Head cocked to the side, chin pressed against his 1687 Stradivarius violin, Jonathan Carney, 44, holds a most unnatural position before unleashing his bow and nimble fingers on the instrument?s four strings.
An anonymous American philanthropist loaned him the instrument crafted by 17th-century luthier Antonio Stradivari.
Carney?s instrument is worth hundreds of thousands of dollars ? experts have struggled for ages to duplicate its perfection. But Carney?s value to the dozens of aspiring musicians he has influenced is incalculable.
Since 2002, when he accepted the prestigious role of concertmaster with the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra, Carney has spent the little free time he has coaching budding musicians at the Baltimore School for the Arts and the BSA?s TWIGS (“To Work in Gaining Skills”) program for second- through eighth-grade students. One of Carney?s two daughters, Hannah, graduated from BSA this year, and his son, Luke, begins his sophomore year this fall.
Carney?s resume is impressive; he has led London?s Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and toured the Americas, Europe and the Far East. He has served as concertmaster for the Basque National Orchestra in Spain and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in England. From London?s Barbican Hall, one of his most recent performances was broadcast live on the BBC.
THE VALUE OF MENTORING
He could be conquering solos to resounding applause in concert halls around the world, but instead, Carney is in a simple rehearsal room on Madison Street listening to teens.
“Honestly, I find it so complementary to what I do,” the New Jersey native said. “It makes me work better ? the busier I am, the happier I am. And, the more I do with the kids, the more it inspires me, and I see things I need to work on in my own playing. It?s very enlightening.”
Carney continues a chain of mentors that reached him at age 8, when he met his first teacher, Christine Dethier at The Juilliard School?s Pre-College.
“She was a huge influence on me and formed my musical ideas more than any other,” Carney said. “[Dethier] died in 1995 at 96. I played for her even in her hospital bed. Her body went, but her mind was absolutely perfect and her hearing was wonderful. It?s crucial that we always have a mentor to look to, and that we keep that mentor relationship and pass it down from generation to generation.”
Hearing Carney?s strings journey through a piece is an intense learning experience for BSA junior Patrick Merrill. “You learn so much just from his presence and sounds,” the 16-year-old pianist said. “It?s been a blessing for me to be able to work with someone on such a high level.”
When Carney, a graduate of The Juilliard School in New York, left for England at age 21, he learned the orchestral ropes from in-demand soloist, chamber musician and orchestral player Trevor Williams.
“I played for him until his dying days, and I?ve been out of sorts without someone like that in my life the last couple of years,” Carney said. “I?m
looking for a mentor, because even as we mentor high school students, we need some guidance as well.”
Chills shot up BSA graduate Thillman Benham?s spine the first time he heard Carney play in person two years ago.
“He?s such a passionate musician, it?s inspired me to keep pursuing my career,” said Benham, who will study cello at Ithaca College this fall. “He?s given me all these ideas to work on. His comments are so insightful, they make me notice things I never thought of ? things that make the piece what it is. He?s pushed me to look deeper into the music.”
Carney?s mock college auditions prepared Benham and other seniors for the real test they met in front of college and conservatory directors, Benham said. “His advice helped me be calm and able-minded when I got into the auditions.”
This past year, among his many ties to the school, Carney designed performances for two BSA string quartets to present to elementary school children, who if interested received free string lessons on Saturdays.
“If they get off to a good start, they can put up with the ups and downs in the middle of their musicianship,” Carney said. “The first few years are the most formative of a musician?s training.”
A MUSICAL UPBRINGING
Like many greats, Carney learned his instrument at home among the sounds of his musical family, his parents and four brothers and sisters ? all graduates of The Juilliard School.
“My oldest sister was playing around the house, and I began whistling the piece, ?Vivaldi A Minor Concerto,? at [age] 4 or 5,” Carney recalled. “My dad decided it was a good time for me to
pick up the fiddle. We all got hand-me-down violins from each other.”
Carney?s mother, who made her musical debut on the piano at age 8 performing a Mozart concerto with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra, knew how to bring the best out of Carney and his siblings.
“She played as accompanist for all of us and was very influential. She taught me how important it is to instill confidence at an early age,” he said. “I really focus on that. I?m completely sensitive to it because my parents were so good at it.”
AN ENTHUSIASTIC JOURNEY
For Carney, it?s all about the journey. “These kids are busier than any kids I?ve ever come across,” he said. “Their academic work is expected to be first-class. It?s imperative they keep their grades at a high level and still find time to practice. I focus on the quality of practice, not the quantity. We practice efficiently without taking the fun out of it.”
“As adults, we can lose an enthusiasm for our work as we progress in our music careers,” said Chris Ford, who oversees the BSA?s music department. “But Jonathan still has a tremendous energy. It?s important for the kids to see that because one major element to success is enthusiasm.
“When institutions become cumbersome in moving with each other, he jumps right in and connects the students with the realities of professional string playing on the highest level. He?s bridging organizations and helping energize the symphony and School for the Arts.”
