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Are any out there familiar with the film "Orchestra Rehearsal" directed by Frederico Fellini? It is "must see" entertainment for anyone who has spent time (or wants to spend time) playing in a symphony orchestra.

Though the movie was concieved as a political/social statement on Socialist Italy, there are some interesting observations on which people choose the instruments they play or whether the instruments "choose THEM". Whether in 1960s Italy or 2005 U.S., there seems to be an eerie "connection" between personality types and instruments - I even noticed that the "same types of charcters" played the "same types of instruments" in the German opera orchestra I played in in the early 70s as in my High School Youth Orchestra.

I.E. oboists are crazy - worldwide?, etc. Would be interested on further thoughts, insights, observations????.

P.S. Limited "Poll Choices number" left out many instruments-send in posts for others.......

Triangle.

-Matt Good

Contrabassoon

windshieldbug wrote:Contrabassoon

Ditto. More desirable than one of your poll choices, string bass, because there is more of a sense that you are actually "creating" the sound with a wind instrument, as opposed to a more "passive" activity required to make sounds on a plucked string instrument.

Yes, Paul, I have seen "Orchestra Rehearsal" and I agree with your notion that the instrument "picks you." I much prefer the supportive, yet discretely powerful role that bass instruments play, and I do not crave the spotlight as violinists or trumpeters might.

I have given this some thought before.

horn, cello, contrabassoon, bass clarinet, kazoo.....in that order

You left out viola--lots of playing time, but not the egomaniacal adrenalin trip that violin is. Violists, by and large, are very amiable and happy folks.

IMOHO, bassoonists can be every bit as nutty as oboists. I fully expect that they have closets full of pancakes and discuss Nietzsche with cockroaches...

Contrabass ophicleide

String bass, it is my secondary instrument and I have played it in chamber orchestras, orchestras, folk groups and other types of groups (many of the jobs, especially chamber orchestras, were paid).

I like the statement about the instrument picks you. I believe that certain personality types do well on some instruments and not on others (I do not know what being picked by the tuba and the string bass says about me).
I think that more people would keep playing music as adults if they were matched with the instrument.

Mark

String bass, it is my secondary instrument and I have played it in chamber orchestras, orchestras, folk groups and other types of groups (many of the jobs, especially chamber orchestras, were paid).

I like the statement about the instrument picks you. I believe that certain personality types do well on some instruments and not on others (I do not know what being picked by the tuba and the string bass says about me).
I think that more people would keep playing music as adults if they were matched with the instrument.

Mark

Most happy with tuba but if it will help out, I will have a go with almost any instrument or vocal line and given enough rehearsal time probably won't make a botch of it.
I tried my hand at being dancing trumpet boy in a disco band and had a William Morris agent tell me to stand still and blow the #@* horn.

Cards. Probably cards.

maybe a trombone, afterward.

Union Stagehand.

Matt Good wrote:Triangle.

-Matt Good

I can see that

As a conductor I'll say this: The money is good, but the loss of the comraderie in the back row is a tough trade-off.

Chuck"who is embarking on a very busy season of brass band concerts and more Messiah than I care to talk about and kinda longs for the day where I showed up with a tuba, did the gig, left and didn't have to do the requisite schmoozing with little old ladies while tending to last minute details"Jackson

Chuck,
C'mon, you know that you really enjoy schmoozing with little old ladies ;^) Folks, I'm here to tell you that Chuck and I had some great times together in a tuba section, unlike anything that conductors experience.

As for my choices, string bass will be my instrument of choice this next week, playing in a chamber orchestra, then the next week will be tuba for classical and dixieland gigs.

I really enjoy my bass trombone, too, but due to local job circumstances it hasn't seen the light of day for a while. For a couple of years I played a bit of horn, but I don't think I'd ever really want to choose it as my main instrument. I have a teenage daughter that is doing quite well on horn, so I'll just keep it tuned up for her and encourage her instead.

She is a twin, and her twin sister plays trombone. The wise band director just nailed their personality tendencies when he made the recommendations for these instruments. I wonder what that says about my third daughter, the blonde drama queen who plays tenor sax?! By the way, this daughter informed me of what she wanted to play, not waiting for a recommendation from the teacher, so she truly did choose her instrument.

Oh,
Please God, NOOOOOOOOOO! What did I ever do to deserve that?!

I'd say Bass Trombone. It's always been my second-favorite instrument, plus it'd only mean shifting over 1 seat. In general though, if I had to NOT play tuba, it'd be another instrument that there's only ONE of.