Is Orchestra like School?

I was chatting the other day with a school teacher who told me that parents were a huge issue in his school. The prospect of having to face parents was viewed with some trepidation. It is part of the job but a part of the job that must be endured and hopefully survived. Tom felt that this approach on the part of many of his teacher collegues was failing to recognise the potential in this interaction for increasing understanding, building trust and solving problems. His own experience was that by talking openly with the people who understand the children best, and listening to what they had to say a mutual respect emerged, which led to a much more positive environment in the classroom.

It seems to me that an orchestra management can often see musicians as a problem to be dealt with rather than an opportunity to learn. Inevitably there is a wealth of experience within the orchestra which is untapped as a resource. A musician it seems must know his place within the orchestra and not step outside his role as player of his instrument. Just as the parents of the children know their child in a way that a teacher never will, the musicians have a perspective and experience of their field that may be seen as a threat to those who manage, or as an opportunity. I am sure every manager out there feels he taps in to that potential, but how may musicians feel that this is genuinely the case? In these days of inclusivity, certain boxes may be ticked, but musicians will have a good sense of what is really going on. The report to the board room may be that management has a listening ear, and values the opinion of the orchestra members. Board members, chief executives, how do you find out for real if this is the case, or are you in any case happy with the ‘stay in your box’ approach?

An Equality Indicator

Some years ago when I was beginning in the orchestral profession, I was somewhat bemused by some of my older collegues who likened the status of musicians to servants - we wear the same uniform and are regarded with the same respect, with financial rewards and public respect not being what they might be for people who have worked so hard to get to their level in the business. I did not really share this feeling at the time, but some years later I am more inclined to agree.
A friend from the opera recently was telling me about the party thrown for the crew  on Gala night. Everybody was there - cast, chorus, backstage crew, administration, all sorts of hangers on. Nobody from the orchestra was invited. I am sure that many musicians simply want to go home after the show anyway, and admittedly the numbers in an orchestra can sometimes be an issue in situations like this. Do the ‘powers that be’ not have the ability, or the will to have musicians feel part of the team - to find a way to have these musicians represented? In an art form where there is much public subsidy does nobody feel any responsibility to treat those involved with a sense of respect and equality?

New Young Talent.

Interesting week - a young conductor who has not much experience with professional orchestras. It is important to allow new people into the profession in my opinion, and this conductor is certainly showing that he can do the job. Interesting to observe nonetheless the interaction between the experienced musicians and the relatively inexperienced conductor. There is an assumed hierarchical situation with the conductor in charge. What he does not see as he tries to fix our problems, is that the root of the problem is conducting technique which will simply not produce the result he is looking for. How can a chord be together when the technique is unclear. Eventually we ‘get it right’ when either he gets it right, or we decide in an unspoken way to ignore him and do it despite him. There is an unwritten ethic that says we do not tell the conductor he is not doing a good job - that is for him to tell us. Disturbing this principle will lead to tension and will not do the music any favours. Yet observing it apparently perpetuates the problem and the conductor does not gain from the experience, but may simply go away and tell others how ‘slow’ this orchestra is. Any ideas?

Huge pay cuts proposed in Detroit

A quick look at the current strike in Detroit Symphony Orchestra reveals that pay cuts of 33 percent are the nub of the problem. Although the orchestra offered 22 percent cuts in order to help the financial crisis, the 33 plus as well as serious loss of insurance and pension benefits was more than the musicians could bear. Musicians feel that Detroit deserves to have an institution to be proud of, and that the pay cuts would see a slipping of standards that would be to the detriment of the city. Although Sara Chang offered to give the revenues from her concert at the orchestra hall to the musicians pension fund (she was to be soloist, and instead offered a solo recital), with feelings running high she was criticised my many for passing the picket.
Best of luck to the musicians in resolving the strike.
Detroit Symphony Musicians Website

Handy List for Managers for Theatre Set Up

Whereas musicians often remain in the same employment for some time, the turnover of management is often much quicker. Many orchestra managers are very capable, but maybe not so experienced, and the last people to be involved in their training in are the musicians. Can I politely put forward some simple – maybe obvious suggestions for concerts in theatres - which may be a help to some managers out there if they want to help musicians do their job safely and well? Readers may want to put forward additions to this list – the current list relates only to lighting. Some of these suggestions will apply to other venues also, but theatres in particular strike me as the kind of venue an orchestra may visit as a once off, and the house staff may not always be very used to having one come and play. 

• Lighting should be from above to ensure good light on the music stands and not creating glare to musicians who have to read music for the two hours or so of the concert plus any rehearsals.
• Check light on music stands on the peripheries in particular.
• Make sure the conductor is well lit.
• Where side curtains exist, make sure there is lighting side stage so musicians can move safely. Often this is there during rehearsal periods, but theatre managers knock this off on the night of the performance. Actors may like to ‘break a leg’, but musicians don’t sign up for this – and the legal battles over whether the venue or the orchestra are responsible for the cost of a damaged instrument we could all do without.

How do we keep musicians in orchestras?

