Shady Gigs and Leopard Print Shoes

By Gaby -
About a week ago, I was contacted to play for an opera gig.  After acknowledging the email, it took awhile for the contractor to get back to me; it was going to be difficult for me to attend a rehearsal or two, and that was his reason for not getting back to me right away.  After prodding for a more definite answer on whether the gig was mine or not, despite having to miss one rehearsal, I was told that I was to be concertmaster for the performance and that my missing any rehearsal wouldn't sit well with the conductor.  Well, okay.  With that information, I hastily (TOO hastily, I see now) agreed to commit to all the rehearsals b/c I take the concertmaster role seriously, no matter what kind of orchestra or gig it is.  I like to be reliable if given that role.  I got an email shortly afterward saying, "Actually, I can't offer you the concertmaster position officially--the conductor will first observe your playing in the first rehearsal, then decide."  Are you shitting me?  This is a one-time opera gig...NOT a professional orchestra audition trial, asshole!  I've never been told that I'd have to practically audition for a job after being offered the job already.  And besides that, I didn't even care where the heck I sat. I could have sat in the back of the seconds, as long as I was getting paid.
I was seriously torn after seeing that last email, and just had this feeling in the pit of my stomach that this gig was not worth doing after all.  I was going to have cancel ALL my students for the week to do this thing in order to attend rehearsals, and it's also not very close to where I live, so I'd be eating the cost of gas and travel; basically, on all fronts, it looked shady and I sent a prompt and curt email saying I was sorry, but that I couldn't pursue a job that wasn't upfront with its terms.  I've done jobs before where I felt screwed over, and I just feel now that it's about time I start learning from those mistakes!
I am a little worried though, about how it makes me look to accept, then promptly reject a gig-- but hopefully, it'll not be a big deal.  I'm sure this circle of people will never offer me a job again (lol), but there are plenty of gigs to go around, so whatever.

On an unrelated note, I know I hardly post pictures of myself on here--mainly, because I just don't like the way I look in photographs--but at some point, I'll need to come around to it.  So, this is me gradually dipping my figurative toe into the cold waters of self-portraits:

Partial profile! Mwhahaha...aand...





My new favorite shoes:)

One day, I'll muster up the courage for a full frontal picture:P

Comments

amy kelinda said…
Awww, those flats are so darling! And it sounds like you made the right call with the gig -- it's true that it's hard to commit to a gig that's not transparent about exactly what they want and need you to do.
March 14, 2012 at 2:14 PM
Nate Robinson said…
I've been in similar situations with community orchestra where I was actually promised by PM's/MD's to be Concertmaster/Principal then have it revoked. With a lower budget group Concertmasters usually don't get paid that much more, so it really doesn't matter. It's more of an ego trip for some of these players. I love how some of the people managing these orchestras pretend they're serious like the Berlin Phil. Nice pictures btw :)
March 21, 2012 at 12:38 AM
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