From the CEO: All things considered
November 9, 2017
AIDA Representative to AMA (NSW) Council Dr Dana Slape
November 9, 2017
FEATURE
The Australian Doctors Orchestra celebrated 25 years of music, camaraderie and philanthropy at a concert held 5 November.
AN UNCONTAINABLE cheer escapes from the throng of doctors gathered from around the country. You might wonder how they all can muster such enthusiasm for the too-early opening session of a conference – until you realise this is no ordinary medical gathering. The registrants are not here to learn stats, science and skills, rather, they’ve come to have an experience which, according to one attendee, Dr Rachel Lind, “transcends anything and everything stressful in the rest of life and creates a thing of beauty.”
This feeling of excitement is typical of gatherings run by the Australian Doctors Orchestra, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2017 with a concert of Rodrigo, Shostakovich and Ravel on 5 November at Sydney’s Chatswood Concourse concert hall.
The ADO has a proud history of supporting many health-related causes, including Huntington’s New South Wales, Glaucoma Australia, and Rotary Health, along with more than 20 other charities.
Each of the doctors and medical students pays for their own registration, flights, and accommodation, allowing more than $10,000 in ticket sales and sponsorship to be donated to a worthy cause at each of two annual concerts – one in a capital, and one in a regional centre.
Organisations with similar missions exist all around Australian, including in Melbourne, known as “Corpus Medicorum”, and Sydney’s “Musicus Medicus”. There are also many throughout Europe and America, and even one Germany-based “World Doctors Orchestra” (WDO), now in its ninth year, which regularly features Australians in its ranks.
And while the benevolent aspect of the profession is overt in these musical projects, each participant has their own deep personal motivation for returning year after year to play with the ADO.
“I simply wouldn’t be playing the French horn any more if it weren’t for this orchestra”, said Dr James Smith, Sydney-based ophthalmologist and brass player.
When his responsibilities of surgical training and family took over in the late 1970s, Dr Smith gave away music, and only came back to play a concert of Elgar greats in the early years of the ADO.
“I’ll always remember the first. The best thing about it for me is being on stage with unbelievable soloists – it’s really uplifting.” Since 1995, he has played principal horn in the NSW Doctors Orchestra, along with the ADO and the WDO.
For Dr Lind, the ADO gives her the best of both worlds.
Years ago, she faced a hard decision, the choice between medicine and music.
“Ultimately I felt that in a very competitive culture, I ran the risk of becoming resentful of music as a ‘job’ with potentially limited security, versus retaining it as a valuable hobby and passion by pursuing a different career.”
Dr Lind moved from Scotland to Melbourne five years ago. She joined the ADO as leader of the cello section, and enjoys balancing her bustling shift-work career as a senior registry in emergency medicine with her artistic passion.
For members of the ADO, there are myriad rewards that keep them returning devotedly. There’s the learning of masterworks of romantic era and modern music, and being part of the drama of pieces such as Bolero or The Nutcracker. Some look forward to a trip away from the psychological clutter of their office, children, and busy life, perhaps to a buzzing city or a lush rural wine region. And no matter what, each person finds both camaraderie and a mental escape amongst the highlights.
“It not only brings together like-minded medical professionals,” said Dr Lind, “but in life, not only doctors – we
are also musicians. And it’s not just making amazing music to benefit charity, but to see life-long friends who I might otherwise not catch up with. Finally for me, playing transports my mind elsewhere for a little while, and sometimes that is badly needed.”
Ensuring the organisation remains healthy, buoyant, and future-focused requires a lot of behind-scenes toil. Naturally, the more than 150 members playing each year allocate time to diligently practise the music itself, while others invest hundreds of hours per year in volunteer committee roles.
After working hard for the ADO for many years, the founder, Hobart plastic surgeon and violinist Dr Miki Pohl, is still seen on stage with the group, with other past presidents – anaesthetists, general practitioners, physicians, psychiatrists, flautists, violists, percussionists, and trombonists. One of the biggest priorities the leadership group have always had is obtaining major sponsorship, to give as much as possible to the designated charity. Dr Smith has a very particular dream for the future of the orchestra. “What do I dream about? I hope that some white knight underwrites our concerts so admission is by donation or free.” For the ADO faithful, that future coming to pass would surely be music to their ears!
Dr Andrew Kennedy is the principal clarinetist of the NSW, Australian, and World Doctors orchestra. He also directs the internationally touring chamber music group The Hourglass Ensemble, is a professional composer and singer, and is a specialist anaesthetist at Hurstville private and St George public hospitals in Sydney, working in urology, peritonectomy, and trauma surgery.