Music inspired by the sea
Professional pianist Sonia Raynaud was born inland. But for many years, the sea has attracted her, and inspired her music. Although she doesn't sail, one of her friends, Nicolas, is familiar with sailing. With an Oceanis 36 CC at her disposal, he invited her aboard to play her Mermaid Song project in port, as she explains: "I've known Nico for a long time, and we'd been wanting to do a concert on his boat for some time. So we wanted to give it a go, with a first try in Mortagne sur Gironde at the end of August 2023."
Adapting to port and boat
The pianist, who played a digital piano for the occasion, had to adapt to a less familiar environment. It's a challenge that brings its own rewards, as she reports: "We contacted the Mortagne harbor master's office to get a suitable berth, and the town council's cultural department, who lent us a sound system, although the idea for future concerts would be to have our own sound system to be more independent. I set up at the back of the boat. It wasn't easy at first, because the audience was on the side, as the boat was at the end of the pontoon. But I was happily surprised. There was a real quality of listening, rather more than in other concerts I've done outside."
Opening up to the boat and touring
Following the success of the first concert, Sonia and Nicolas are planning a sailing tour for the summer of 2024, canvassing town halls and ports interested in this type of event. For the pianist, it's also a motivation to rub shoulders with the sea so that it becomes more than just a source of inspiration, as she explains in conclusion: "Initially, I don't know anything about the boat. That made me want to do some training courses to be able to manage the boat more and help Nicolas on the tour next year."
