PLAYING IN AN ORCHESTRA
The project of playing in an orchestra is one of satisfying megatasking—multitasking divides your attention whereas megatasking integrates many inputs into one coherent whole. The experience of being a new orchestra player (possibly as early as elementary school) is to experience it as multi-tasking, but the experience in professional orchestral playing should be one of integration: listening, performing beautifully, constantly re-balancing your pulse and volume and phraseology to support the leading line, etc. You should be fully immersed in the experience when you are playing in an orchestra, and experiencing the joys and frustrations of playing with other musicians! You should understand the web of music you are helping create: the linear vitality of your own part, fitting into the vertical harmonic score of a larger ensemble.
In any orchestra:
You must play with the orchestra. Your pulse should be determined externally (by the conductor, the bass section, the timpani, or by the solo line you are accompanying, for example) but your rhythm must be meticulous within that pulse. Practice being a great orchestral colleague and section player by practicing grooving with your metronome. The difference between struggling to be with your metronome and being with your metronome is the difference between thinking about being flexible and available to support your colleagues and supporting your colleagues, being flexible for the conductor. Your colleagues will thank you and your conductor will give you tenure if you are available to offer great musicianship within someone else’s musical concept. Hopefully, you will also find it very satisfying.
RULES FOR BEING A GOOD COLLEAGUE:
General Rules:
Always be on time. In music: early is on time, on time is late, and late is unacceptable.
Be prepared. Know your part and how it fits into the score.
Do not talk during rehearsal.
Bring a pencil every time you go on stage.
Use earplugs appropriately (avoid inserting or removing while the section is playing).
Use alert posture (this will also help with injury-avoidance) so your colleagues infer that you have respect for the mutual project of rehearsing and performing together.
Have your instrument ready throughout rehearsal when it’s time to play. If you get lost counting rests, have your instrument ready.
Do not turn around to look at people behind you unless you are passing back a message.
Pass back messages clearly and politely.
Take the space you need to perform at the highest level while allowing your colleagues the space they need to perform at their highest level (this sometimes involves gracious compromise).
Warm up at a reasonable volume (usually this means not too loudly) and if you have a colleague who warms up too loudly, consider wearing earplugs instead of asking them to change.
In the viola section:
Blend with your section in volume, stroke length, bow location, and timing. Do not play with the concertmaster unless you are the principal, except for pizzicatti, when it is very common to play with the concertmaster because of sightlines.
Do not lead from the front, middle or back, or as an extra player. Only the principal leads. (If you think there is a dearth of leadership you must surrender to your role as not-the-Principal!)
Pay attention! Do not rely on your stand partner to listen, write, or play.
Turn pages appropriately no matter who you are sitting with, and allow for a small amount of flexibility (and memorization) for a page-turning stand partner who has to make a choice about when exactly to turn the page.
Be polite when you ask your stand partner to turn the page a little differently.
Never ask your stand partner to play differently (even if it can be frustrating, surprising, or even chronically enraging).
As the principal, or in other leadership positions:
The principal viola leads the section by connecting with the concertmaster and the conductor, fitting into the bass section, too. Every principal should obviously sound terrific. They should offer guidance when the section needs pointers. The principal’s physical gestures should embody the music clearly and naturally so they are easy to follow without disrupting the music. The principal should not lead easy things with big gestures. If sitting principal is not your usual job, be sure to lead well when you are in the first chair, but do not lead when you move back from that seat. Bowings should be prepared ahead of time, match other sections with similar material, and changed sparingly.
How to be a substitute violist:
Blend, blend, blend: never play louder than the section, always prioritize pulse and gesture over getting every note in, and always follow the principal. This gives the “section” quality that makes it quick for the conductor to fix any problems that arise, and a cohesive group when they ask for qualitative changes. Never follow the conductor at the expense of following your principal.
Take the music home.
Get on stage early.
Behave more politely than tenured members.
Dress professionally for both rehearsals and concerts—people are very visual and it can be helpful to people’s sense of you as a player if you look like you blend. (People are weird, I know!)
It is wise to avoid irritating people socially when you work at their pleasure. It is in your best interest to have people like you and feel that you belong in their workplace. I hope someday this is less important than it seems to be.
Backstage:
Use reasonable grooming: bathe, wear deodorant, do not wear any perfume, keep your clothes clean, brush your teeth, bring the accoutrements you need not to sneeze or cough on people (and have them ready to use without disrupting the orchestra).
Do not place beverages or beverage containers (even empty) on surfaces that have instruments or cases on them.
Do not spray anything in a room with instruments (i.e. hairspray, which can be applied in the bathroom)