 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: John J. Moses
Date: 2005-03-08 02:11
Full article reprint approved by moderators, since this article is not available online.
Reprinted by kind permission of the AFM International Musician.
Beyond Broadway: Secrets to Becoming a Successful Theater Musician from Leading Contractors in the Field
While Broadway is technically a street in New York City, you don't have to live in the Big Apple to have a successful career performing Broadway musicals. With millions being spent to renovate theaters in major cities, and with growing show markets in places like Las Vegas, there are many opportunities on the road and in cities outside New York for 'pit' musicians to have union jobs.
But where do you begin? Unlike symphonic employment, which is governed by the often brutally anonymous--but very democratic--system of auditions, a musical contractor usually governs employment in the Broadway show field. Put simply, a musical contractor is responsible for hiring the best ensemble for the particular show involved. AFM Touring Division Director Michael Manley posed a series of pertinent questions to three prominent contractors in this field--John Miller, Michael Keller, and Sam Lutfiyya.
Michael Manley: Let's say I'm just out of college, a complete unknown, and I'm interested in a career playing Broadway shows. Being eager, I decide my first move is to call every contractor in town. Is this the right way to go? If not, what should my first steps be?
Michael Keller: Contractors will rarely ever hire someone based on an initial call or receipt of a resume. It makes much more sense to cultivate relationships with established musicians who play the same instrument. Looking for opportunities to sub for those players--not only on a show chair that they may hold but also on any jobs they may need to find coverage on--is a better path to follow. A younger player may also want to consider studying with an established theater musician--not only for the obvious learning benefits, but also for possible work recommendations.
John Miller: I would encourage every college student interested in Broadway to play as many shows as possible while you're in school, amateur or professional. Before you pursue Broadway show playing, be sure you like the scene. Some don't. Your goal is to find a way to sub for a show. Then, be prepared, play great, show up on time, and be professional.
Sam Lutfiyya: If possible, get yourself in as a sub on either a tour or a sit-down production. Prepare yourself to do the best job possible--your reputation will grow and more work opportunities will come your way. MM: Say my major instrument is clarinet. I can get by on flute, and can also make some noise on the sax. For a wind player, how important is doubling in this field? What are typical doubles, and what would you recommend for wind players seeking show work?
MK: Competent reed doubling is, unfortunately, a dying art. Those who decide to attempt to be good doublers should study the "other" instruments as if they intended to play them exclusively. As the size of the typical Broadway orchestra gets smaller, the ability to play many reed instruments well is a very good thing. Young hopeful doublers might want to consider a masters program such as the one at Jersey City State College, where a prime focus is to produce highly proficient reed doublers.
JM: It's tough to work on Broadway as a wind player if you only play one instrument. Most orchestrators write with doubles for the reed chairs. The obvious doubles are the sax family, as well as flute and clarinet. If you have also mastered the double reeds (oboe, English horn, bassoon) your marketability increases. If you're a strong clarinetist but weak on the sax and flute--and you know that you're not going to see the book before the first rehearsal--don't risk embarrassing yourself, the contractor, or the conductor. You don't want to be fired after the first rehearsal. Better to decline gracefully.
MM: What about doubles for brass and percussion?
MK: Trumpet/Flugelhorn is a given double for trumpeters, but proficiency on the piccolo trumpet should not be overlooked. Trombonists usually play either tenor or bass trombone; there are some very fine tenor/bass doublers, though, and that is something for younger players to consider. Bass trombonists also sometimes double on tuba and, if this is considered, the time and effort to learn the tuba should not be casual. Percussionists should strive to be expert on all instruments: straight percussion, mallets, timpani, Latin, and, much more common these days, world percussion including African, Indian, and Asian. Good percussionists who also play drums well are a definite plus.
JM: It is not unrealistic to think that you might also see the following doubles on Broadway shows: electric guitar/acoustic guitar/banjo/mandolin, or string bass/electric bass.
SL: Or even guitars/ukulele.
MM: What about work on the road? I know there are many union tours that carry at least some of the musicians with them, and I'm willing to travel. But I never see ads for auditions for these jobs. How do I break into touring musical theater work?
