Musica Viva has dealt with a lot of change in 2020, none more extreme or challenging than turning our Musica Viva In Schools performances into completely digital, live streamed experiences. Enter Sonia de Freitas, Producer for Education, who has been steering the ship for our online Musica Viva In Schools performances since the lockdown hit in March.

Sonia has a passion for education, and - similar to many of Musica Viva's staff - Sonia comes from a very musical background. Starting with the organisation in early 2019, Sonia hit the ground running in developing performances for Musica Viva In Schools, from their initial ideation to trial performances and nationwide tours. Though she may not have anticipated it, her role would soon take a drastic left turn in 2020 when in-school performances came to a stop due to COVID-19. Sonia and the Education team quickly adapted, becoming connoisseurs of the Zoom webinar, and guiding the ensembles, the teachers, and the students through our new Musica Viva In Schools Online experience.

As part of our Meet Musica Viva series, we spoke with Sonia to learn more about her day-to-day life at Musica Viva, the everchanging and exciting nature of her role, her musical past, and her hopes for 2021.

What is your role at Musica Viva? What does a typical workday entail?

I think that I have a particularly exciting position at Musica Viva! As the Producer, I get to work alongside the Musica Viva In Schools (MVIS) musicians and my esteemed colleagues on the creative development of our educational programs. It's a diverse role that covers the creative process from concept development and workshopping, to multimedia creation, editing, and online publishing. A typical workday sees me doing anything from filming and recording in our studio, briefing my team of creatives on tasks, setting up budgets, or trialling performances at local schools. Each project throws a new curveball my way- I've had to source anything and everything from bicycles, to arts and craft materials, to musical instruments, to an excessive amount of alfoil, all for the goal of bringing our creative vision to life. I've even had to pretend to be a chameleon (and recruit a few of my colleagues to do the same) on camera. It's certainly a role that keeps me on my toes!

How did you come to work at Musica Viva? Have you always worked in arts organisations?

I have had my heart set on working for Musica Viva since my teaching days. I first came across the Musica Viva educational resources for the Mara! program when I was a practising music teacher. The activities were so engaging and valuable in my classroom. The Mara! band is one of MVIS' longstanding ensembles, so you could imagine my excitement when I realised I would have the opportunity to produce their latest show. After teaching music for a number of years, I changed direction and worked in the music industry in Sydney where I learnt much about the ins and outs of record labels, licensing, and programming. One day on the bus ride home from work, I noticed that Musica Viva's head office had suddenly popped up in my neighbourhood, then soon after that, I came across the advertised Producer role. Clearly, the universe was giving me a sign, so I applied, et voilà. My role as the Producer was the perfect fit for me because it combined all of my prior music industry and education skills into one eclectic mix.

Can you tell us about the developmental process for MVIS ensembles? What are the steps you take from ideation to a touring group?

The development of a new MVIS program is a wonderfully collaborative process between the musicians, the Musica Viva Artistic Development Education team, and our education and expert consultants. We are guided by the creative purpose, vision, and intent set by the ensemble. We then have many rich discussions and share ideas for the resources and live performance. My favourite part of the process is getting into local primary schools to workshop these ideas. I love witnessing the initial responses that children have to the material we develop. Children are so honest; if something does not work, it will be apparent. However, when something works, it is utter magic! We then create the components of our multimedia resource and publish it online for our teachers to access and enjoy in their classroom. 

What was it like for you when COVID-19 lockdowns began? How did you and the education team react and how was MVIS Online born out of it?

MVIS Online would not be around without my incredible colleagues! When COVID-19 struck, we all rolled up our sleeves and got to work, immediately dedicating ourselves to finding innovative solutions to the challenges at hand and staying committed to our purpose to continue bringing the joy of music and creativity to students and teachers across Australia, especially in such harrowing times. Necessity is surely the mother of invention. It was simultaneously exhausting and exhilarating working around the clock with the tech team, production team, and musicians to develop online delivery platforms, processes, and student resources, and to adapt all 15 of our live programs to a live online environment. It was amazing and an experience I shall always remember. I take immense pride in what we achieved as a team.
 

While nothing is quite like a live MVIS performance, how can online concerts be engaging and personal in their own way?

The new digital space that we've created for MVIS online has so much to explore, and, while I agree that it won't be exactly like a live MVIS performance, this is a (digital) world that excites me and has so many unprecedented opportunities to offer. Our audiences have had the chance to engage with musicians on a device they can hold in their hand or share on a big screen in their classroom. Isn't that incredible?! Digital delivery offers students and teachers the opportunity to see the instruments and musicians up close, they get to share their real-time responses to the music using the chat feature, and our interactive approach makes for a highly engaging and personalised experience for each school. 

Can you tell us about yourself outside of Musica Viva? Do you play any instruments yourself? What do you like to do with your spare time?

When you work in the arts, you live in the arts! I am a musician and spend many hours in front of my beloved piano working my way through repertoire, composing and writing songs. It's fun to jam with fellow jazz aficionados too, it keeps up my playing chops. Contributing to the arts community has always enriched my life; I've happily given my time and energy to singing in community choirs or volunteering at music events such as Global Rhythms and Handa Opera on the Harbour. I have a proud collection of free t-shirts to show for this! I've been a longstanding volunteer radio presenter at Eastside Radio 89.7FM. Be warned of the shameless plug ahead...You can catch my Jammin' show each Wednesday morning from 7 am AEDT. For more on that, you can visit: https://eastsidefm.org/jamminwednesday/

2020 has been a tough year for the arts but returning to concert halls looks as though it may be on the horizon. In your opinion, what does the future hold for the arts in Australia?

I did not fully realise how much my soul was calling out for live music until we were all cut off from this source of salve for the hustle and bustle of life. The first opportunity I had to get back into a venue as an audience member and to soak in the sound waves was powerful. I am certain that I am not alone in this experience. Artists are thought and experience leaders. I'm on the edge of my seat, waiting to hear and see all the wonderful music and art that is going to emerge from this notable time in our collective human experience. The arts will help us process the complex emotions brought on by the pandemic and help forge a new way of understanding forward. The arts have a huge role to play in the future within and beyond the borders of Australia.  

Be sure to read our first feature in the Meet Musica Viva series with Bill Hockenhull from our Patrons Services team right here.