Managing Talent of "Chino Gutierrez", Violin Virtuoso

Recently, I had the opportunity to listen to Joaquin Maria "Chino" Gutierrez, a young virtuoso play classical violin at the Filfest held at the Insular Life Tower in Alabang. I was very impressed by his talent and agree with Alfonso Bolipata, one of his mentors who described him as “unusually gifted, with a natural ability and a sense of music-making uncanny for someone his age". Respected conductor and violinist Oscar Yatco dubbed Chino as the “Cecile Licad of the Violin"

Today, in human resource management, we frequently talk of talent development and management. Interviewing Chino, I understood that the talent management principles he shares in his experience can become valuable lessons to leaders and organizations. Let me allow Chino to talk for himself.

TITA: How did you discover your talent for playing the violin?

Chino Gutierrez (Photo Courtesy: Lifestyle of 

Philippine Daily Inquirer)

CHINO: I asked for the violin when I was about four or five, but because nobody knew how to go about buying a violin, much less enrolling me under a good teacher. Two years went by and I was still pestering my parents, so after taking voice lessons under Ryan Cayabyab and being pronounced by him as very musical, my parents went about the daunting task of looking for a violin teacher for me.

It happened that Coke Bolipata had just arrived from the US and had set up a music school in Greenhills. Luckily, he was willing to teach a 7-year old like me. On the first day, he said I was a ‘natural’ and called everyone’s attention to the way I was holding my bow. He thought I had already taken lessons before. In six months, I was playing my first concerto, and by the end of the first year was playing college-level pieces.  After two years of lessons, I won 2^nd place at the National Music Competitions for Young Artists, grade school division, and at the next competition three years later, won 1^st prize in the high school division.

                                     

NATURE OR NURTURE

TITA: Do you think it was nature or nurture?

CHINO: Nature could have played a hand in passing on the violin genes to me, since my great granduncle was Ernesto Vallejo, who was a violin virtuoso, and one of the greatest Filipino violinists the country has ever produced.  Aside from Vallejo, my maternal great-grandfather Proceso Sebastian was also an accomplished musician and composer. The violin was one of many instruments he could play, and he composed plenty of songs and hymns.

                                     

VIOLIN: ATHLETIC KIND OF ART

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Having natural talent does not guarantee success. The violin is an ‘athletic’ kind of art, and requires constant practice every day so the muscles learn to respond the way you want them. As with the other performance arts like ballet or figure skating, violin playing requires discipline and persistence to achieve the beauty, precision, power, and stamina that professional concertizing demands. You have to put in your hours before you can expect to play in a manner that will sound effortless, easy, and enjoyable.

It also helps to have supportive people around you. For instance, my parents are not musicians, but that did not deter my mother from learning about the violin firsthand. From the first day of my lessons with Bolipata, she sat with me in class, and learned all there is to know about playing the violin. She figured that in order to support me fully, she needed to provide continuity between home and school, and that meant understanding what I was doing, speaking my language, and actually learning the violin by my side, since she is not a musician. I was lucky that my teachers belonged to the same school of thought so they approved of her presence. I think the environment played a tremendous part in harnessing my talent. I am blessed to have a mother who is the most dominant force in providing an environment that has been supportive of my growth as a musician.

CHILDHOOD GAMES

TITA: You started your artistic career early, did you miss playing as a child, or was playing the violin your equivalent of play. Please explain?

CHINO: While the violin demanded much of my time, I did still have some free time left to play. I occupied myself with all kinds of things: I loved to read books and write stories, tinker with the computer and other electronics and science toys, and play Patintero and Agawan Base with my classmates. I never saw the violin as taking away from my childhood, because my life was so full both in the classroom and at home that I hardly ever felt deprived.

Also, my life with the violin has been a fun adventure in itself.  Because of the violin, I got to enjoy experiences that might not have been usual fare for the regular 8-, 10-, 12-, or 14-year old.