SL: Often, musicians who end up on the road are recommended by their colleagues who may have already been engaged for that specific tour. In some cases a musical director or supervisor has specific individuals who they might request by name. It's a good idea to send a contractor your resume and an audio sample of your playing. Letters of reference from musicians who have worked for this contractor would be a plus. Mention in a short cover letter that you are interested and willing to go on the road. For keyboard players, it doesn't hurt to have played rehearsals or accompanied at cast auditions.
MK: A willingness to tour is an important piece of information for a contractor. While no one is likely to be hired 'sight unseen' (or heard), there is a network of musicians and contractors that I can contact to try and cross-reference a potential hire. There are also many "older" players who prefer to work on the road, and they are a valuable source.
JM: Touring jobs are all word of mouth, so you won't see them advertised. It's important for you to know that most tours expect a commitment of at least one year. I'm sure all contractors have different systems, but here's how I do it: first, I see who the conductor would like to work with. This is another reason why it is helpful for musicians to have as many conductors as possible know your work. I also look through my database of musicians who I know have toured, and enjoy being on the road. I also check with the subs who played the Broadway show to see if they want to go on tour. On occasion I will ask local contractors for their recommendations. I guarantee you that traveling conductors will remember great local players. If you can get on your local contractor's list, you have the opportunity to meet these touring conductors. Find the moment to let them know that you'd like to tour.
MM: A career playing shows often means going from one show to another, as few shows enjoy the long runs of Phantom or Les Miserables. What are the top three "Do's" and "Don'ts" that would help not only to keep a touring or local theater gig, but also get hired for the next show as well?
MK: Do be on time--not just in time for the downbeat. Do play to the best of your ability--many, if not all, in the audience are there for the first time. Do get along within the show's community. Don't get complacent and don't ever think you know better than the music director--even if you actually do.
JM: As a working bass player, I can say that no job has ever led directly to another job. It's a circuitous route. Musicians are each other's contractors. Unfortunately, there is no guarantee for anyone that when a show ends they'll get hired for another. But you can increase your odds by playing well and consistently, taking the job seriously, and being positive and helpful to the conductor. When the conductor has comments or criticisms for you, listen and correct your playing; don't defend or protect your position.
SL: When hiring an orchestra for a touring ballet company I contract, the musical director joked, "it's too bad we can't put the auditioning musicians on a five-hour bus trip to see how they get along." I agree with him. On the road, always do your utmost to be a good, cooperative citizen with your musical colleagues and the other people you are traveling with. Some people learn, once they are on the road, that they are not suited to traveling. In this case, it is better to resign rather than to continue in an unhappy situation. Remember: "Suffering is optional."
JM: Eventually, shows close. Many conductors have told me after the run, "I'd just rather not use that musician again." And it usually has nothing to do with ability. It's most often about a negative attitude they brought to the pit. No matter how great these people play, it becomes increasingly dicey for me to place them.
SL: Be flexible and adaptive. Sometimes musicians feel over-qualified for a job, or feel their colleagues are under-qualified. It is important to do your best in the chair you are hired for, and work to make your colleagues sound great. Your maturity and expertise will be noticed for future employment. As for the don'ts, don't sell your ability to perform a specific double or musical task that you are not fully proficient in. Don't accept touring or sit-down work based on specific terms, and then attempt to renegotiate the conditions involved once you are on the gig. And don't forget to always wear clean socks.
MM: Any final pearls of wisdom you'd like to share?
JM: I don't know if I have any pearls of wisdom, but I'm a big fan of the Zen adage, "Fight your shame. Learn all you can from others. This is the secret to a successful life." In the Broadway show arena, this means asking: "Am I open enough to honestly see where my weaknesses are, and work on them? How do I stack up? What are the working players doing that I'm not? Let me try to understand how and why they got the job. Let me learn all I can from them." This is the tough work we all must do. If you're lucky, as I've been, you'll get to work with the cream of the crop and be part of the great musical process, which is what brought us all here in the first place. I've always believed, "If you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life."
MK: Just my overall philosophy for playing shows: Show up; do great work; go home and have a life.
