There are so many opinions on orchestral dress codes and it’s such a well-worn topic it’s actually getting boring to read anything new that comes along such as Is it time for players to put away their penguin suits and Orchestra must ‘shed elitism’ in order to survive, says Universal Music boss. Both were entirely  banal while full cliché remarks and plenty of obvious temptations for readers to duke it out in the comment section. Together, the articles hinted that the elitist dress codes were a primary problem in the survival of ... Continue Reading

Anytime there is discussion about changing orchestral dress codes, my ears perk up. Initially, the thought of change is a positive; how wonderful it will be to finally have a uniform appearance on stage with everyone looking sharp. But then reality sets in. Everyone has their own opinion, and debates range from how body types dictate personal choice in attire to whether or not the tuxedo should remain the king of onstage attire. The latest page in this decades long story is from the Baltimore Symphony, who managed to generate some news ... Continue Reading

At morning rehearsal, the conductor probably had no idea that his favorite moment in Elgar’s Enigma Variations was documented as such in the violin part. Yet his sentiment was etched above the 6th measure of the variation titled Ysobel by someone sitting on the first stand of the Detroit Symphony. I enjoy coming across these little forensic gifts or memories shared by the last violinists that played the parts. Sometimes you get lucky in photo copies of well used parts; like a CSI investigation you can uncover previous thoughts, mishaps or hilarious points ... Continue Reading

There are many lockouts, strikes, and very contentious negotiations going on in the orchestra world these days. With all of the finger pointing going on I want to add something that is getting overlooked; I’ve written about this before, but would like to restate that the music schools in this country need to step up and add more real life training to their curriculum. Granted, some music schools have started offering courses on topics such as handling career obstacles; they’re usually done so under the guise of entrepreneurship training. Even though most of ... Continue Reading

It is no secret that in this crazy job of music making, many musicians base a concert’s success on how their level of individual playing. Yes, you can say the whole ensemble did well (or not), but there can be a self nagging urge after a concert to mentally relive a missed cue or wrong bowing. It’s the way musicians are; incredibly focused and detail oriented.