Klarinet Archive - Posting 000087.txt from 2009/07

From: "Karl Krelove" <karlkrelove@-----.net>
Subj: RE: [kl] doublers - help!
Date: Sun, 19 Jul 2009 19:05:52 -0400

What the director isn't getting is the extra complication of multiple
instruments. The singers undoubtedly *do* warm up - backstage - while the
twenties music is being piped in out front. No doubt in a community show the
director may not be especially aware of any problem he's causing. The brass
players, assuming they aren't doubling, probably don't feel the problem as
acutely, either.

You say in your original post, "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." Does this mean
that the issue hasn't even been brought up to the director? Before anyone
considers quitting over this, the director needs at least to be aware that
it's a problem.

In the end, if the issue has at least been brought to the director's
attention without getting a workable accommodation, you have two choices -
find a way to live with it or don't play. If the director refuses to work
with you, he (she?) won't be the first community theater director who has
overplayed his authority and damaged a community organization's cohesiveness
(from the sound of it, he/she has already made the pit conductor feel
disrespected) in the interest of showing his/her more elevated sense of art.
Maybe next year's director will be more sensitive to the world that exists
beyond a foot away from his nose.

Karl

> -----Original Message-----
> From: josh stein [mailto:jstein53@-----.net]
> Sent: Sunday, July 19, 2009 3:49 PM
> To: klarinet@-----.org
> Subject: Re: [kl] doublers - help!
>
> of course musicians need to warmup like the singers in the show. if
> the
> director does not understand that one needs to warmup before they start
> playing the real thing, than the director is a moron.
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Rich Gordley" <rgordley@-----.net>
> 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.

------------------------------------------------------------------