Sometimes it seems like there is an abundance of orchestra personnel leaving the orchestra, with a whole host of reasons. We may not always know or agree on why a person leaves, but it leaves a big hole in the orchestra that with audition and trial procedures at best taking months and not unusually taking one or even two years we have to wonder is there a way to keep musicians in the job.
We are in denial if we believe that the reason given is always the entire picture. A horn player may want to go and study law - but could that horn player as an orchestra member have felt more included in the orchestra’s decision making - artistic or administrative. Were they subject to judgements from those around them (section leader, conductor, colleagues, management) that affected their daily work environment? Of course they did not want to kick up a fuss - they would get nowhere anyway - but there was a deep unhappiness with either the atmosphere, the repertoire, the lack of control which they simply could not stand any more. A genuine coming together of all parties on a regular basis will surely promote understanding, and use the talents, expertise and knowledge of those who have much to offer through their individual and collective experience. Surely this is how we build (though I am sure it is not easy and takes time and investment of energy) a positive orchestra environment where players want to stay.

Use your instrument only to speak

It’s amazing the capability of musicians to suppress their own thoughts and feelings. Is it because of the environment of dictatorship that is a conductor, which creates a culture supported by management that we feel we cannot say what we want. Of course this is not universally true - some brave souls will say exactly what is on their minds - and maybe on everyone else’s. The problem is that they then seem to be seen by those around them as moaners, and in time are not taken seriously ‘... well nobody else complained’. Today a conductor asked for an acoustic screen to be removed from in front of the trombones. To be fair he asked if anyone objected, and nobody did. The viola player who sat in front of the trombone section was too worn down to want to be seen as the one complaining again.
Legal noise levels are being exceeded, but management will never know, and despite them being able to tick all the boxes of looking after the musician’s hearing, here is at least one musician being placed at risk where it will never be recorded. Of course the viola player only has himself to blame. Or does he? Where does the responsibility lie here?

Anyone for Canned Worms?

This week we had another conductor who spent a minimum ammount of time rehearsing. Great. Unfortunately the beat was nothing like we experienced last week, and we struggled to discern the difference between an up beat, a down beat or any other beat. Put this with very ‘musical’ rubato, and unpredictable subdividing (where one beat is split into two or more, thus giving 5 or more beats in a bar where there would otherwise be only four for example). The interesting thing is that everybody just does their best - it all hangs together somehow, although the fear and stress among the musicians is palpable. We are polite, professional and subservient and thus nobody dares say to the conductor ‘I am having trouble following your beat’. He might be offended, he may think you are being unreasonable because nobody before you dared criticise, and he might in turn find fault with your playing, and embarrass you pubicly. So the conductor, whose job it is to tell experienced musicians how to play, is never helped by the same musicians to do his job better. Is there a solution?

Promote the Guest or Promote the Orchestra?

It’s amazing how an those who run an orchestra seem almost embarrassed by it at times. So it seems when you look at the orchestra programme, and come along to the concerts. An orchestra I was playing with this week has a constant stream of guest soloists. These are inevitably presented as the selling point for the concert. The orchestra barely ever seems to present a concert as the main attraction in itself. The most amazing thing then is that very often the management who pay for the publicity, conductors, soloists never seem to ask that those presenting the concert to give due credit to the orchestra. Singers and conductors alike seem happy to take all the glory, indulge in mutual admiration, though of course letting the orchestra stand up at the end. Thanks. There is also of course the plug for the soloist’s CD on sale afterwards. Do the orchestra not have any? The musicians do not really worry too much about this in any personal way, but would you not think that those responsible for the success of the orchestra would somehow put the ‘product’ more to the fore, and have some of the hype directed towards it rather than the outside transient elements.

The Fallout of Fame

Another week - another concert. We had the chance to work with a real legendary conductor and composer this week - one of the perks of being a musician is getting to meet these people you have admired for years. I have never met anyone so rude and so disrespectful towards musicians. What is it? Is it being famous for decades that makes one feel better than others - that blinds your eyes to your own mistakes, and blames those below when you make a mess of things? Is it a resentment because even though you have international recognition, it is not enough. It was three days of ridicule from a talented man who is destroyed by his own complexes, and spoiled by those who do not help him understand human nature, and personal responsibility, but tell him what he wants to hear - ‘Yes Maestro - they are shocking - it could not possibly be your fault’ when he gives no cues, no hint of what he is beating where, no chance to ask what is happening. Of course the tap can be turned on or off - one minute anger, the next charm. But who am I to criticise such a great musician? I’ll just keep practicing my triangle and one day I’ll get there....

Do what I say - don't do what I say

It never ceases to amaze me how a conductor can look for something then when he gets it make out the musician is destroying what was there already. They do not even know they are doing it! Any conductor reading this will, I have no doubt think 'well, that's not me anyway'. But are you sure??

Again today the old - 'play exactly with the beat' thing. But then when someone plays with the beat, it becomes - 'you are rushing - you must feel it'. Is there any solution to this problem? Watching and listening are two such different things, and we all do both.

With the Beat or Listen?

We had a concert this week with a conductor who rehearsed very little, yet seemed to achieve a result that surpassed many other concerts that were much more rehearsed. He was chrystal clear in his beat. This seems a simple matter but it’s amazing how often you just cannot tell by looking up what the conductors want or where to play. Problems just did not seem to arise. Everyone was free to play their best. 

So many conductors these days seem to think ‘play exactly on the beat’, yet the beat is unclear and musicians judge it differently. Some will try and spot that point that is ‘the beat’, others want to be sure and play more safely, and play after they know the beat has happened. Of course we listen to each other but therein lies the danger - if you listen you are late - you are reacting. Somebody has to have the courage to play. 

It was great to see a good balance between slavish playing with the conductor and the fear of being early which leads to a 3/4 second delay, depending where you are sitting. How together will that be?