Klarinet Archive - Posting 000069.txt from 2009/07

From: "Karl Krelove" <karlkrelove@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] doublers - help!
Date: Sun, 19 Jul 2009 09:26:59 -0400

I've been in this situation a couple of times, although I was being paid, so
it was a question of whether or not I wanted the paycheck. How long before
the show will the music in the hall start? You may be able to set up your
instruments and pick reeds in the pit before it starts (or if necessary
before the house opens for the audience) and then leave most of the
artillery in the pit and take whatever you need to play most in your book
with you when you leave and warm *yourself* up with that one instrument. You
typically wouldn't have all three or more horns in a typical Jerry Herman
book warm anyway the first time you pick it up. Playing on one of the
instruments will get circulation and control working in your embouchure and
loosen up your fingers.

Along these lines, you could ask the conductor to offer the director a
compromise of starting the music 10 minutes before the overture starts and
letting the pit musicians have the time before that to do what they need to
do.

Your alternative is probably to walk out of the show (and see if the
director relents to get you to come back), which is only a viable
alternative if you aren't really enthusiastic about the gig anyway and would
be just as happy to have the nights off.

Karl

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Rich Gordley [mailto:rgordley@-----.net]
> Sent: Sunday, July 19, 2009 8:43 AM
> To: klarinet@-----.org
> Subject: [kl] doublers - help!
>
>
>
> >OK gang, I need some opinions on a ridiculous situation.
> >
> >I'm currently playing a run of "Hello Dolly!" with a community
> >theater. This is a volunteer gig which means the musicians get
> >treated worse than usual. Last night we were told that we can no
> >longer warm up in the pit because the director wants to play 1920s
> >(?!) music over the speakers in the auditorium while the patrons are
> >arriving. Our conductor has received more than his share of grief
> >from the director and says that he has to "choose his battles" and
> >that in the long run he'd lose this one anyway.
> >
> >I'm sure I don't have to detail the misery this induces. My wife and
> >I play reed 1 and 2 and between us we have 6 instruments. Reed 4 has
> >B.clnt, clnt and Bari sax. Warming up elsewhere (which right now
> >looks like it will be in the hall behind the stage area) creates
> >huge problems.
> >
> >My questions:
> >1. Does anyone think this is reasonable?
> >2. What would you do?
> >
> >My own feeling is that we should refuse to play unless we can warm up
> >in the pit. But maybe I'm overreacting. I'm also thinking that some
> >support from this list would be something I could let our conductor
> >pass along to the director in hopes of letting reason prevail.
> >
> >
> >Rich Gordley
> >Des Moines, IA
> >
> >
>
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------

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