Last June, Lindsay Garritson was one of 30 young pianists from around the world invited to compete in the 14th quadrennial Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in Fort Worth, Texas. She is a graduate of Principia College and Yale School of Music. Lindsay grew up as a Christian Scientist in St. Louis, where their family home was filled with music. She, her sisters, and her brother contributed a variety of sounds as they practiced on violin, cello, and piano, while their mother (piano and flute) and father (clarinet) taught (and still teach) music at colleges nearby. The family enjoys making music together, and though it’s become increasingly difficult as their careers have spread them out, they have performed in public in many places (in venues across the United States, Europe, and South America).
Shortly after Lindsay’s involvement in last year’s Van Cliburn competition, and after she had attended classes and given performances at Chicago’s summer music festival at Ravinia and the Bogota International Piano Festival, I talked with her about her career, her personal beliefs, and her goals in life.
LINDSAY GARRITSON
PHOTO CREDIT: TOM WINTER
Lindsay, I’ve interrupted a six-hour practice session to discuss music with you. How do you keep going for such long stretches?
It definitely takes a lot of focus and energy to sit down and practice for so many hours a day, but I try to break up the practice time to make sure I’m as focused as possible.
Does prayer help?
Absolutely! I notice a big difference when I approach my practice time from a spiritual standpoint.
How do you pray?
It can be something as simple as affirming that there’s only one Mind, God, one consciousness, which I’m reflecting every moment. If I begin practicing without acknowledging that God is the source of my focus, that God is the source of my intelligence, it can be harder to stay in what Mary Baker Eddy described as the “closet”—“the quiet sanctuary of earnest longings” (Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, p. 15). What I mean by this is that mental distractions can become very aggressive if I’m not careful to guard my thought—distractions that suggest I can’t memorize whatever piece I’m working on, that I can’t understand the piece, that I’m having technical difficulties, and so on. Of course the point of practicing is to overcome all these challenges, though you have to be quick to acknowledge that God is the source of what’s going on, not you. This is true whether you’re practicing or performing. I always see myself as going into that “closet,” that mental place where you experience only good.
When I’m playing the piano, I’m attempting to get myself out of the way so that God, Mind, can shine through.
Do you lean on, or even memorize, favorite verses of Scripture or passages from the writings of Mary Baker Eddy?
Yes! One passage from Science and Health that I love is this: “Immortal ideas, pure, perfect, and enduring, are transmitted by the divine Mind through divine Science, which corrects error with truth and demands spiritual thoughts, divine concepts, to the end that they may produce harmonious results” (p. 259). When I think about music from a spiritual standpoint, one of the first qualities is harmony. I love the idea that there is a direct line from God to all of us along which all immortal ideas are transmitted. My concept of music is that it constantly expresses those immortal, perfect ideas, and so produces harmony. To me, music means nothing if you think only of notes.
The Bible and Science and Health are full of analogies relating to music. For example: “Praise the Lord with harp: sing unto him with the psaltery and an instrument of ten strings. Sing unto him a new song; play skilfully with a loud noise” (Psalms 33:2, 3). Does that include the piano?
No question! It really doesn’t matter which instrument you’re playing, or whether you’re singing, it’s all the same concept. For me, the noblest purpose of music is to glorify God.
And what about that “loud noise”?
I don’t interpret this literally, of course. You’re not going to be playing loudly all the time throughout a piece, but I see it, rather, as having a very clear concept of what I’m expressing. This goes back to that purpose of glorifying God, which I’m always thinking about before I play.
What has music taught you about harmonizing your own daily life?
To me, I actually view praying and playing the piano as somewhat similar activities. Both symbolize for me an at-one-ment with God, an acknowledgment of my role as a spiritual reflection of the Father-Mother God. When I’m praying, I’m trying to quiet the “outside” noise of everyday life, the suggestion that we are separate from God, that we have a separate mind from His. When I’m playing the piano, I’m attempting to get myself out of the way so that God, Mind, can shine through. Of course, I concentrate on the music I’m playing, but I find that when I approach the piano almost as I would prayer, my thoughts and movements express more harmony, more fluidity, more ease. I see this as aligning myself with God.
No matter what the human condition is, Love is guiding us at every moment and is preparing us for whatever it is we need to do.
You’ve had some good piano teachers. Without naming names, what’s the best lesson you’ve learned?
