Famous composer Ronald Stevenson sits with former CQCM student Steven Kenyon in his studio in ScotlandCQU Bachelor of Music graduate Steven Kenyon, from Toowoomba, has recently spent time with world renowned composer Ronald Stevenson in Scotland, thanks to encouragement from Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music lecturer Mark Gasser, who is himself an international concert pianist.

Here is Steven's account of the experience.

 .... At the beginning of 2006, I met the international concert pianist Mark Gasser. He was my composition teacher for my third and final year of a Bachelor of Music degree at the Central Queensland Conservatorium of Music in Mackay. In our first lesson, he decided to share with me Ronald's Recitative and Air on DSCH for piano solo. I had never heard of Stevenson before.

This small work spoke volumes to me and inspired me to transcribe it for string quintet which was performed by fellow peers from the Con on a number of occasions in 2006. I decided, from Mark's advice to send this transcription to the composer himself - to obtain criticisms of it. This was a daring move as he advised me that Ronald was extremely cautious and critical about transcriptions of his work. I wrote a long letter to Ronald expressing my admiration of his work, having become familiar with many of his piano works, the two piano concertos, numerous songs and works for string quartet. I heard nothing from the composer for many months and left it at that.

After I completed my degree in 2007, I received a phone call from Mark Gasser asking me to be page turner for his performances of Ronald's monumental piano piece Passacaglia on DSCH. The performances were held in Mackay and then at the Stuart and Sons piano factory in Newcastle. On the eve of the Newcastle performance, Mark phoned Ronald in West Linton, Scotland to let him know of the achievement of the recital. It was that night when I first spoke to Ronald who apologised for not writing sooner. We had a long chat about the future of music and he told he that he felt my transcription of his Recitiative and Air on DSCH to be ‘very good', and that he felt that I had much promise as a composer.

A couple of months later I got in contact with his wife Marjorie and arranged to study with Ronald for the period of a month in June 2007. I was amazed by his sincere generosity - he advised that he did not want to be paid for his tutelage. He did request to see more of my work to see that our set aesthetics had enough in common for him to help me with composition.

Two weeks later came my acceptance as student; however I had insufficient funds to see this once in a lifetime opportunity through. With the help of my partner, and my close family, I was given the means to travel to Scotland. I received a very warm welcome from Marjorie Stevenson, who collected me from the airport on a bitterly cold night. At their home, I was welcomed with a therapeutic whiskey and a warm greeting from Ronald who stayed up talking with me for some time.

Ronald gave me about 2 hours of his time almost every day of the week. During our sessions we delved deeply into techniques of composition, writing for strings, wind, writing songs for voice and piano. His knowledge and source texts on folk music and indigenous music of Africa and Australia was stimulating. He assisted me meticulously with my own music, he was brutally honest, and during periods of self doubt, was nothing but encouraging. He gave me full access to his personal library, full of personal memorabilia and out of print editions of texts on music and the arts. It is easy for a young composer to doubt one's self, in a world which is geared toward manufactured music. The insights shared with me by Ronald, and the time I spent with him and Marjorie are certainly my own keystone for a long life of writing music.
Steven Kenyon was delighted to spend a month studying with Ronald Stevenson at his home in Scotland