The Community Orchestra Doldrums

[chronolith]

I think most organizations simply reflect their members desire for self congratulation and telling their friends that they play in an orchestra.

Sadly this may one of the truest things I have read here, at least in terms of our string players. Like many community ensembles I am fairly sure that the recruiters will prioritize filling the ranks over passing the audition material. I am pretty sure that if I walked in next week with a viola that appeared to be in working order, they would still allow me to sit down and play it. Not gonna happen, but...

The winds and brass are something else. I will draw a line under sloan's grading system. In our case there is very much a B- average across the winds and brass. I dare say that with a couple of strategic assassinations , we could push that over the B+ line. Strangely there seems to be a correlation between lack of skill and rank in this group. In one case, one person who's tuning slide I would like to personally pull out about 35 cents (I leave my iPhone up in tuner mode on my stand) is our personnel manager, a member of the board, and has been in the group for years. I believe his wife runs the ticket counter for our events as well.

I am a geek by day, so I offered to rebuild the orchestra website. That seems to have helped increase the number of auditions we are bringing in and also upped the image of the group a bit. Right or wrong I know I am guilty of taking a group more seriously (without having heard them play) when they have a professional presentation on the internet. First impressions and all that...

I considered rejoining my wind ensemble last year (quite a good one actually), but there were too many scheduling conflicts to allow it. Maybe it is time to look at that again.

[dentaltuba]

I just play for the joy and relaxation.I started playing again after a 40 yr hiatus. I play in a small comm. college orchestra and just feel grateful to be on the back row again. In rural areas you are lucky to play @ all.I too get disheartened @ the B.S. that takes away from practice time but I guess that just comes from being older.We realize time is precious! My time playing makes one feel young and brings back memories.Again i am just happy to be playing so I can tolerate alot! I just feel sorry for our director @ the disrespect he tolerates.I do enjoy the dialogue on this website.

[Michael Bush]

One of the bands I'm in has a pretty good work ethic and still has a lot of pleasure in what we do. A lot of that comes from the director. We're on our second director, and he is if anything even more focused than the founder. That comes across to the band. We have a lot of patience with the real variations in skill level (above a certain minimum). There is a clear expectation that everyone needs to recognize that need for patience, and at the same time that everyone is working to improve their own playing so the band gets better.

Managing an ensemble's culture this way is tricky business. It all starts with the tone the director and board set, I think.

[bort]

I've often heard tennis and golf players say that it's just not that fun to play against people at a lower level. Better than not playing at all, but not what it could be. I think that same sort of thinking applies to community music groups. Better than nothing, but could always be better. After all, we all know what it's supposed to sound like!

Persistence and a desire to improve is VERY important though. So-so groups need good players. If all the good players bail out, the group suffers and never improves. Other good players are repelled and wouldn't consider joining. And again, a little discipline goes a long way -- a strong director who is NOT there to make friends is healthy for the group.

[Wyvern]

It is demoralising to play in an ensemble where you do not feel you fit and are unhappy with the actions of others. My experience is when you feel like that, move on.

Maybe I am just lucky living on this overcrowded island that there are numerous bands and orchestras within reach for me. I have played in 8 different orchestras this year and although their standards vary (from reasonable to near professional), in all cases everyone has appeared to do their best, although I have been in brass bands in the past where the problems described by OP have been apparent.

Maybe if you speak with someone responsible in the orchestra (the chairman for example) something can go out, or be said about unsatisfactory behaviour. Otherwise, your only options are to try and ignore, or leave.

[Dylan King]

I find that it is a great privilege to play in a large group, especially with the challenge of my career and my faith as a Sabbath observing Christian.

Frankly, I miss playing very much, and have searched through the Charlotte area for groups to join. Unfortunately for me, pretty much all of them play weekend concerts that conflict with the weekly Sabbath, and I will not perform at that time with any group, unless it is praising God during services.

A very fine gentleman here in Charlotte who leads one of the community bands (after hearing my audition) actually said that we could work around the Sabbath and Holy Day schedule in order to fit me into some concerts, and even suggested that I solo with the group. That was very exciting, but the first concert they were playing had Christmas music, which I also will not play.

When I told him that, he said that the group could work around that as well, basically telling me that I could play with the group anytime it was possible, even with very few rehearsals on my part. Wow, how accommodating. But I'm still not playing with the group. Why?

Because my wife attends class that day and I have to babysit the new addition to the family.

I guess for now I'll have to stick to uploading you-tube videos occasionally as my tuba performance outlet.

I'd say that anyone who gets to play in a group they enjoy is blessed, and should keep doing it. If it's boring, hurts your ears, has poor behavior among its members, etc, and that drives you nuts, move on.

Maybe someday soon there will be a way to play together online, live, without ever leaving our homes. Of course, if that happened, the trumpet players still wouldn't shut-up!

[Rev Rob]

I am blessed to be part of an excellent community band out of Red Lodge, Montana. This past year we have played a number of venues, notably the National Folk Music Festival in Butte, Montana. The band is made up of a lot of local and retired band instructors, as well as a lot of former high school and college musicians. The members of the band are a great bunch of folks to work with. I am always learning something new.

We play a lot of Buffalo Bill wild west music and turn of the century band music, German and Finnish marches, and any other music we can find. The tuba parts are challenging. We play music fast and I have never counted out more than 16 measures of cut time before I have had to play. For me the music is challenging. It is a great band to be a part of, and I enjoy playing in it very much.

[Rick Denney]

Most amateur orchestras exist because of string players. They formed it, and they run it. The local orchestra in my county has amateur strings and mostly hired-in winds, brass, and percussion. Thus, even though I'm as good or better than most of their string players, I will never be allowed to perform with that group. They'll hire a pro instead.

I love the music but I don't need that.

I was talking to a recently retired premiere military tuba player a while back. He had not played for a year or so after retirement, but then started playing with his local community band. It took him a little while to learn to tolerate their limitations as performers, but when he did, he started having fun. I thus believe that enjoying it is a decision we make, along with the willingness to take the bad with the good. No amateur group will go farther than the members of it wish to go. But that group will be better for his presence, and he will likely infect the members with a desire to become better, just as I am so affected when someone really good sits next to me.

On the other hand, nobody is more defeating to sit next to than a good musician who holds all that surrounds him in disdain. So, if you're in a group that's not as good as you are, either be in the group or leave. No group needs heroes--that's not what ensemble music is about.

Rick "who has heard plenty of groups where the one good player in each section tried to drown out all the rest, undermining any contribution they might have made" Denney