Honesty! As a classical performer, I’m always studying pieces of music written by great composers. They’ve given specific instructions for us to follow as we play or sing their music. So, I believe that if we follow everything they’ve indicated, we’ll make their music our own as performers, and even feel free to add some of our own ideas. There’s one teacher in particular who made this clear to me again and again. It’s crucial because, unless this step is followed, I believe the resulting performance will be too much about the personality of the performer and not enough about the substance of the music and, as a result, not an “honest” reflection of what the composer intended.
What about Sunday School teachers and lessons?
I remember one Sunday School class in particular where the focus was on freedom and what it means spiritually. I remember coming to the conclusion that freedom is having the ability to choose right, to choose good at every moment. I’ve come to approach my music-making this way. Of course, choosing “right” in any art can be open to many interpretations. But to me, freedom is the ability to discern the purest interpretation of what I’m trying to convey or express through music.
How are you meeting the challenge that in a tight economy there are fewer jobs around, especially in the arts?
This is one thing that absolutely must be addressed spiritually. There’s always a suggestion in the arts that perhaps we’re not really needed. There’s always someone else more “worthy” of a full-time career, and there’s little chance of “making it.” But the longer I’m in this profession, the more I realize that what each of us has to share with the world is essential. It’s valued. It’s an integral part of community life. Not everyone’s career in the arts is going to look the same, and it doesn’t have to. Our individuality in God is unique and beautiful, and when we acknowledge this, I believe without a doubt that we can find our niche and professional fulfillment.
Let’s talk about music competitions. I imagine they’re as much about the interaction of performers and judges as they are about technical brilliance or memory or supple fingers?
Yes, competitions involve several factors. The biggest challenge is that this is music, not sport. The judges are projecting their own opinions about a performance and a piece of music. Of course there are technical and interpretive levels of proficiency that can favor one competitor over another, but ultimately top international competitions cannot really value and champion every performer who has something special to offer. What it comes down to is that performing is about one’s connection with the audience, not about which or how many competitions the performer has won. Of course it’s an achievement to win a big prize, but a musician’s career can only be built over time. If audiences feel something very special with a performer, they will want to hear more. It’s as simple as that!
Do you ever feel nervous?
Yes, it’s rare not to feel nervous before important concerts and competitions. But this can be turned into positive energy and can strengthen your focus. It takes a lot of practice to do this, but it is possible. And for me, the consistency of praying daily helps tremendously.
Do you have an experience to share in which your spiritual growth got you through some tough moments?
Two years ago I was planning to compete in an international piano competition in Montreal. It was one of the most prestigious in the world, and it took a lot of work to prepare for it. About a month before the competition, there was a moment when I woke up from a nap and couldn’t feel the fourth and fifth fingers on my right hand. At first I wasn’t alarmed, but it got to be about three weeks later and I still couldn’t feel them. To say that was scary is an understatement!
I practiced as best I could, but there was a big challenge to overcome physically. Also, I didn’t feel I had enough time to fully prepare for the competition, so I was very tempted to withdraw from it. But from past experience, I knew this could be resolved through prayer, and I felt wonderfully reassured by passages like this one: “Divine Love always has met and always will meet every human need” (Science and Health, p. 494).
Our individuality in God is unique and beautiful.
As I prayed, I realized that what God provides for us includes all that is necessary for its fulfillment. God would not put me in harm’s way or leave me feeling inadequate. Love takes care of every human need, and this is demonstrable. I had to get rid of a lot of fear and a lot of human will, and just let God, let Love take over.
It turned out that in the last week of preparation, all feeling came back to my fingers, and all of the pieces I needed to prepare came together in thought. I was able to play with freedom and joy, and I ended up being one of the top three prizewinners. It felt like a triumph in many ways. It reminded me that no matter what the human condition is, Love is guiding us at every moment and is preparing us for whatever it is we need to do. Also, that competition opened a lot of doors for me professionally in ways I didn’t realize at the time. I’m incredibly grateful for that experience.
What gives you the deepest satisfaction in this burgeoning career of yours?
As I mentioned before, it doesn’t matter so much where I play or how prestigious the concert hall, but rather how I connect with audiences. I see myself as a vessel for the inspiration in the music. I approach music from the standpoint of glorifying God.
It’s so interesting to hear from audience members who are not necessarily religious but who can feel this spirituality in the performance and are drawn to it. It’s incredibly rewarding to have someone come up to you and say they were moved to tears or impacted profoundly in some way.
The amazing thing is that I know this has nothing to do with me. It’s all about letting God shine through the music. That’s the most satisfying feeling in the world!
