Actress, singer-songwriter, and, most recently, television host, Viviane Audet has as many strings to her bow as there are keys on her piano. Solo and alongside her partner and musical collaborator, she has been pursuing a flourishing artistic career for nearly two decades, without forgetting her native Gaspé Peninsula, where her passion took hold. She discusses this bright path and the challenges that it entails, balancing her personal life and her creative ventures. Meet an authentic and warm woman who has remained true to her childhood dreams.
Hello, Viviane. You grew up in Maria, in Gaspé. Your artistic destiny was laid out there at a very early age…
“In my grade school notebook in which I was supposed to write what I wanted to be when I grew up, I remember writing: theatre actress or movie star (laughter). I had no family members or acquaintances in the artistic world, but I was driven by a deep desire. I managed to forge my own path with the help of kind adults who could see my ambition. I was surrounded by good people from a very young age.
I started piano lessons when I was around eight. The piano has always been a Plan B for me, but I was always nudged in that direction; it was a running joke, even in Grade 12 when I took Drama as an elective to perform in the end-of-year play. When the roles were being cast, the teacher told me: ‘We gave the Viviane character to Catherine, and you will be the piano player.’ The character’s name in the play was Viviane — how fitting for me (laughter) It was the biggest disappointment in my life… But in the end, maybe not, because it may have prepared me for what was to come.”
Moreover, your latest album, Le piano et le torrent, takes you back to Maria, to your roots. What have you learned about yourself during this rather lengthy creative process?
“I learned that I had something to say, specifically about this attachment. I knew I was attached to my home village, but I didn’t realize to what extent. This album was created in a very informal way in 2021, at a rate of one track per day for a month. I tucked these pieces in my heart, without editing them. Two years later, I took them out and selected my favourite 15 among them. These are the ones that appear on the album.
During the time I was composing, my grandmother was in palliative care and my parents were separating. I was not thinking about uprooting at the time; that only came later when I wanted to use evocative places in Maria to name the tracks.
Now it’s a show because I am on tour. Just sharing and telling a story does me a world of good. It is really quite a narrative film, almost theatrical. There is no fourth wall. I address the audience, and I feel like I am taking them on a journey to my village.”
Your spouse, Robin-Joël Cool, is actually much more than this. He is a collaborator, a fellow musician, a co-parent…
“Absolutely, a ‘co-everything’ (laughter). I met Robin on a film set. We fell in love on Belle-Baie. We were playing a couple in the show before becoming one in real life. I think it took about a week, and he stayed over at my place… It was a whirlwind.
Since work came into our lives first, collaboration came naturally. We quickly understood that music would play a big part in our lives, and we wanted to work on a joint project. Fifteen years ago, we created Mentana together. We always say that it’s our first baby…
We have a profound rapport at work that is difficult to describe. Over time, we’ve developed a bit of a shared mindset. It doesn’t mean we agree on everything. It’s not always easy to work with your partner.”
Yes, you are together all the time, except when you are touring or filming. How do you deal with the daily challenge of balancing your artistic life, family, and intimate relationship?
“You deal with things at every moment. I know that some couples who work together say to each other: ‘For us, at five o’clock, that’s it. We don’t talk about work anymore, it no longer exists, and we move on to other things.’ We are not capable of this. It’s an issue because of course, the phones are within reach, an email comes in, you have a question, and you ask yourself: ‘Should I wait until nine o’clock tomorrow morning to ask?’ Finding the right balance is not easy, but kids have a way of grounding you. With them, it’s all about the here and now, with such concrete concerns! Sometimes, we wonder, for example, ‘I’m not sure about the trumpet, maybe the trombone would be better’ and then my five-year-old, Milan, tells me he lost his mitten, and he hates his red mitten because he wanted the blue ones, and suddenly, choosing an instrument is not so urgent anymore.”
You have two young children. What is your relationship with motherhood, and how do you balance it with your artistic life?
“I love the role. Before having children, I was not the maternal type; it wasn’t in my nature. I couldn’t relate to my friends’ children. It was like: ‘Oh my God, what do I say to them?’ (laughter) It made me anxious! Then, when I became a mother, I felt that it awakened the child in me… I like making them laugh. It’s my goal in life: to make them laugh and have fun. I am still stricter than my partner. I like to see things getting done, I like routine, but we’re not very good at it yet. With our chaotic lives, we try to maintain a routine within our crazy schedules, making sure that the children don’t suffer too much, but it’s a daily challenge… I haven’t quite figured out my morning and evening routines yet!”
How do you make time for yourself in this context?
“I’ve been running for a year and a half. I don’t make it a religion, I have no ambition, and I am not very good at it; I don’t run fast. I always say that I’m not running, I am running away (laughter)… I close my door, I put on my headphones, I go for a run and, on my way back, I stop at a little café that I love. So, that’s what running is for me: clear my mind, run out of breath a little, have my coffee, then return home…”
What do you still have on your “bucket list” when you reflect on your career? What would you like to accomplish in the next twenty or thirty years?
“I would like to perform for a long time because in the last few years, I realized that this is what excites me the most: being on stage, connecting with people, communicating… I also find this connection in Piano public as a host. I think that in the end, communication is the common thread in everything I do. Otherwise, among the things I haven’t done and that I dream of, I would like to write a book… an essay, poetry, fragments… Right now, I am playing solo on the piano, no lyrics, but I feel this creative impulse that I would like to put down on paper, in a different way – not a song. Maybe something short again, but with a longer breath. There’s something there that is worth exploring.”
To listen to the full interview hosted by Evelyne Charuest, follow our podcast Centré sur l’équilibre.
Photo: © Marjorie Guindon