SL: "Argue your limitations and they are yours." Make each performance better than the last.
--John Miller is a freelance bass player and member of Local 802 (New York City). He has contracted over 45 Broadway shows and 35 tours. He also contracts for recordings, films, jingles and concerts.
--Sam Lutfiyya is a Canadian percussionist and contractor who splits his time between Toronto, Chicago, Las Vegas, and New York, where he contracts extensively in those markets. He is a member of six AFM locals, including 802, 149 (Toronto, ON), and 47 (Los Angeles). Lutfiyya also contracts many classical and Broadway tours. Currently conductor/drummer for Marvin Hamlisch.
-Local 802 member Michael Keller has contracted many shows in the past 12 years including The Lion King, Wicked, and Avenue
JJM
Légère Artist
Clark W. Fobes Artist
Post Edited (2005-03-08 02:29)
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Author: Bigno16
Date: 2005-03-08 23:58
Just wanted to say thanks a million to JJM. Lots of good information in there. I think that'll come in handy when I'm older.
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Author: William
Date: 2005-03-09 14:28
Being responsible and being able to play well under demanding circulstances are essential factors in a successful musical career, no matter the venue. But having the opportunity to desplay your "goods" require getting that "first gig" and often the most important aide to that end is knowing the "right" person. "It isn't so much waht you know, but who....." is a reality the aspiring gigging musician should always keep in mind when greeting everyone--even those that may be first perceived to be umimportant. The term I like to use is "Networking". Meet everyone as a potential job opportunity. Have a business card ready to pass out and keep a record of who, when, where and what. For me, that's my little black date book--the same one I record all my gigs in: Day/night, time, place, contractor, how much, what instrument(s), attire, how much, etc.
Networking. Put your best foot foreward and keep track of where you have put it. Make yourself known--and after (if) you get "the call", be ready to impress. Play well and be professional in you attire and behavior. Ultimately, your reputation will get you more gigs than your auditions.
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Author: Terry Stibal
Date: 2005-03-09 15:37
Wise words, and no less than we should expect from the New York/802 crowd.
In the contracting end of things, who you know (and who knows about you) is far more important than a 5% superior playing ability over the other contenders. Many times, "on time and good enough" will beat out "the best there is but temperamental", no matter how "unfair" that might seem.
If you want to work shows on a consistent basis (rather than a long term gig with one production), you better be:
• Congenial - more than anything else, you have to co-exist with the other musicians. Ego problems cause disruption, and disruption causes a loss of face for the contractor. You don't have to like everyone, but you need to be tolerant of the foibles of others, and not provoke problems.
(I manage to practice this most of the time. However, the one thing that most infuriated me about another musician was the time that I worked with an oboe player who insisted in disassembling her reed and staple from the oboe at each point where the oboe was placed on the peg. She had this elaborate, and quite ostentatious routine of removing the reed, putting it her mouth, pegging the oboe, taking the reed and placing it in a case, then sitting the case down in her toolbox, and only then picking up whatever horn was needed and playing it (poorly, I might add). She took up so much space in the tight pit we were in that others had trouble storing their saxes and such, and the little pantomime every time it was oboe time was irritating in the extreme. By the way, she couldn't play English horn well enough to cover "Fugue For Three Tin Horns", so I had to do that for her. I left my reed on the crooked horn through the entire first act, just to irritate her...)
• Prompt- we have all these clocks around us for a reason.
• Always ready to "go" - maybe you might have to be late to the occasional rehearsal for cause, but once you are there you get ready to play as soon as possible, not stand around in the wings gossiping with others.
• Able to play at least the minimum double of clarinet/tenor, but preferably all of clarinet, bass clarinet, soprano (now pretty common), alto, tenor and baritone sax, enough flute to get by on an interior harmony part, and any auxiliary percussion that they throw at you. Bonus points are awarded for oboe, English horn, bassoon and such oddities as bass sax. Don't even bother to assume that you can just show up if you can't cover the book; instead, point out that you're short on soprano sax skills at the time of first contact, and ask if someone else can cover the part.
