Sustainability in early music
Perspective on sustainability by ensemble Régence sonore
As of 2024, understanding sustainability to consist of environmentally conscious actions, such as efforts to reduce meat consumption and flight-taking frequency, has become so fundamental and obvious that there is little point in discussing it further. Moreover, as we have become increasingly aware of widespread unethical greenwashing practices across industries, it is paramount to discuss what sustainability means specifically within the field of music performance. For example, does car-sharing and reliance on local produce make our ensemble sustainable, or are there broader issues to consider?
To us as young artists, it is clear that the ideals of unlimited growth and expansion are no longer viable. To blindly pursue such fantasies is both irresponsible and damaging; not just on an abstract and undefinable level but to us personally. Hence, the need for us to demonstrate the sustainability of ourselves as creatives and professionals, and to further the sustainability of our very industry, is of paramount importance to us and is treated seriously by each of us individually and as an ensemble.
On a personal level, we do not believe that our only “goal” as musicians is to seek out the biggest and best concert halls, the most prestigious venues. Rather, we see ourselves and our ensemble as also being strongly community minded, oriented toward serving local and “home-grown” audiences that are engaged with us personally, and/or with early music as a field.
This allows us to be responsible and considerate with our travel needs; a responsibleness that is compounded by our careful planning and scheduling when organising rehearsals and performances. By organising several concerts in nearby locations over a short period of time, and by basing our travels from either of our “homes” in Warsaw or Basel, we are able to be conduct ourselves with environmental, temporal and fiscal prudence; and are glad for each and every benefit that this prudence reaps for us.
Further, when seeking concert opportunities, we always look first to people and places that we have a strong relationship with. We draw upon local organisations, foundations and governments for resources and collaboration, ensuring that our community participation is ultimately cyclical, rather than parasitic. If we cannot justify our existence as musicians to our own audiences, then it is clear to us that we should not be musicians at all… or, at least, need to develop a drastically altered approach.
However this cyclical mindset requires that we, too, gain from such endeavours. Too often, artists allow themselves to be taken advantage of, undervaluing their own work and hoping that short-term disadvantages may somehow be transformed into successes without any clear vision of how this may be achieved. In short, if we are serious about being professional musicians, it is crucial that our professionalism not fall short of our musicality. If we are unable to adequately support ourselves, then our futures will be inevitably bleak.
Such considerations go beyond ensuring that we are not financially exploited, too. We are each of us committed to sustainable, healthy working practices, physically and mentally. We strive to achieve a healthy balance between activity and recuperation (on both short-term and long-term scales), neither slipping into idleness nor driving ourselves to a breaking point for the sake of “one more gig.” We are also open and frank about our psychological health, both with each other and with our support network. We truly believe that to do any less is grossly irresponsible practice, and both aim to embody and to continue honing these philosophies through our work.
In short, we see sustainable practices as being not some novelty or a simple issue, but as being an overarching consideration in every facet of our work as artists. It is key to us that we conduct ourselves as considerate and responsible citizens, that we are able to justify (to ourselves and to the public) our continued artistic practice, and that we do so in a manner that is demonstrably beneficial for us and for our audiences and communities alike.
Classical music’s continued existence as a field is dependent upon our being the best possible ambassadors for it - not just as creatives and artists, but as thoughtful and sensible professionals. We are passionate about and committed to realising these prudent practices, and we relish every new opportunity for us to better implement and consider these practices.
Authored by Weronika Paine, edited by Alexander Paine. www.alexander-paine.com