Although music has always been a part of his life, a local pianist who has performed around the world developed his passion to pursue his career after exploring other options.
“My earliest memories are of being taught the piano by my father when I was about four years old,” said Jamie Syer, adding he to this day still recalls some of those sessions that instilled the love of music into his life.
But by the time he reached high school, Syer said he had begun to wonder whether there were other interests he would prefer pursuing. For a time, he considered the possibility of becoming either a physicist or a computer scientist.
However, after temporarily exploring other potential career choices, Syer eventually discovered that being away from the piano and composing had left him yearning to return to his musical roots and so he decided to go back.
“Sometimes, you have to turn your back on something for a while to discover what’s really important,” he said, adding that his decision to stop playing for a period of time only ended up emphasizing the extent to which music was an integral part of his life.
“I always knew I was good at piano, but I didn’t know until stepping away from it that was the focus I wanted to pursue.”
That’s advice that he along the way imparted to many of his students, telling them they have more time than they might think to make an important life decision and that they would always have an opportunity to revisit.
The concert pianist and teacher of almost 50 years performed on April 12 before a crowd of more than 100 people at the Sidney Classical Orchestra’s last concert of the season, accompanied by his wife Laurie, at the St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church in Sidney on Vancouver Island.
“We drove out and back, made it a bit of road trip and holiday,” he said.
Having previously worked in Victoria at a number of positions in teaching and management, Syer said he made many good friends and connections in the music scene there, including the orchestra’s conductor, Stephen Brown.
“He has invited me several times over the years,” said Syer, who performed with the Sidney Classical Orchestra for the fourth time.
“He wrote to me in the fall asking if I’d be interested in playing.”
Syer accepted the invitation, and began preparing to perform Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 2 in B flat major as well as Symphony No. 91 in E flat major, which was composed by Beethoven’s teacher, Hadyn.
Although familiar with Beethoven’s piece, he had not previously played that particular concerto, and Syer said he welcomed the chance to learn new music and promptly began practising in the months leading up to the performance that culminated in a couple of rehearsals before the concert.
“It’s challenging music,” he said, describing Beethoven’s style as vigorously full of drama and colour.
“It takes concentration and time to learn it and be able to perform and present it in the way the piece deserves.”
Having been in the business of making music for a long time, Syer said he was fortunate to during his adolescence be able to learn from excellent teachers.
Originally receiving instruction from Linhart Walker and John Searchfield in Calgary, Syer further developed his abilities under the tutelage of Ward Davenny and Claude Frank at Yale.
His career highlights include being a faculty member at Mount Royal Conservatory, the University of Calgary and the University of Regina, as well as a former dean of Victoria Conservatory.
Although he in 2004 pursued an opportunity to further explore teaching in Victoria, Syer decided after eight years to come back to Bergen, which he came to consider home.
When asked what he most enjoys about music, Syer expressed a fondness for knowing not only about the history of a piece and how it was composed but also learning more about the mind behind the music.
Not everybody enjoys listening to classical music, which when played well can conjure up a range of emotions, he said.
“But in my time, I’ve seen thousands of people affected by the music in a positive way.”
However, he candidly confesses not spending much time listening to music at home.
“I don’t have music in the background when I’m working. And I rarely sit down just to listen to a piece of recorded music.”
Aside from attending special live performances, Syer said what matters most to him is making and teaching music.
“I would rather make the music, help someone to make it, or attend live in person.”
The American Federation of Musicians’ motto is Live Music is Best, and Syer said, “For me, that’s true.”
The musical arts have always been a central pillar in his life, even though Syer has pursued other paths such as managing the Sundre Municipal Library for several years.
One of the aspects he most enjoys beyond making music is the community one experiences among teachers, performers and students.
“The people you meet through those kinds of activities become important parts of you life,” he said.
In 1995, he and Laurie saw a need to enhance opportunities in the Sundre area for students who were devoted to careers in music. So the couple, who in 1992 had settled on a farm south of town where Laurie’s family has roots, established the Strings and Keys program in Bergen.
Every summer for 20 years, he said anywhere from 40 to 80 students would come out for what would quickly become a very busy week to 10 days, culminating in performances at venues such as the Bergen Community Hall and eventually the Sundre Arts Centre.
Over the years, as new program options became available, Syer said they eventually decided to wind down the program, with about $20,000 of leftover funds donated to Mountain View County to establish a scholarship that is to this day still administered by the municipality.
“That’s the legacy of Strings and Keys,” he said.
