Klarinet Archive - Posting 000499.txt from 2005/08

From: Adam Michlin <amichlin@-----.com>
Subj: RE: [kl] Low Eb in Brahms Symphony
Date: Tue, 30 Aug 2005 16:01:19 -0400

Tom,

Yeah, in a professional organization things would be much worse and much
more complicated... and I'm not just talking professional orchestras. Then
again, maybe I spent too much time playing with players from the San Jose
Symphony (no politics there, right Dan? =).

I would discourage you from sitting in or generally trying to demonstrate
your playing for the conductor. There are two possibilities:

1. Everyone is above board and telling you exactly like it is.

or

2. You are a pawn in the ubiquitous power struggle between the players and
the conductor.

I guess I should add:

2a. They're just completely disorganized (this is the most dangerous
situation of all).

If the former, things will work out fine regardless. If the later, this
conductor may just decide to dislike your playing under any circumstances
(merely to put the players in their place, not having anything to do with
you). You'll just get caught in the middle of the power struggle. Better to
let them (players and conductor) figure out what they want and approach
you. You don't want to appear pushy and worst of all you don't want it to
appear to the conductor like the players are pushing you on the conductor
(even if you are there completely on your own initiative).

Ahhh... politics. Right after death and taxes, I think.

-Adam

At 02:27 PM 8/30/2005 -0500, Tom.Henson@-----.com wrote:
[...]
>I doubt that this type of thing would happen in a professional
>organization, but then again people change their minds and you just have
>to go with the flow.
[...]

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