The (Un) Appeal of Playing in an Orchestra
There is a Big Lebowski-Fest in Columbus this weekend, and so my MIL is coming into town tonight since she is a Big Lebowski fan. I'm not sure, but I have a feeling that this "festival" is just an overpriced showing of the movie at some bar. So why even call it a festival? I'm pretty sure we own the movie so maybe we could just watch it at home? I'll find out what she and my husband feel like doing when I'm done teaching tonight. Personally, I'm not that into the movie myself. I've seen it once and hardly remember it. Anyone else who's seen it that thinks I should give it another chance? There are just some movies out there that have a huge cult following that I don't get; like The Rocky Horror Picture Show. I went once when I was in college and I was really creeped out by everyone "acting" along side the movie. I just didn't get what was so enticing or fun about it, I guess.
So anyways, I need to do some mild house cleaning before I go to my studio. Before I head off, however, I wanted to explore the topic of auditions. My fellow blogger Hannahviolin had a great post on orchestra auditions several days ago (entitled: orchestra auditions for non-musicians) and she really hit the nail on the head about all the work (and turmoil?) that's involved for an audition, and it entails so much more than what the average person might think.
I think it's safe to say that I'm probably not the only musician ( or at least one who hasn't "made it" into a major orchestra) who's always curious about what it takes to get in. We all know that most of us have put several years (and that means hundreds or thousands of hours) into our instruments, but then once we put ourselves onto the auditioning circuit, I, for one, can feel a little helpless.
Last year, I spent a ton of time researching auditions, reading articles, books, scouring any personal experiences from those who have been successful in their journeys. I probably spent too much time doing that. With a pile of "How to Win an Audition" or "Playing in an Orchestra" type books now sitting in a pile in some corner of my house, I now believe that there is no formula that can be acquired (or known) that makes it a guarantee that any of us auditioning will get the job we want. I know there's still a lot I can do for myself in the practicing department, but when it's all said and done, when I find myself standing behind the screen, there is only so much control I have over what happens. Maybe I can play the excerpts "note-perfect", but what would that matter if my style doesn't appeal to the panel? What if they don't like the sound that my instrument produces--does that mean I should upgrade just for the sake of doing auditions? A friend of mine did that and went into debt doing it, and soon after, found himself with two kids and really doesn't have so much time to prepare for auditions the way he probably should be. Is it really worth it?
I guess the next question is, Why do we want to be in an orchestra so badly? Is it an ego thing? I hate to admit it, but most musicians (especially classically trained) have huge heads and egos--even ones who aren't so great at what they do.
So is getting into an acceptable orchestra a sort of rite of passage for us? Do we need it, though, to feel worthy about ourselves or our playing?
Or maybe you really want it for the income stability. Yeah, major orchestras definitely pay far more than any small time orchestra ever will. A top tier orchestra might even offer a salary equivalent to an engineer, lawyer or doctor. But unlike an engineer, lawyer or doctor, the chances of every single music graduate that leaves the doors of the many many conservatories found in this country (and elsewhere), the likelihood of a musician getting into one of those orchestras is probably closer to the odds of one making it into a major league baseball team.
But maybe you do make it; will you be content or satisfied with the stressful life it offers? I imagine it would take someone with pretty thick skin (or good connections) to put up with the day to day offerings of an orchestra life.
Right now, I play in a small time orchestra in Springfield, OH. They're alright. They pay per service and the orchestra is a mix of both bad and good players. But even an amateur orchestra like this one has its share of politics. The older players who have been in the orchestra for more than 30 years look down on newbies like me (even though their playing leaves a little something to be desired) because, well, I'm young. Players who suck tend to be meaner to those who don't suck as much. Oh, and I still had to join a union, too.
And this is just an amateur orchestra.
I guess what I'm discovering--even without having won any major auditions as of yet--is that playing in a great orchestra may not be everything that it's cracked up to be. My husband told me a story of an encounter he had with a member of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra when he was younger: he went to this player's house to look at some violins and before he left, this CSO member looked at my husband and said, "You seem like a smart kid...what do you want to do when you grow up?" and my husband replied, "Play the violin professionally", and the man told my husband, "Don't. Don't do it, it's not worth it. Go into finance or something else more stable. " This was coming from a person already in a professional orchestra and he absolutely hated it.
But then again, that's just one person's perspective. I guess the point is, there is nothing wrong with us following our dreams--but when we face certain hurdles (competition, politics, luck) there should be no room for us to feel like a failure or to look down on anyone else because we haven't "made it" yet.
In some ways, being a musician is so much tougher than being a lawyer, doctor or engineer. Because God knows that if I were any of those three, I'd have a great paying job by now. But I might also be overworked, stressed and completely unhappy.