• Reliable - remember that your hiring is probably 60% a business decision and only 40% an artistic one. Nothing pisses off the guy doing the hiring like someone who doesn't show. I've played with legions of decent players who are always on time and present, and seen quite a few great players who have gotten the boot for unreliability. You hate to let them go, but often "good enough all the time" is preferable to "letter perfect part of the time, nothing the rest of the time." (I'm having the same problem with a singer right now; it's a hard decision but there are others who are about as good as this individual who will be on time and ready to go when I need them.)
-•-
If you are starting in the music world (say at high school level) and you take up bass clarinet or sax, you should always continue to maintain your basic competence on clarinet. My grandfather, who did commercial work back in the 1920-1941 period, insisted that I play a half hour every day on clarinet, even though I was primarily a bass clarinet player through college. It's the key woodwind instrument along with the flute, and if you can keep up on clarinet and at least one other horn, you've got a much better shot at working for a living "in the business".
In the real world, there's no such thing as "I'll play the clarinet part, you play the flute part, and we'll get Henry to play the alto part." Three bodies may be fine in high school and even college, but in the commercial world there's often not enough money to cover the pit as it is written, much less to add another 66% to the woodwind totals. It's one person, one book (and often more than one book if needed).
-•-
My one true contracting horror story occurred back in the 1960s, when I was the pit contractor for a local cultural society production of Bye Bye Birdie! In a union town, in a production put on by one of the local unions (UMW), this paid pretty good and was a great way to fill in empty evenings, endless repetitions of "We love you Conrad" notwithstanding.
All went well until the advent of the technical/dress week, when "my" drummer had a car wreck and got both himself and his trap set badly bashed up. In between a rock and a hard place (where do you find a drummer ready to go with three hours notice?), I called the local union hall (not my local) and had the next person on the list sent over.
She was there and ready to play on time that evening. I ran through the few changes in the book from the last rehearsal, saw that she had about the right number of drums and things in front of her, and was pleased to hear that she had no questions.
Then we started in on the "We love you Conrad" portion of the opening scene. At that point, I noticed that my drummer was "locked up" completely and was not anywhere near where she should have been in the piece.
Figuring that my less than stellar conducting may have been the cause, I stopped the group (and the thespians), and asked her what the trouble was.
It seems that we had been sent a trained drummer, all right...as long as the time fit either the "boom-chick" or "boom-chick-chick" pattern. Hit her with 5/4 mixed in with common time or cut time, and she went adrift. She could not even begin to follow the chart. (She even could not follow the 6/8 as "In two" or "In three" convention; I'm sure that she had dealt with it but probably didn't know that it was 6/8 at the time.) As BBB is short on polkas and 4/4 stuff, she was functionally useless.
A quick, pay phone call (ever try to find a working one of those when you really needed it? I ended up at a gas station across the street) to the union president revealed that she was his daughter, and she did just fine playing Legion hall stuff, polkas and the like. He should have known better but probably didn't think that it would matter.
We ended the evening with one of my trumpet players playing her trap set (with her father's agreement), and treated her chunk of dough for the night as rental for the equipment. I never dipped in that union well again for the rest of the time that I lived in the area...
leader of Houston's Sounds Of The South Dance Orchestra
info@sotsdo.com
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Author: DougR
Date: 2005-03-11 21:19
There's another aspect to the theatre-musician scene I haven't yet seen described on this site: the variability of the accommodations for musicians.
I have a friend who's subbing pretty regularly on Broadway, and he describes situations where you may or may NOT have headphones providing you an overall sound mix; the mix may or may NOT include your instrument (each horn is individually miked and runs into the house PA); the headphones may be over-the-ear, or may be those cheesy little Walkman things; you may or may not even be able to hear yourself at ALL; where you may only see the conductor over a video monitor...talk about a demanding situation!!
My favorite horror story of his: occasionally he subs on the new Beach Boys musical (Good Vibrations I think is the title, that would seem logical) playing the following: bass sax, bass clarinet, baritone-tenor-alto sax, a little flute, maybe some clarinet (I forget). But it's not what he plays, it's WHERE: all by himself, under the stage, in a room he shares with the front end of a Corvette (which ascends on cue thru a trapdoor onto the stage) and two stagehands to caretake the Corvette. He's connected to the conductor via video monitor, and to the rest of the orchestra thru headphones and multiple mikes; he may as well be playing in an orbiting satellite!
