Ethan Loch: one year on

KR: How was your first year at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland?

EL: I really enjoyed it! One of the main aims in my first year was to help me think ‘outside of the box’, and I was able to explore lots of new ideas I would never have considered before. I have been working with a composition teacher who has taught me all sorts of amazing techniques, which have helped me become more decisive in my composing. I also learned a lot in the music history module about different styles and eras, such as various aspects of the Baroque period. All this exposure has helped develop my musical maturity and build confidence in my own style. I've found out where my voice lies and where my skills lie, and that has enabled me to grow so much as a musician and as a person.

KR: Were there specific modules that you particularly enjoyed?

EL: My two favourites were music history and jazz improvisation. Music history helped me learn about different stylistic practices and composers, which I found very interesting. Jazz improvisation has been one of the most enjoyable aspects of the course so far – I love improv!

KR: Has your piano playing and musicianship improved?

EL: Yes, definitely! Although a better word would be ‘developed’. I'm now more conscious of what I'm doing; I'm more deliberate and a little less wild. I've grown up somewhat.

KR: As a blind pianist, do you ever find the technical demands of some pieces frustrating?

EL: Yes, it can be. When I listen to a piece, I can hear everything and instantly have an idea of the complete work,but I need to go over all the details to ensure I get everything right! Scales, octaves and arpeggios are not a problem, but a jump from one part of the piano to another is a challenge; being unable to see makes this difficult. There are times when all the scales and runs feel good, and then a jump comes along and I think: ‘Ah, this is going to take a while, isn't it?’. But when I conquer these technical challenges, it is always worth it.

KR: You have composed several pieces such as ‘Waltz No. 6’ – what inspired you to write this?

EL: Many of my compositions are inspired by dreams, as that is how my brain processes stuff. The waltz was inspired by a dream where Chopin and Strauss were trying to write a piece of music together, but they never finished it. So when I woke up, I immediately had to go and finish the piece!

KR: Are there other factors that influence your music?

EL: I have tactile synaesthesia, which greatly influences my musical preferences. When experiencing atonal music in concerts, I find it uncomfortable because different notes affect me physically. Certain key transitions, like C to D, create pleasant, flowing sensations, while some ‘random’ sequences are painful. Recognising the effect of this on my music has made me more mindful of my synaesthesia.

KR: It sounds like you've gained a deeper understanding of yourself through these experiences.

EL: Yes, I've never understood myself better than I do now, especially in terms of my musicality.

Ethan Loch in a lesson with his teacher Fali Pavri. Courtesy Fraser Loch.

KR: How did winning the keyboard final of BBC Young Musician impact your work?

EL: It gave me a lot of exposure, which has got me lots of different gigs around the country. Whether performing in large halls like the Caird Hall in Dundee or smaller, more intimate settings, they've all been enjoyable but very different. One of my favourite performances was in Skipton – the audience was fantastic!

KR: How was your trip to the Nashville International Chopin Piano Competition?

EL: I had a really good time. They had a beautiful piano and a great hall with incredible acoustics. It worked well for Chopin, who was inspired by bel canto singing; the harmonies rang out and flowed into the room. I didn't do much sightseeing, as I was mostly practising, but I did visit a fantastic burger joint – the service is so fast compared to over here! We only had a very short rehearsal opportunity in the performance hall, and the piano was the biggest surprise! Its action was very light, and I ended up playing the Études faster than I intended. I won the Silver Award in the Artist Category, the Audience Choice Award, and the Best Polonaise Prize.

KR: Congratulations! You've accomplished a lot in the past year.

EL: It has been a busy year, filled with many performances and great experiences. For instance, I attended the Verbier Academy in Switzerland this summer. It was a great learning opportunity but very challenging. I had to develop a thicker skin and prioritise my time efficiently; it taught me a lot about the life of a musician.

KR: Has your experience at conservatoire prepared you for such demands?

EL: The RCS offers a warm and welcoming environment and has taught me about many aspects of the music world, but Verbier introduced me to the challenges of the music industry.

KR: You have previously discussed some of the challenges around accessibility at the RCS. Have things improved?

EL: Yes, they've been really accommodating. In the first year, we were all figuring everything out and learning to work together. I am now more familiar with the building, and they are much better at figuring out what is and isn't accessible to me. They provide advance notice if something might not be accessible and tailor things to my needs. I now have a MacBook Pro, which has been a really important tool.

KR: Have you been using any music technology to help with your composing?

EL: For my needs, the technology just isn't quite there yet. Automatic note transcription and AI can work on simple examples, but they fail on complicated music. It takes way longer to fix the problems with automatic note transcription than it does to enter it by hand. What a music engraver does is more than just a mathematical formula; there is a real art to it. I have been working with an excellent transcriber to notate my compositions, and this is what I am focusing on.

KR: What is the process of working with someone to express your music in notation?

EL: It's an interesting process, but it can be difficult. My compositions are complex, and even when I play slowly, we need to go over things many times. Making sure I give all the information can be time-consuming. The transcriber must be very knowledgeable, have an excellent ear, and be able to capture things quickly. The transcriber I'm working with is a former student of RCS and is amazing.

KR: It sounds like a great partnership. Are you looking to have your music published and played by others?

EL: Yes, that's the goal. I would love that. I can't imagine anything better!

KR: What are you looking forward to in 2024?

EL: I have some exciting things coming up, including lots of great gigs and, of course, the rest of my second year at the RCS. I've got four significant concerto dates: Manchester Camarata, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, the BBC SO and the Royal Scottish SO. I am also reuniting with Mark Wigglesworth in Bournemouth, which is very exciting because we had such great chemistry in the BBC Young Musician grand final. There is something wonderful about working that closely with other musicians.

KR: Do you have any tips for other young musicians and composers?

EL: Always search for what the music is saying, not just on the surface but deeper. Find your voice by experiencing music from as many different sources as possible. I am currently learning about the ‘Crisis in Tonality’; it is giving me a deeper insight into composers from Rachmaninov to Prokofiev. Rachmaninov is basically saying, through his music, ‘I don't care, I'm just going to be myself’, and that's something I'm inspired by. Finally, being a musician is hard sometimes, but always remember to have fun!

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