So I'm content; yes, I play in a small time orchestra, but I still get to play Brahms, Dvorak and Beethoven; yes, I mainly teach for a living and sometimes there are tough months when students decide to be late with paying tuition or to just quit all of a sudden, but I'm always, always able to pay my bills, and what's more--my students may not even realize this--I get to learn something new from THEM every single day. And I'm a better person and musician because of it.
So anyways, I need to do some mild house cleaning before I go to my studio. Before I head off, however, I wanted to explore the topic of auditions. My fellow blogger Hannahviolin had a great post on orchestra auditions several days ago (entitled: orchestra auditions for non-musicians) and she really hit the nail on the head about all the work (and turmoil?) that's involved for an audition, and it entails so much more than what the average person might think.
I think it's safe to say that I'm probably not the only musician ( or at least one who hasn't "made it" into a major orchestra) who's always curious about what it takes to get in. We all know that most of us have put several years (and that means hundreds or thousands of hours) into our instruments, but then once we put ourselves onto the auditioning circuit, I, for one, can feel a little helpless.
Last year, I spent a ton of time researching auditions, reading articles, books, scouring any personal experiences from those who have been successful in their journeys. I probably spent too much time doing that. With a pile of "How to Win an Audition" or "Playing in an Orchestra" type books now sitting in a pile in some corner of my house, I now believe that there is no formula that can be acquired (or known) that makes it a guarantee that any of us auditioning will get the job we want. I know there's still a lot I can do for myself in the practicing department, but when it's all said and done, when I find myself standing behind the screen, there is only so much control I have over what happens. Maybe I can play the excerpts "note-perfect", but what would that matter if my style doesn't appeal to the panel? What if they don't like the sound that my instrument produces--does that mean I should upgrade just for the sake of doing auditions? A friend of mine did that and went into debt doing it, and soon after, found himself with two kids and really doesn't have so much time to prepare for auditions the way he probably should be. Is it really worth it?
I guess the next question is, Why do we want to be in an orchestra so badly? Is it an ego thing? I hate to admit it, but most musicians (especially classically trained) have huge heads and egos--even ones who aren't so great at what they do.
So is getting into an acceptable orchestra a sort of rite of passage for us? Do we need it, though, to feel worthy about ourselves or our playing?
Or maybe you really want it for the income stability. Yeah, major orchestras definitely pay far more than any small time orchestra ever will. A top tier orchestra might even offer a salary equivalent to an engineer, lawyer or doctor. But unlike an engineer, lawyer or doctor, the chances of every single music graduate that leaves the doors of the many many conservatories found in this country (and elsewhere), the likelihood of a musician getting into one of those orchestras is probably closer to the odds of one making it into a major league baseball team.
But maybe you do make it; will you be content or satisfied with the stressful life it offers? I imagine it would take someone with pretty thick skin (or good connections) to put up with the day to day offerings of an orchestra life.
Right now, I play in a small time orchestra in Springfield, OH. They're alright. They pay per service and the orchestra is a mix of both bad and good players. But even an amateur orchestra like this one has its share of politics. The older players who have been in the orchestra for more than 30 years look down on newbies like me (even though their playing leaves a little something to be desired) because, well, I'm young. Players who suck tend to be meaner to those who don't suck as much. Oh, and I still had to join a union, too.
And this is just an amateur orchestra.
I guess what I'm discovering--even without having won any major auditions as of yet--is that playing in a great orchestra may not be everything that it's cracked up to be. My husband told me a story of an encounter he had with a member of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra when he was younger: he went to this player's house to look at some violins and before he left, this CSO member looked at my husband and said, "You seem like a smart kid...what do you want to do when you grow up?" and my husband replied, "Play the violin professionally", and the man told my husband, "Don't. Don't do it, it's not worth it. Go into finance or something else more stable. " This was coming from a person already in a professional orchestra and he absolutely hated it.
But then again, that's just one person's perspective. I guess the point is, there is nothing wrong with us following our dreams--but when we face certain hurdles (competition, politics, luck) there should be no room for us to feel like a failure or to look down on anyone else because we haven't "made it" yet.
In some ways, being a musician is so much tougher than being a lawyer, doctor or engineer. Because God knows that if I were any of those three, I'd have a great paying job by now. But I might also be overworked, stressed and completely unhappy.
So I'm content; yes, I play in a small time orchestra, but I still get to play Brahms, Dvorak and Beethoven; yes, I mainly teach for a living and sometimes there are tough months when students decide to be late with paying tuition or to just quit all of a sudden, but I'm always, always able to pay my bills, and what's more--my students may not even realize this--I get to learn something new from THEM every single day. And I'm a better person and musician because of it.
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