Author: frank
Date: 2006-11-09 19:56
<<David wrote:
Are jobs really so much harder to come by, or so much worse paid, than 25 or 50 years ago? If so, why: are there fewer jobs, or more candidates?>>
Just look at all the orchestras that have or are folding in the U.S. Also, broadway and studios are going to electronic music now, which eliminates the doubler/tripler/quadrupler. Europe has more classical jobs available it seems but lets be real here, how many of them can you actually make a great living with? So, it's the same situation over there as here in regards to making music a business and profession. Yes David, jobs are harder to come by now. Often, someone literally has to die for an opening in a high paying (high compared to music jobs, not other professions) to occur. This just happened in San Francisco with the passing of David Breeden. I am talking about jobs that one can make a living on, not community or small local orchestras (pay by service).
String players have the same issues as us, although there is a slightly better chance of finding work in an orchestra due to there being more positions available. Keep in mind that a section violin player usually makes less money than a principal clarinet player. Plus, we are talking professional players here, not amateur. It's a world of difference. There are far better amateur wind players overall than strings. With that said, the average professional string player is far more trained and talented than the above average professional wind player in my experiece.
To me, taking a chance that a top player will retire of pass away in maybe 10 years from now...then trying to beat out 200 other players of which 75 are great and had perfect auditions is not an option. I know MANY great players - some former symphony players making a decent living - who are jobless due to not getting tenure, injury, politics, bad luck, and flat out not having any jobs available for them to win or secure. It's a very romantic idea of being a professional musician. Romance is great, but if you are jobless, homeless, carless, moneyless, that Fabio romance novel image goes down the drain! 
Post Edited (2006-11-09 19:59)
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