Why does no one talk about the fact that there is litERALLY AN ENTIRE ORCHESTRA UNDER THE STAGE OF EVERY BROADWAY MUSICAL WITH TRAINED MUSICIANS THAT LEARNED EVERY SINGLE SONG AND PLAY THEM EVERY SINGLE NIGHT
ORCHESTRA APPRECIATION POST
YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW LONG I HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS
LET ME TELL YOU GUYS A BIT ABOUT THESE AMAZING MUSICIANS
- IF IT’S AN OLD THEATER, THE PIT SPACES ARE SO TINY AND ALL THESE MUSICIANS ARE CRAMMED TOGETHER. SOMETIMES THEY CAN’T EVEN SEE THE CONDUCTOR. IN THE NEWSIES PIT, IF YOU’RE SITTING IN THE REED 2 MUSICIAN’S SPOT, THERE IS A GIANT WALL HIDING THE CONDUCTOR FROM VIEW
- SOOO… THEY USE MONITORS THAT SHOW THEM A LIVESTREAM OF THE CONDUCTOR, BUT THEY’RE OFTEN A SPLIT SECOND SLOW SO THESE MUSICIANS NEED TO FIGHT THEIR INSTINCTS AND COME IN A SPLIT SECOND EARLY
- IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO GET A GIG AS A PIT MUSICIAN, BECAUSE THEY ALL SUB OUT TO EACH OTHER
- THEREFORE THERE IS SO MUCH SELF-NETWORKING INVOLVED THAT IT GIVES ME ANXIETY JUST TO THINK ABOUT
- SUBBING MUSICIANS DON’T GET REHEARSALS!!!!! EVER!!!!!!!!!!! MAYBE ONCE. BUT THE POINT IS THAT THEY NEED TO GO HOME AND PRACTICE TWO, MAYBE THREE BOOKS TO ABSOLUTE PERFECTION BECAUSE IF THEY DON’T PLAY UP TO PAR, THEY MAY NOT GET THAT JOB BACK.
- THEY NEVER!!! GET!!!! ANY!!! RECOGNITION!!! I SENT THE NEWSIES PIT A LETTER ABOUT HOW MUCH THEY INSPIRED ME AND THEY WERE SO FLATTERED AND IMPRESSED AND GRATEFUL THAT THEY FUCKING LET ME SIT IN ON ONE OF THEIR LAST SHOWS.
- THESE JOBS DO NOT PAY WELL, TO MY KNOWLEDGE. MAYBE THE SAME PAY AS A MUSIC TEACHER’S SALARY, IF THEY HAVE A STEADY GIG, WHICH MOST OF THEM DON’T.
- IF THE SHOW CLOSES, THEY NEED TO FIND ANOTHER GIG, ASAP, BECAUSE THEIR PAY ISN’T ENOUGH TO SUSTAIN AN UNEMPLOYED PERSON AND THEIR FAMILY FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
- OH YEAH, AND LUCKY BRASS PLAYERS, YOU ONLY NEED TO BE ABLE TO PLAY ONE INSTRUMENT, TWO AT THE MOST.
- BUT THE WOODWIND PLAYERS? LET ME GIVE YOU SOME PERSPECTIVE:
- THE REED 2 BOOK AT NEWSIES CONSISTED OF (I THINK) FLUTE, CLARINET, BASS CLARINET, ALTO SAX, BARI SAX, AND…. MAYBE PICCOLO? I FORGET. BUT THE POINT IS, WOODWIND MUSICIANS NEED TO BE ABLE TO MASTER 84379528803436 DIFFERENT INSTRUMENTS.
IN CONCLUSION, BEING A MEMBER OF A PIT ORCHESTRA IS INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT, BUT THEY DO IT BECAUSE THEY LOVE IT AND HAVE A PASSION FOR IT, NOT FOR RECOGNITION OR THE PAY OR BECAUSE IT’S GLAMOROUS.
My background photo is literally me playing out of 2 books at once for a pot orchestra. (Trombone and Cello)
ok but the woodwind player thing is SO TRUE
unless you have a personal connection and have built up a rep with the conductor/music director you have to be able to play literally five or six different instruments, sometimes only getting a measure or two to switch in VERY cramped seating.
Not to mention if you mess up once its over. The people who called you will never call you again and find someone else to replace you. The music industry as a whole is a lot of bull. I have mad respect for musicians, especially pit musicians.
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AngelMihe 