If you can hack THAT (and one has to, to work in that marketplace) you can really do anything!
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Author: John J. Moses
Date: 2005-03-13 14:35
Hi DougR:
Thanks for your Broadway pit horror story, but it's not a typical example of the pit scene in NYC. You post:
I have a friend who's subbing pretty regularly on Broadway, and he describes situations where you may or may NOT have headphones providing you an overall sound mix; (the only people who usually use headphones "cans" are rhythm & synth players) the mix may or may NOT include your instrument (each horn is individually miced and runs into the house PA); the headphones may be over-the-ear, or may be those cheesy little Walkman things (high end "cans are regularly used, Walkman "cans" are used to listen to the ball game scores, joke); you may or may not even be able to hear yourself at ALL (you can always hear yourself playing acoustic instruments, the electronic players need "cans" to hear themselves accurately); where you may only see the conductor over a video monitor (video monitors are regularly used throughout the pit to give various players additional views of the conductor) ...talk about a demanding situation (this is Broadway)!!
You continue:
My favorite horror story of his: occasionally he subs on the new Beach Boys musical (Good Vibrations I think is the title, that would seem logical) playing the following: bass sax, bass clarinet, baritone-tenor-alto sax, a little flute, maybe some clarinet (I forget) (Sounds like a big $$$ chair, although saxophone, no matter how many you play, pay one double). But it's not what he plays, it's WHERE: all by himself, under the stage, in a room he shares with the front end of a Corvette (which ascends on cue thru a trapdoor onto the stage) and two stagehands to caretake the Corvette. He's connected to the conductor via video monitor, and to the rest of the orchestra thru headphones and multiple mikes; he may as well be playing in an orbiting satellite! Actually many Broadway shows have limited pit size, and require a few musicians to be in comfortable rooms away from the pit. At WICKED, there are 2 large rooms, with a bathroom, for our harpist & a room full of percussion equipment for our percussionist, as there are 21 more of us in the actual pit!
BTW: If your friend over at "Good Vibrations" is unhappy or uncomfortable with his accommodations at the theater, he, or the regular player, can call our Union representative, and all possible adjustments will be made to make his conditions better. No one, these days, needs to suffer on Broadway, and that's another reason the Union here in NYC is so helpful for live music.
JJM
Légère Artist
Clark W. Fobes Artist
Post Edited (2005-03-13 15:07)
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Author: john gibson
Date: 2005-03-13 21:42
WEAR A CAPE AND A MASK !!!! Preferably of matching yet ominous color so as to be as obtrusive as possible. It'll be your little "secret".
JG
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Author: allencole
Date: 2005-03-14 16:12
I agree that being isolated would take a lot of the fun out of playing a show, but there is certainly a precedent for it in the studios.
I'm not crazy about mixing it up with purely electronic instruments, and have more than a few times played harmony beneath an electronic oboe that I could hardly hear. But that is increasingly the face of most local productions if they still use acoustic instruments at all.
I have been told, though, that some productions do have headphones for a wind player. "Bring On the Noise, Bring On the Funk" was the example presented to me--but of course, that was hardly a 20-some piece orchestra. I seem to recall a similar situation with a travelling company of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." In this case, it appears there was a lead reed, lead trumpet and maybe lead trombone, each heading up its own electronic section.
There is a difference between being uncomfortable physically (cramped, hot, cold, etc.) and uncomfortable musically (isolated or hard to hear). The physical situation may require some help. The second is much of what we're paid for. Outside of Porgy & Bess, and some smaller jazz/rock/blues revues, I don't think that I've ever played in a full orchestra, or even one with well-selected instrumentation. The wind lineup for the last one (Where's Charley) was flute (mostly on picc), me (mostly third register) and a trumpet. But that's the essence of the job. Out here in fly-over country, you do your best not to make the MD wish that he'd stuck with just a rhythm section or canned the whole thing.
