by Bob Groeneveld/Special to the 91原创 Advance
There鈥檚 more to music than meets the ear.
But it鈥檚 still really all about the music.
That鈥檚 the premise behind Ian Hampton鈥檚 new book, Jan in 35 Pieces.
鈥淎nd it鈥檚 also a bit of a recognition of the work that ordinary musicians do,鈥� he said, 鈥渢o help people to understand the music, classical music in particular, and to understand that music also requires musicians to serve on boards and listen to auditions and keep concert series going and all that kind of administrative side. It鈥檚 difficult to survive without a certain number of people volunteering their efforts to keep things going.鈥�
Ian is the 鈥淛an鈥� of the book鈥檚 title: 鈥淚 distanced myself by calling myself Jan rather than Ian, so I鈥檓 talking in the third person.鈥�
The 鈥�35 pieces鈥� are 35 pieces of music.
鈥淓ach chapter is headed with a piece of music, so the music comes first and the memoir comes second,鈥� he explained, adding with a chuckle, 鈥淚 would prefer it come a distant third.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檝e tried to make the book amusing,鈥� he said, 鈥渋f not a sort of a reveal-all sort of a book.鈥�
Hampton鈥檚 wit is well-known among those who know him, and it comes through in the book, said Carolyn Granholm, assistant principal at 91原创 Community Music School (LCMS), where Hampton has been a teacher and administrator for nearly four decades.
Hampton joined LCMS in 1979 and has been 鈥渋nstrumental to building the school,鈥� she said. 鈥淗e鈥檚 been bringing world-class musicians to perform here, and he鈥檚 been a really big supporter of Canadian composers and Canadian music. He鈥檚 a cornerstone of the school.鈥�
鈥淗e has had an extraordinary career,鈥� said Granholm, noting that some of his many accomplishments include playing as principal cello for both Vancouver Symphony Orchestra and the CBC Radio Orchestra.
He was a member of the Purcell String Quartet for 20. He has taught at the Academy of Music, at UBC, and at Trinity Western University, and he has an honorary doctorate from Simon Fraser University.
Through musical selections, personal anecdotes, stories, and profiles, Hampton said, he uses his experience to reveal musicians鈥� 鈥減reoccupations with music and how they set about learning it or trying to perfect it or what happens on travels and concerts and that sort of thing.鈥�
鈥淭he construction of the book is sort of a little bit like a concert,鈥� he said.
鈥淵ou have the main chapter about whatever piece it is, then there are some interludes within the chapters, and a few profiles of people. Originally, what I thought I鈥檇 do was to write a book about music like the vet books [All Creatures Great and Small et al, by James Herriot], so I鈥檝e tried to show what a musician鈥檚 life is like.鈥�
The real goal is 鈥渏ust to describe classical music itself, and why it is important to me and, by inference, why it might be important to other people,鈥� said Hampton.
鈥淚t鈥檚 always very difficult to talk about music; music is a very abstract thing, if you are trying to describe it 鈥� almost impossible. I felt that very much so when I was playing in quartets and we did a lot of school concerts: how to describe what you play and what you are about to play musically, and so on.鈥�
It鈥檚 not surprising, considering Hampton鈥檚 longstanding relationship as a teacher and administrator with LCMS, that 91原创 plays an important role in the book.
鈥�91原创 often figures in the prologue or epilogue to various chapters,鈥� he said. 鈥淪ometimes I introduce a piece by it happening amongst the students of 91原创 music school, and then we have flashbacks of the same piece being played by the London Symphony, or this sort of thing. It鈥檚 mostly music which is important to me鈥� various experiences playing it. There are sometimes a number of little scenes to do with one particular piece.鈥�
Jan in 35 Pieces, published by Porcupine Quill Publishing, is being launched at the music school on Friday, June 22, at 7 p.m..
鈥淲e are thrilled to be hosting a launching for Ian鈥檚 book,鈥� said Granholm.
鈥淗is wit and talent for observation and story-telling really come through. We want everyone in the community to come and celebrate this extraordinary person and his book.鈥�
A second launch is slated for the following day at 4 p.m., at the Canadian Music Centre at 837 Davie St., in Vancouver.
鈥淲e鈥檒l have about 20 minutes of readings interspersed with a couple of pieces performed by the Rose Gellert String Quartet,鈥� said Hampton, adding with another of his chuckles, 鈥淚鈥檝e never been to a book launch, so I鈥檒l be interested to see what happens.鈥�
