Panic on the Podium
When you think about it, isn’t it amazing that a group of musicians can ever play together in a symphonic setting? Honestly, having all those different instruments, from tuba to tympani, with all those methods of sound production, from blowing to plucking, situated across either a vast resonant expanse of stage or a [...]
Staring at a Sea of Surly Violas
Though it chagrins me to admit it, I’ve recommended friends and colleagues for musical activities that are simply impossible. Whether passing a wretched gig to an unsuspecting bassist hungry for work or giving out a colleague’s name to a bass student who will almost certainly be nothing but trouble, I’ve done my [...]
…and everything faded to black
Even in a ‘classic’ art form like music, one that existed well before the advent of electricity, we performers now completely and utterly depend on the power grid for our performances. While hospitals and other such foundational services may have emergency generators, I’ve certainly never seen a concert hall with one. When the power goes [...]
Bugs Bunny is my Mortal Enemy - Story Time 3 audio episode
This third installment of my Story Time series is an audio rendition of my story Bugs Bunny is my Mortal Enemy from 2007. Stay tuned for a video version of this in the near future, and be sure to visit the Contrabass Conversations Story Time page for the other audio and video episodes in [...]
Crossing Biscayne Bay on a pod and a prayer
Though I’ve never been a member of the New World Symphony (only subbing in the past), I have had dozens of friends and colleagues who’ve spent time in this exciting and educational South Florida orchestra. Serving as the training orchestra for the United States (sorry, Civic Orchestra of Chicago–you’re just not the same thing), [...]
A Week in the Life Part 4 - Look Out!
A Week in the Life is a brief series chronicling a quirky but nevertheless quite typical week in the life of a mid-tier freelance musician. Though the sort of wacky events I’ve described thus far undoubtedly happen in orchestras of all flavors, from the Berlin Philharmonic to the community orchestra down the block from me, [...]
Concert Programming, Idiot-Style
I can’t program concerts to save my life. At least, I’m sure my students feel that way!
One thing I’ve tried to do as a bass teacher, with varying degrees of success, is to have an annual recital for my students. This is something that is really important to do as a private teacher–it gives students [...]
A Week in the Life Part 3 - Behind the Scenery
Check out Part 1 and Part 2 of this story to get caught up with this wacky but typical week in the life of a freelance musician.
__________
Now on our third rehearsal, the orchestra for this small but feisty opera company congregated at the concert venue (a nice modern facility) for our first time performing with [...]
A Week in the Life Part 2 - Parking
Read Part 1 of this story here.
_____________
All things being equal, it is almost always a better deal to accept in-town work rather than out-of-town work as a freelancer. The pay is usually better, the hours are usually shorter, and the artistic quality is usually higher.
The one big bummer with working "in-town", at least in Chicago, [...]
Musical mutiny below decks - Top 10 wacky things I’ve seen in orchestra pit playing
Audience members may be completely unaware of this, but there is a lot of wacky stuff going on in a pit that would probably never happen in an onstage performance. There’s just something about being located 6-10 feet below floor level that unleashes something in musicians. At least, it does in some [...]
