TubeNet

This guy says managers think they are, and he's mad about it: http://www.isomusicians.com/Blog/tabid/ ... cians.aspx

I keep thinking that the reality, at least for the tuba player, is that you have to be a much better musician to get the job, satisfying other professional musicians, than you have to be to do the job, satisfying the audience and board. (I've talked with a professional operatic counter-tenor who says the same is true in his world.) If that's true across the orchestra, it's going to be hard to convince managers and boards that their view of musicians as commodities isn't correct, whether it is or isn't.

It just comes down to having too much supply and too little demand, at least for the moment, does it not?

Yes, if you mean muscial skills. No doubt about it. Musicians are used to thinking of themselves as unique artists, a sentiment not always shared by those in a position to hire them. They want to buy a product, and for a low brass player that often means show up on time, play as required without needing correction or making undue comments. Dress to fit in, be courteous, and return any compliment with heartfelt thanks. If you are not willing to market yourself as a product don't try to make a living in music.

The Detroit Symphony went through this last year. They were locked out (or went on strike, I can't recall) and many important players left including the entire percussion section, concertmaster and others. I don't know if this impacted the overall quality of the orchestra but IMO it lost a lot of prestige. But the truth is there are many great players out there and what was lost is not in the playing ability but likely the ensemble and cohesiveness in the short term.