- - Please visit: Legacy Horn Experience - -
Don’t fight the group karma: the job demands alertness, flexibility and a little bit of political savvy.
On the job, the main responsibilities of the musician are to follow the leader, to blend into the ensemble and to “go with the flow.”
In a music ensemble, the “flow” is a musical force like a large body of water. It can move in unison or in many directions: with a regular or irregular rhythm; changing day-to-day; or even changing in an instant.
This metaphor holds true with just about any group engaged in a time-sensitive, single-minded task. Whether it is a concert or a business deal, group interaction and cooperation is dynamic. It moves in tides and waves; negatives and positives.
Like the little animated surfer dude above, responsive players keep in sync with tidal changes – if all else, to avoid a wipeout of any kind. I have certainly been in “orchestral wipeouts” and it isn’t fun or pleasant.
9 times out of 10, “wipeouts” occur due to an individual or entire section not paying attention. Musicians “tuned in” and sensitized to the ensemble are on high alert and fine-tune themselves constantly. Sometimes this approach compromises my own personal “comfort zones,” but in the end I hold to the belief that my compromises will enhance the music-making as a whole.
Everyone is rewarded with a better group experience when everyone is alert and flexible to change.
“Flow” is a “continual change of place among the constituent particles” (Mirriam-Webster). In music, this may include sudden changes in dynamics, intonation, tone quality, articulation, tempo, phrasing – in any combination.
The current American zeitgeist celebrates being cool, being sexy, being “#1, ” and being “in your face.” The popular media repeatedly re-invents and re-emphasizes these basic concepts. Compared to this, a softer philosophy based on cooperation may appear as passive, “old school,” foreign or ultimately, unsatisfying.
This is not true. The satisfaction of a group effort done well is indeed equal or superior to personal glory. A shared experience can have great depth and lasting memories; personally I have made many musical friends over many years.
Observing Rules-of-Thumb
For a professional musician, the first boundaries and rules encountered at any gig are written in contracts or spoken and understood in oral agreements. An agreement should be considered as a strict guideline for work behavior. Beyond these basic guidelines, there are other, unwritten “rules of thumb” that might cover other issues unique to a specific group or situation.
In a standard professional symphony orchestra setting for example, any of these scenarios could occur:
- Conductor A prefers shorter articulations and Conductor B prefers longer articulations. You are performing a concert with both conductors. What do you do?
- Oboe A plays a little flat and Flute B plays a little sharp. You have a melodic passage in unison with both of them. What do you do?
- Percussionist A plays slightly ahead of the beat while Tubist B plays a little behind the beat. You have a rhythmic passage in unison with both of them. What do you do?
- Trumpet C is blasting harmony right into the back of your head when you have an important melody. What do you do?
- Bassoon A is complaining to you about your dynamic level while you feel that you are fine. What do you do?
Remain calm.
As illustrated above, interpersonal issues can get behind the music; the socio-political aspects of the workplace get mixed together with the act of playing music. I have several sets of personal guidelines or “rules of thumb” for each work environment that I work at. These scenarios are all plausible, and you may need to develop personal boundaries and guidelines in order to work together harmoniously with your fellow musicians. Musically, I try to remain as flexible as possible.
Here is fictionalized list of solutions for an entirely new scenario:
- Oboe A in Orchestra A doesn’t like to be bothered with rehearsing individual passages, but will give individual tuning pitches whenever anyone asks for one. In concert, Oboe A is very flexible and can adapt to any new situation.
- Clarinet B in Band B is open to rehearsing individual passages during breaks, but only gives tuning pitches at the official rehearsal and concert times. Clarinet B can adapt to tempo and phrasing differences, but cannot play louder or softer.
- Trumpet C in Chamber Group C will individually rehearse any passage any time and will give tuning pitches at anyone’s request. In concert, Trumpet C is not very flexible and but plays exactly as it was in rehearsal.
Recognize the nuances of each scenario and remain flexible – everything can change overnight. Be prepared to adapt your “rules of thumb” accordingly. This my own personal secret to working with others while still having room to be creative. Know the boundaries first; explore when appropriate. In large orchestras, unless you are a principal, you have fewer choices. In chamber and solo music, the boundaries are more open – by the nature of the genre and the fewer players involved.
In either case, it may be weeks, years or even decades that you might be playing with these same people. By learning the social trips and tricks of each situation you may save your job, reduce your stress and even save yourself from being angry, upset or “freaked out” by the daily grind. This tenet holds true even in short-term situations like freelance work, or in any kind of “training” situation like: the university orchestra; local community orchestras; or subbing with the local symphony.
Remain calm. Be flexible.
Conflict – Don’t Be a Grouch
At times this may be a difficult or even an impossible standard to maintain. You may fall out-of-line with the group for a variety of reasons: illness, stress or conflict, for example. You may be physically ill, or in discomfort or pain. You might be experiencing a meltdown of confidence and are “freaking out.” (I worry about my chops sometimes.)
Sometimes the problem can be a personal conflict with a colleague. [Farkas uses the delightful word “peccadillos.”]
Here is a common scenario where I see musicians meltdown: a player is distracted by a musical rendition so different from their own that it is upsetting, even to the point of frustration and anger.
An inner voice starts talking along these lines:
“That second flute player isn’t playing that phrase with me very well.”
“I have studied this music and I feel that it should go this way.”
“I think I am better than that flutist.”
“I will do it this way instead and maybe I will even add a little extra to make my point clear to everyone.”
“I hate flute players.”
“That guy sucks.”
When I was a child, we had a saying, “don’t spit into the wind.” Obsessing on a random incident will only hurt morale and undermine music-making. Intentionally performing in a different style (different articulation, dynamic, phrasing, or anything in a “moc
king” vein), might amuse and cuckold some veteran players, but other musicians might interpret this behavior as insensitive, defiant, or antagonistic. A boss that catches wind of this may stop the entire operation to correct the problem and even take disciplinary action.
Getting singled-out by the boss for insubordination is not a good thing. While there is nothing wrong with having a strong opinion or preference on how to play music, it must be realized in context, and with respect towards the group and its current socio-musical parameters.
However, if a fight is absolutely necessary pick and choose your battles very carefully; hostility and music-making can make very strange bedfellows. The final result may not be good. For example, in a no-win situation where your reputation is tarnished, your enjoyment of making great music may also be impaired or damaged.
Remain calm. Be flexible. Don’t worry, be happy.
Conclusion
The great teacher and performer Philip Farkas encapsulated these ideas in The Art of Musicianship. The primary duty of a musician, he writes, is to cooperate.
Believing in Farkas’ simple mantra – to cooperate – may even save you one day. Remember the saying “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure?”
In a scenario where your employment is in danger, past “ounces” of kindness and cooperation will be worth more than “pounds and pounds” of apologies and promises.
To my ears, music sounds better and is more enjoyable when it is performed by alert and talented musicians who are adept and flexible to change. Yes… cooperation like this may occasionally involve some compromise, but it is an investment well worth the long-term musical and short-term political gains and rewards.