Things like playing at the Cultural Center of the Philippines as soloist of the orchestra at 10, or celebrating my 14^th birthday in the mountains of Salzburg, or meeting great and interesting people - all these came about because of my violin.

                                     

MAJOR INFLUENCES

TITA: Who were the major influences in your artistic life? What specific contributions did they make?

CHINO: Of course, there is my first teacher, Alfonso “Coke” Bolipata, who made sure I was off to a good start. He immediately spotted my talent and gave me many opportunities for growth. He made sure my violin foundation was set properly. He also passed on his excellent musical taste, which is a very important thing, to me. He was really patient with me because I remember how ‘kulit’ I was as a small child – I was an extremely eager student who wanted to play in class all the time. It was hard to shut me up. We had to take turns playing but I could never wait for my turn. I’d come to class every week with a new piece that I’d learned on my own and wanted to share with everyone.

Then there is Jens Ellermann, my first teacher in Germany. He taught in Juilliard for more than 20 years as assistant to the great Dorothy DeLay. He was a star-maker, used to handling prodigies who later became celebrated violinists – Midori, Gil Shaham, Christian Tetzlaff, and Nigel Kenne. He heard me play when I was eleven and said that I “had what it takes.” He agreed to train me, saying, “Chino will be my last, and after him, I retire.” I owe a lot to him. He believed that a good musician should be multi-faceted so he encouraged my other interests outside of the violin, and was inordinately proud when I won the math state competitions in Bavaria. He helped me find my ‘sound’ and my ‘voice’, which are incredibly important for a soloist. Most importantly, he taught me how to teach myself, diagnose problems and fix them - a most valuable tool.

I must also mention Oscar Yatco, who believed that I could make it in Germany even before I thought of it myself. And any list would be incomplete without Gilopez Kabayao, whose guidance and immense faith in me have provided the impetus I needed to keep on playing. His numerous transcriptions of Philippine folk songs and his tireless quest to bring classical music to the masses serve as an inspiration and a legacy.

                                     

HOURS OF PRACTICE

TITA: How do you rehearse for a performance? How many hours of practice do you put in? How do you manage the long hours of practice? What rewards do you give yourself for good performance? What inspires you?

CHINO: I put in at least four hours of practice every day, more if there’s a performance or a competition. Usually I break these up into two parts of two-three hours each, though sometimes, if I’m really into the work, I do them straight. The reward for ‘putting together’ a clean and high-quality concert is really the music itself – to be able to express the music the way you want it, to know it on such an intimate level that you stop worrying about technique and just let it flow through you, is such an exhilarating and fulfilling experience. Seeing the audience react to your music is also quite rewarding since it indicates you were able to reach them.

In another sense, I reward myself after a good performance with lots of sleep. Or I go eat out with my family and see a movie. Or meet up with friends and play board games, or go on long walks. I’m just a very simple person, with simple joys.

I draw inspiration from my mentors, from my supporters and benefactors, from the people who pay good money to come to my concert and expect to be treated to a quality experience. I’m also inspired by my detractors – they provide the fuel I need to do better and prove them wrong.

Lastly, I’m inspired by my mother who holds me up with everything she’s got – her complete and unwavering support made it possible for me to get to where I am now.

MULTIPLE TALENTS

TITA: From your write-up, I can see you have multiple talents, how do you manage, balance and grow these multiple strengths?

CHINO: Time management is the key. I think one must be able to shift quickly from one activity to the other, in order to maximize the hours in a day. It also helps that I work fast and learn quickly; I can multi-task and still be able to deliver quality results. However, despite the success that I’ve achieved in different areas, I still feel some sense of frustration over having too little time for all the things I want to do. How I wish I could live to two hundred, have 198 productive years, and be given 36-hour days.

                                       

ADVICE TO OTHER CHILD PRODIGIES

TITA: What would you suggest to other child prodigies to enable them to grow and optimize their talents?

