Innocents Abroad

As an ex-ex-patriate, I’m not sure that I have a lot to contribute today. Robert is right: I did play ice hockey in London, Ont. I used to think I was quite a good skater, but oh dear! – some of those Canadians were skating before they could walk, and I would be left standing in the middle of the rink while they streaked back and forth around me! It was good fun though. I also took up cross-country skiing with colleagues there, and greatly enjoyed that as well.

I found my own experience of working in orchestras overseas very rewarding. I always felt welcomed and found it quite easy to assimilate into the culture. Of course I made it easy on myself by working in Canada and UK. And it was rather fun being “exotic”, even if it was only slightly.

As to how Americans in the NZSO feel – you’d have to ask them, but my impression is that those who decide to stay are very well accepted. After a while we forget that they talk funny, and just regard them as mates.

On a general note, I’m all in favour of diversity of nationality in orchestras. All the different cultural backgrounds, schools of playing etc, add richness to the orchestra both personally and musically. I feel very lucky that I work in such a multi-cultural workplace – multi-cultural in the sense of national origin, that is.