Musical Toronto is launching the world’s first-ever Classical Music advice column. Headed by James Parker – music professor at the University of Toronto and internationally renowned pianist with Canada’s foremost chamber ensemble: the Gryphon Trio, the column will seek to provide answers to some of life’s burning questions surrounding the world of classical music.

“Ask The Professor” will appear on Musical Toronto once a month and will be a fun and intriguing look into the inner world of classical music by those who both listen to it and make it.

James Parker, a.k.a. “The Professor,” will personally read and select the letters from readers looking for advice, including career and relationship questions, musical wellbeing, professional guidance, and his personal favourite, “How Do I Deal With This Tepid Conductor” questions.

Parker said he will choose questions based on:

-what can help many people

-what can help a few people a lot 

-what someone really needs to hear

-what I know about

-what interests me

The identity of all submissions will remain anonymous, but we request that an email address is included so our experts can reach you if they have any follow-up queries. Letters should also include a good pseudonym, otherwise we can come with one for you.

“Jamie has this great mixture of warmth, wit and intelligence,” said Musical Toronto publisher and editor Michael Vincent. “Not only that, he has a lifetime’s worth of knowledge and experience to back him up. This is a great opportunity for readers to get their questions out there and tell their personal stories.”

“One thing I always tell students,” Parker said, “Music is a wonderful field to be in. We get to spend our days with Beethoven, and other people who love Beethoven. But in 21st-century North America, being in music is one of the worst career decisions you could possibly make.”

While there is a long-standing tradition of “agony aunt” columns, an advice column specifically relating to classical music advice is entirely new ground. There is no telling where this will go every month, but only time will tell.

Got a question for The Professor? Email AskTheProfessor@musicaltoronto.org. His advice column will appear here every month.

Questions can also be sent by regular mail to:

Musical Toronto
P.O. Box 136
Waterdown, ON, L0R 2H0
Canada

The first column will appear late January or early February.

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