“You’re paid?!” It’s the question every professional musician hears at one time or another. The conversation usually goes something like this: Patron: “We really enjoyed your performance today. My wife and I were just remarking how beautifully the ensemble played together. How long did it take to get that tough piece together?” Musician: “Glad you enjoyed the piece, we had four rehearsals this past week.” Patron: “Wow, four? That is amazing! How do you find the time in the week with work?” Musician: “This is my job.” Patron: “You’re paid!?” Unfortunately, this isn’t a rare occurrence. In ... Continue Reading

I remember the day I received “The Talk”. At 15 years old, I was just starting to realize that I wanted to be a professional musician. After feeling the thrill of youth orchestras and the exhilaration of summer music festivals, it was evident to me that this is how I wanted to spend my life. I informed my violin teacher that I wanted to audition for a music conservatory and then spend my life in either the Boston Symphony or maybe Chicago. I told him that “I’d like to be concertmaster” and ... Continue Reading

A few years ago, I was preparing a costume to wear for my orchestra’s “Halloween Pops Extravaganza.” The musicians were asked to wear a festive, yet family friendly, costume to perform in. We were encouraged to be creative as there would be a contest where the audience would pick the best costume and the winner would receive a Barns and Noble gift card. If a musician chose not to wear a costume, they had to wear the contractually mandated “dress black.”

Along with the beginning of their regular performance series, many orchestras are launching their educational activities. Among the most common educational efforts are having the orchestra travel to local schools to perform what are commonly referred to as in-school concerts. This is something I have experienced on both ends. When I was in second or third grade, my school took a trip to see the Denver Symphony in Boettcher Concert Hall. Sadly, the concert was barely memorable for me. I do remember the permission slips being handed out by our general music ... Continue Reading

Maybe it was the title of the article that caught my attention: “Rubbish Concert to Boost Recycling”, or maybe it was the accompanying picture of a musician in a tux playing a mannequin leg as if it were a cello. Either way, the article piqued my curiosity and got my hopes up that it might feature a new way the musical world was now becoming “Eco Chic”; alas, this was not necessarily the case. Instead, this article covered how the London Philharmonic musicians were giving a concert to raise awareness for recycling. ... Continue Reading