CHINO: For child prodigies to grow to their fullest, they have to get rid of the labels first. Any label - ‘troublemaker’, ‘gifted’, or even ‘prodigy’ - can be harmful to a young child. Some people don’t realize that the ‘gifted’ label is a very big burden to carry. It can place unnecessary pressure on the child to perform and be perfect, to measure up all the time, instead of just being allowed to take delight in learning and growing up.

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For child prodigies, if you like doing something and you are extraordinarily good at it, keep doing it even if nobody understands or supports you at the moment. It might be difficult and lonely at first but genius can’t be hidden, and eventually other people will come around. Keep faith.

And to their parents, I would say: When you develop your prodigy’s potentials to the fullest, please do not lose sight of the person. There is more to a prodigy than the sum of his talents. In the end, we want to come up not just with a highly talented individual, but with a good person – somebody with character, a delicate conscience, a big heart, good work ethic, and a strong sense of duty, who will be mindful of the special contributions he can make to society.  He needs unstructured time to breathe, hang loose and just be himself. Don’t insulate him from pain or failure; he must make his way through life, just like everybody else. Lastly, sometimes prodigies tend to feel that they are loved only for their talents. It’s important to reassure them that, even if they lose all their abilities and gifts tomorrow, you still love them.

                                     

REFLECTIONS ON SUCCESS

TITA: You have been lavished with much praise. I can still hear the “Bravos” in your last concert, how do you feel amidst the applause? What are some of your insights and reflections on success?

CHINO: Applause is very gratifying, and positive feedback from both the audience and the critics are what every performer aspires for. However, as a musician, I am very much aware that I am only a conduit – that though I am permitted artistic license, my primary role is to convey the intentions of the composer. And beyond that, I am only an instrument of God, from whom all music emanates. Therefore, when people applaud, I feel good because I know that all my efforts and hard work are appreciated and that I am able to connect with my audience.  However, I cannot claim all the glory because I know there is a Higher Power who makes all of this possible.

Success is transitory. As they say, you’re only as good as your last performance. Besides, I realize that all this can be snatched away in an instant – a little slip on the ice, or a bad case of repetitive stress syndrome can disable me and suddenly end my career. Knowing that keeps me grounded. All that I have, all that I am comes from God, and the ability to keep on making music, and to be in a position where I can touch people with my music is a grace – a gift from above. I try not to take anything for granted. I believe that since God gave me this gift, it is my duty as a steward to take care of it, nurture it, polish it every day till it shines as brilliantly as a diamond, and lastly to use it in the service of others.

    

DEVELOPMENT OF YOUNG PEOPLE

TITA: How do you see the future? What role do you see yourself playing in the development of other talented young people?

Classical violin in the Philippines is in a state of flux. More and more young people are showing interest in or taking up the violin. I find that so exciting! But the resources and structures needed to foster such growth are lacking or else altogether absent. Government support for classical violin is nominal at best. The few teachers we have must usually supplement their income by playing in orchestras or other gigs – at the cost of giving regular lessons.

I believe we are a naturally musical people, spontaneous and eager to make music. With definite, substantial government and private support, we can easily provide scholarships for violin students, send promising talents abroad to compete and learn music from the masters, and eventually bring back what they have learned. For my part, I’d like to help out in educating the next crop of Filipino violinists, and hopefully produce world-class virtuosos. I also want to help bring classical music within easy reach of the people – expose them to more concerts and widen their musical horizons so they can see that classical music is just as relatable, accessible, and enjoyable as pop, rock, and jazz.

TITA: I hear you are leaving for Germany for further studies and training, what are your goals? How do you hope to achieve them?

CHINO: If given the chance, I would like to compete abroad and win for the country. I would like to make a career as an international concert violinist. I’d like to do a lot of collaboration with fellow musicians, so chamber music is on the horizon. Aside from that, I’d like to explore other areas, such as composing and conducting.