{"id":109666,"date":"2024-11-21T15:14:47","date_gmt":"2024-11-21T20:14:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=109666"},"modified":"2024-11-22T07:00:01","modified_gmt":"2024-11-22T12:00:01","slug":"interview-former-music-critic-william-littler-talks-unique-career-prize-name","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2024\/11\/21\/interview-former-music-critic-william-littler-talks-unique-career-prize-name\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW | Former Music Critic William Littler Talks About A Unique Career & The Prize In His Name"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Classical
Music critic and educator William Littler (Photos courtesy of the Toronto Star)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The William Littler Prize for Music Criticism is open for nominations for the current year. The new award, given out each year by the Music Critics Association of North America (MCANA), recognizes excellence in writing by younger critics, specifically in the fields of concert music and opera.<\/p>\n

The prize\u2019s namesake is William Littler, whose career with the Toronto Star spanned nearly six decades from 1966 until 2022.<\/p>\n

\u201cThroughout his more than five decades with the Toronto Star, William Littler left an enduring mark on the classical music landscape. His honest and thoughtful criticism set a high standard that many critics, myself included, continue to strive for. Thanks to Bill’s support, the William Littler Prize for Music Criticism fill help foster a new generation of writers. It’s an incredible gift coming at a time with the arts journalism sector needs it most,\u201d comments Joshua Chong<\/strong>, current culture reporter for the Toronto Star, in a statement.<\/p>\n

We asked Littler about his career, and what the prize means today.<\/p>\n

William Littler: The Interview<\/h2>\n

Littler, a native of British Columbia, began piano lessons at the age of 11, and continued his studies privately. While at UBC, under a general arts program, he studied music and criticism , and wrote his first reviews for the UBC paper Ubyssey. In 1962, he began his professional career with the Vancouver Sun. After taking a position at the Toronto Star in 1966, he became the first music critic to receive the National Newspaper Award for critical writing in 1980.<\/p>\n

William Littler reflects on a career as a classical music critic. What does it mean, in a world where, for all intents and purposes, such a career no longer exists?<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an interesting thought, that I\u2019ve given some thought to,\u201d he begins. \u201cMy career as a music critic in Canada is sort of unique.\u201d His career at The Toronto Star zeroed in on classical music criticism for the final 39 years. \u201cWhich is kind of unprecedented,\u201d he points out.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was traditional for serious newspapers to have a staff music critic,\u201d he says. That he was able to write for a single publication for so long is something new writers could only dream about. \u201cThe only other paper I\u2019d worked for is the Vancouver Sun. When I joined the Vancouver Sun, there was no pop music critic. There was a jazz critic, there was a classical music critic.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was an entirely different media landscape when it came to covering culture and the arts, in other words. Today, the staff critic position is gone, and anecdotally, Littler says that his American colleagues tell him there are perhaps a half dozen or so scattered at the major newspapers across the United States.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s why he was initially skeptical when MCANA President, and LvT freelance contributor, Arthur Kaptainis approached him with the idea of a prize for music criticism.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy are we funding a prize for a profession that is disappearing?\u201d he wondered. \u201cThe profession has virtually disappeared now.\u201d<\/p>\n

Arthur\u2019s reply, however, was that its demise as a profession was exactly why the practice of music criticism needed to be celebrated. Even if the idea of a career and full-time job had disappeared, the concept and practice has continued.<\/p>\n

Littler notes some fundamental differences in how that practice continues, however. Freelancers, as he points out, don\u2019t have the clout or the budget for travel, and often get reduced access to higher profile acts. By virtue of working for the largest newspaper in the country, he was able to convince his editors to fund his travel to other places to write, along with luxuries like help from freelance writers when he was too busy. You would fund sports reporters to travel to games, why not me? He says it\u2019s an argument that worked back in the day.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were able to do a level of coverage that has disappeared now.\u201d Reviews of not only music but other performing arts like theatre and dance are hard to come by. \u201cI don\u2019t think that\u2019s going to change in the near future,\u201d he says, citing cutbacks and diminished resources.<\/p>\n

\"Music
William Littler poses for a photo at his official retirement party held at Jane Mallet Theatre on Monday September 26, 2005 (Photo: Carlos Osorio \/ The Toronto Star)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What\u2019s a Music Critic?<\/h3>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no general rules as to how you become a critic,\u201d William points out. He recalls answering a question on the topic from an audience member at a music festival in Parry Sound years ago. \u201cIt\u2019s not something you intend to do \u2013 it\u2019s kind of like shingles,\u201d he replied. He reports that the line got a laugh from the audience.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere are people who still want to write criticism,\u201d he says, \u201cbut it\u2019s not a viable career option anymore.\u201d It\u2019s an effort that is being upheld by freelance writers and amateurs in the true sense of the word.<\/p>\n

The value of music reviews is often disputed. Littler relates conversations he\u2019s had with editors who see them as a topic whose value is over very quickly. \u201cNewspapers see little value in printing something they see as already being a kind of dead story,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

He also points out that classical music was held in higher regard by previous generations, a status that secured its coverage on a preferential scale.<\/p>\n

\u201cI consider myself very lucky in my timing.\u201d<\/p>\n

What is a review, anyway? Littler remembers the words of a former editor who told him, your job is to take us to that event. It\u2019s about recreating the experience for your readers. And, whatever that experience was, it\u2019s not written in stone.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s an opinion, not a judicial verdict.\u201d<\/p>\n

Littler taught as well as wrote his version of music criticism in various positions at the Royal Conservatory, University of Toronto, and other institutions. He tried to instill a kind of critical thinking process into what were more often music performance majors.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not going to try to turn you into critics, but I think it\u2019s important to you as musicians that you think about critically about music,\u201d he\u2019d explain.<\/p>\n

Those courses in music criticism, as he points out, have also disappeared.<\/p>\n

The Prize will celebrate those who have persevered.<\/p>\n

The William Littler Prize for Music Criticism<\/h2>\n

Here are some of the details to nominate a writer for the prize.<\/p>\n