Allen Cole
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Author: GBK
Date: 2005-03-14 16:53
"...it's not what he plays, it's WHERE: all by himself, under the stage, in a room he shares with the front end of a Corvette..."
Wasn't the initial reason for moving the pit musicians, in certain shows, and disseminating them throughout the building (connected by mics and video monitors) was to make it possible to add more audience seating, thus increasing ticket revenue? ...GBK
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Author: Terry Stibal
Date: 2005-03-14 17:24
While more seating is one of the reasons for bumping musicians around, another is the increasing demands of production sizes. Virtually every theater made for live theater (and quite a few for motion pictures, in the case of the grand old houses) originally had an orchestra pit. However, you increasingly find these decked over (with runways to start, then with thrusts that actually cover the whole thing) so that there are more staging options.
The first "modified" stage that I ever played beneath was for a road company of Hello Dolly!. The big parade number and the cakewalk that Dolly has under "Hello Dolly" literally cried out for some sort of promenade, and the theater obliged the producer by encircling the entire pit with a six foot wide strut ramp.
It was great from a visual standpoint, but edge lighting and other issues up on the stage made it a trap for the inattentive thespian. We literally had one of the chorus end up on top of the tuba player (no injuries to either, thank God), and that was after luminous tape was put down.
A fully decked over pit is no fun to play in, since you don't even get to see a fragment of the show. However, the pay is the same...
The worst that I ever did (other than the on-stage tenor player in Cabaret...very uncomfortable even for the short time that I was on stage) was a production of Barnum!, where we were placed around a catwalk above the audience, with the conductor down in his usual spot in front of the stage. Poor coordination of the music with the show, and all just for enough space to include a couple more jugglers.
leader of Houston's Sounds Of The South Dance Orchestra
info@sotsdo.com
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Author: clarinets1
Date: 2005-03-14 18:44
in a production of "Of Thee I Sing", a horrendous piece of gershwin if I ever saw one, the orchestra was in the pit with the conductor. covering the pit was a wooden stage with a star-shaped hole cut in the center for the conductor to cue both actors and us musicians. if the music wasn't so damn irritating, it might have been humorous. I'm sure that it was amusing for the audience though, watching the action with a waving, baton-ed hand sticking out of the hole in the floor.
This was, admittedly, my first experience with musical theatre. I did enjoy it enough to want to play in other shows. And I have. With any luck, I will continue. :D
one must be ready for whatever comes at you when playing in a live pit. actors will miss lines, toss baseball bats into the audience, occasionally fall off the stage, and horn players will routinely have bad reeds (he he he), but THE SHOW MUST GO ON!!
some of the best advice for music life (and life in general) came from my high school choir teacher:
"Deal with it."
~~JK
Post Edited (2005-03-14 18:45)
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Author: DougR
Date: 2005-03-15 04:30
Just to clarify, it was ME and not my friend who characterized the above "Good Vibrations" playing situation as a horror story; he's totally cool with it...the comfort level, lighting etc., are all fine, ...it's just FOR ME, it would seem a little like orbiting in a satellite. And all those horns...all those reeds...all those opportunities for something to go wrong...AND a Corvette front end going up and down on hydraulic jacks next to you...but, like I say, he's totally cool with it, and happy to be doing the work, frankly.
To GBK's point, the advent of close-miking and reliance on a theatre PA system to get the orchestra's sound into the house has enabled this sort of remote-siting; orchestra pits, when they DO exist, don't need to be acoustic entities any more. Instead, as mentioned above, they can be roofed-over, acoustically treated chambers under the stage, and as long as the mikes all work, fine. This can enable an extra row or 2 of seats to be added (at upwards of $120 per seat, not an insignificant chunk of change); it also give the designer more options in terms of the shape and thrust of the stage. There's even an upside to it from an audience perspective; the orchestra can (and frequently does) share the stage with the actors, and literally become part of the show. Which I love, by the way--I always check the program before the show start to see who's playing which reed chair (the heck with the actors' bios!) because it's always such a "whos-who" of woodwind aces, and every now & then I'll stop watching the orchestra long enough to notice what's happening onstage.
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