Make me a Supermodel!...or failing that, an orchestral musician.

Life in the Australian Youth Orchestra is  pretty simple: rehearse, eat, sleep and perform.  But after a successful concert in Adelaide on Sunday afternoon, one group of AYO musicians jetted to Melbourne ahead of their colleagues to break this cycle. Move over the  Concertgebouw and bring on the catwalk!  These were the  models for the 2012 AYO brochure.

 

Modelling and orchestral playing are two activities that do not often intersect.  Few conductors have been known to follow statements such as 'winds, the intensity of the crescendo has to grow right through the top of the phrase' with 'and second flute, is that skirt from the 2011 Winter Prada collection?'  Today though, our musicians had the chance to form this most unusual of unions.  At a suitably urban chic warehouse in St Kilda, exasperated cries of 'this high section is so hard to play in tune' and 'I just can't get those low notes out' were replaced with 'I just wish  this hem would sit correctly' and 'these shoes really don't match my hair'.

 

For most musicians, having someone fastidiously attend to your hair and make-up would have been a novel experience after two weeks of rolling out of bed, splashing some water in the vague direction of your face and trying to make it to breakfast on time. Similar sweet relief was found in having bundles of new and fashionable outfits thrust upon you after weeks of gingerly trying to determine which T-shirt was the cleanest.  For the record, as an ex AYOer, I can confirm that donning the official AYO T-shirt was a clear sign of surrender to a mountain of dirty laundry.

 

The session today seemed to go smoothly.  The photographers seemed happy and the lunch table was attacked with expected commitment, categorically demonstrating that unhealthy body image would not be an issue for these models. Tuesday night sees them returning to what they do best and the anticipation is high amongst all players.  And the results of this foray into glamour and style?  You'll have to wait for the 2012 AYO brochure.

 

Jack Chenoweth