4 VISIONS OF DISTANCE

In June 2022, we were forced to change our way of working. Our master's studies took us to the cities of Helsinki, Maastricht, and Zurich, thus ending our time in Mallorca where we spent 24 hours a day together. In this blog post, we share how the quartet’s way of working and our personal relationships have changed through four reflections.

1. Almost three years ago now, we separated to continue our studies, and the quartet’s activity has continued at a distance. How has Lítore Quartet’s way of working changed to adapt to this situation?

   Starting to work remotely was a major challenge for the group. We went from living together in the same apartment and rehearsing every day, to organizing intensive rehearsal periods and condensing our projects into tighter time frames. We also had to stay in touch through digital means like email, WhatsApp, and online meetings.

   
   

   From the start, we discussed the importance of communication and commitment to the project, and we reached an agreement on how the work would be carried out and what responsibilities each of us would take on. Respecting this agreement and facilitating communication among the four of us have always been key to keeping our activity going and maintaining a healthy work environment and group dynamic.

   
   

   The way we carry out tasks has changed. On one hand, there’s a distribution of tasks that we try to keep as fair as possible. Each member knows their role and how to carry it out so the project can move forward, while also avoiding overburdening others. On the other hand, we hold regular meetings to keep Lítore Quartet’s activity up to date, solve issues in ongoing projects, and continue developing artistic initiatives.

   
   

   When we meet for intensive rehearsal sessions—which usually culminate in a project (or more)—we make very efficient and intensive use of time. We go from not seeing each other for weeks to spending the entire day together. During these periods, rehearsals are structured in a way that allows us to prepare the immediate project, as well as make progress on upcoming ones.

   
   

   For us, it’s also very important to make time for personal bonding outside of rehearsals—visiting places, going out to eat, or doing some leisure activity together. This way, we recover some of the time lost in our “long-distance relationship” and catch up. In these little moments, it feels like time rewinds to when we shared every day together, and it’s those moments that help keep the project alive and more vibrant than ever.

   
   

   The concept that has changed the most—and continues to evolve in our hybrid setup—is communication. On one hand, staying actively in touch is essential to keeping our schedule updated and allowing each member to fulfill their role within the group. This involves responding daily to messages from our teammates—usually via our WhatsApp group—and keeping up with emails.

   
   

   On the other hand, interpretatively speaking, we stay open to listening. Being responsive during rehearsals and concerts, and always welcoming our teammates’ musical suggestions with a good attitude, has been essential to creating a high-quality artistic product.

   
   

   Lastly, proactive communication is key to avoiding personal misunderstandings and maintaining a healthy friendship. As in all personal relationships, it’s important to be empathetic, create space where everyone feels comfortable, and foster open communication when issues arise. Looking out for the well-being of our teammates has been an important focus over the years and one we hope to continue into the future.

   
   
   
   

   2. The group’s administrative management is essential for the quartet to function. What changes have occurred in this regard? 

   Administrative management allows us to plan the quartet’s direction and is based on holding meetings and assigning tasks to each member. The biggest difference between both stages is the way we communicate.

   
   

   During our years living together in Palma, administrative tasks were quicker since we spent most of our time together. That made communication and scheduling meetings easier. Often, between rehearsals, classes, or home life, we’d talk about quartet matters. Even then, we needed to set aside time to sit down and talk more thoroughly. That’s why we held a meeting every week or two. These meetings were used to discuss our goals, divide individual tasks, brainstorm ideas, or organize our calendar. All the information from those meetings was written down so everyone could refer back to it.

   In contrast, our long-distance phase is characterized by communication through new technologies. To bridge the distance between members, chats and video calls are our main tools. The meetings follow the same structure—they just happen via video call instead.

   
   

   An important aspect of our administrative work is the experience we’ve gained over the five years of the project. Carrying out administrative tasks has helped us better understand the management side of things, allowing us to work more efficiently and quickly. For example, if we need to prepare an artistic proposal for a call or grant, we already have templates or drafted proposals we can submit immediately. We also know how to complete registrations and what documents are needed, so everything is ready ahead of time. And we now know when major calls or competitions are announced, so we can plan accordingly.

   
   
   
   

   3. We went from sharing 24 hours a day and rehearsing almost daily, to seeing each other periodically and only for a few days. How have our personal relationships changed? 

   I don’t think our personal relationships have changed much in terms of quality, but they have in terms of frequency. During the years we lived together, we built a close, family-like bond that helped us improve the quartet’s musical level, get to know each other better, etc. That bond was also a great source of moral support that helped us through our studies and provided a space to share and get advice on personal issues.

   
   

   Today, we’ve managed to maintain that close bond, but the main difference lies in how often we interact compared to before. We have fewer interactions now for obvious reasons, but they remain meaningful and high-quality. One of the positive aspects of this stage is that, since we don’t live together and only see each other occasionally, we’ve each expanded our personal and social spaces outside the group—and every time we reunite, it’s with a very special excitement.

   
   
   
   

   4. It’s very likely that Lítore’s future will continue as a “long-distance relationship.” What are the keys to maintaining an interesting activity calendar, group level, and our friendships? 

   These “long-distance relationships” in chamber music groups are very common and rely on a work structure based around intensive rehearsal sessions. To some extent, this pushes the group to work toward very specific goals. The intensity of rehearsal periods is always geared toward completing a project, whether it’s a concert, a competition, or a recording.

   
   

   Perhaps the main key to success at a distance is excellent organization, based on fair distribution of tasks and significant individual effort. Making decisions by consensus is crucial for group harmony, as is transparently expressing any imbalances we might feel regarding workload or involvement. If, for example, one of us never takes initiative to create new projects, contribute ideas, or bring motivation, the rest need to let that person know what’s happening. Honesty and transparency are even more important when working at a distance, since written messages and the lack of context about each other’s personal or professional situations can lead to misunderstandings.

   
   

   To maintain the group’s level, it’s necessary to have a mature and demanding individual preparation. Keeping up technical skills is key for rehearsals to be productive and to achieve great results quickly. Additionally, being active in other groups, ensembles, or activities is important for continuing to develop the group’s musical maturity. For example, our individual studies in pedagogy, conducting, or cultural management have provided us with ideas and skills we’ve applied to the quartet.

   
   

   Our friendships are very strong, and over the years we’ve seen that they’ve withstood the distance—even becoming stronger. The key to maintaining them ties back to what we said before about transparency and empathy. We need to be able to express how we feel, both personally and professionally, and also understand each other to offer the best support possible.