening this opportunity to so many different players, I imagine you received video recordings of varying tempi and ability. How difficult was it to blend all the performances into the seamless collaborative video you created?
Yes, very much so, and I knew this would prove to be the most challenging thing in creating as seamless a performance as possible. As it is a piece which utilises rubato anyway, I was able to make use of that when stitching the contributions together. I categorised the submissions into general tempi columns and then spent a fair bit of time looking over all of the performances to try and think about how best to create a sense of musical flow…imagining the passing of a musical baton, were all of us able to actually be in the same room together!
Some people added their own little touches of flair and interpretation which was enjoyable, and of course, the range of instruments from concert grands, weathered uprights and midi keyboards made for a continually shifting and changing sound and timbre, which, whilst at first feels a little unusual, I actually came to find quite profound and moving when watching the finished piece. Many of us have spent a lot of time inside our homes in the last year, playing instruments that might not have been able to be tuned in a while, or simply just playing what is available to us in our own contexts and situations. It felt very much like a project that emerged out of the restrictions we have had to live under, and I think that many people who have watched it shared that sense of emotion.
During the pandemic, musicians have embraced the opportunity to make music with others via technology. Do you think this trend will continue once we can all return to live events?
I think that technology has kept a huge amount of musicians sane, and indeed, for some, in work, in the last year. I think it would have been very problematic without the ability to record, perform and teach remotely and use all of the tools available to us. I suspect that there will be some form of hybrid use of technology moving forward, which could certainly help with accessibility, reaching new audiences and making live music a hopefully more egalitarian experience. That said, I am hugely looking forward to getting out on the road again to perform across the UK and Europe when it is safe to do so, and I hope that audiences will feel comfortable and confident to come out to the live events that mean so much to all of us. The wonderful collective nature of experiencing live music together is something that cannot be overstated for it’s importance for our wellbeing and society in general.
What upcoming events and projects are you most excited about?
I am spending a lot of time working with a wide range of people, collaborating on projects, writing, exploring and moving forward as a fully-freelance musician, composer, performer, arranger and collaborator.
I am just about to finish working with Psappha, a contemporary ensemble in Manchester, with whom I have been writing a piece for solo viola, which will be being recorded in high quality audio and video in May and broadcast in the summer.
I also have a number of releases to look forward to this year, notably a number of compilations I have contributed to. This includes a collection of reworks of music by Erland Cooper in which I’m excited to feature alongside Isobel Waller-Bridge, Daniel Pioro, Paul Weller and many other superb composers; plus a number of other exciting compilations by labels who I am a big fan of. I have a range of piano music that I have been working on for a while and for which I am waiting for the right time to release. And of course, returning to live performances - hopefully in the autumn - will truly feel like a new lease of life after an especially challenging period for us all.
What advice can you offer young musicians who are trying to create a career for themselves?
The most important thing I have come to learn is that things never seem to happen when you think you want or need them to, but when you look back, the timing often seems to make sense on reflection.
I am 34 and I sometimes wish that I had got to this stage a lot earlier, and whilst that would have been nice, I wouldn’t be able to make the music I am making now without the experiences I have encountered - the frustration, effort, doubt, commitment, successes and failures that have occurred so far have been hugely valuable (although we don’t always realise it at the time). My perception and understanding of myself and my abilities - and indeed limitations - as a musician and a composer continues to grow and I am mostly just very thankful and grateful for the privilege of being able to have a career doing the thing that makes most sense to me.
Having a sense of who you are and what you’re trying to do/say through your work is so important, and the pressures we can often feel from comparing ourselves with others - especially through social media - can sometimes be quite exhausting and maybe even damaging. Having said all of that, I think I am also still trying to work out why I do what I do. It’s a lifelong exploration, I guess. When I have found the answer, it’ll probably be time to stop.
After a decade working as a musician, teacher and educator, UK-based pianist & composer Simeon Walker has quickly emerged as a leading light in the burgeoning Modern Classical scene, following the release of his first album Mono and his Help Musicians & PRS Foundation-funded album Winnow. In recent years, Simeon has performed & toured across the UK and Europe, supporting S. Carey, Sebastian Plano, Loscil, Marconi Union & Erland Cooper, whilst also appearing at Latitude Festival (UK), Q3Ambientfest (DE), FAN Festival (PT) and a range of concerts, shows and live music events.
He has received substantial radio airplay on BBC Radio 3, notably from the popular ‘Unclassified’ show, with multiple plays on BBC 6Music, BBC World Service & BBC Introducing, alongside Seattle-based KEXP and Berlin-based NeoFM. His music has been streamed 10 million times across a variety of online platforms, featuring on Spotify’s Peaceful Piano & Classical New Releases playlists.
Simeon also founded and continues to curate Brudenell Piano Sessions; an intimate and varied series of live music events highlighting the diverse and varied music being composed and performed on the piano. Held at one of the UK’s most iconic venues - Brudenell Social Club - these events seek to give a platform for new and emerging artists to present their work in an informal, supportive and encouraging environment, whilst challenging audiences’ perceptions about where this work can be heard, and providing opportunities for new musical discoveries.
Walker recently completed an MMus in Composition at Leeds College of Music, working with renowned composers such as Errollyn Wallen, Matthew Bourne and Ben Gaunt, with a focus on expanding his harmonic language and approach to structure, amidst the increasing influence of composers such as Howard Skempton, Morton Feldman, John Cage, Arvo Pärt and Laurence Crane. Having trained as a singer alongside the piano, he also retains a keen interest in choral music.
With work described as ‘beautifully captivating’ by Gold Flake Paint and ‘sophisticated and elegant’ by Piano & Coffee, Simeon’s calm, introspective piano-based instrumentals invite listeners and performers alike to find stillness, beauty and meaning as much in the spaces between the notes as the notes themselves. In a scrolling-fuelled world, his music offers the opportunity to escape the busyness of everyday life.
Fans of "Sad Piano Music" can purchase scores of Simeon Walker's music here.