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Friday, March 27, 2009

Performance Tip #3

Your stand partner doesn’t have the music.

9 comments:

Bisceglia Family said...

Hmmmm...when I played with CCC's String Orchestra, mine always did. :O

~Kathrina, the Fourth Rose

Anonymous said...

None of my stand partners EVER have their music! Which means there are always consequenses, like sectional for instance...Their gonners!
~Elsie

David said...

@Kathrina, I'll bet, dollars to doughnuts (whatever that means), that you were both young and younger than your stand partner. Am I correct?

@Elsie, thanks for your comments on the other posts, I'll get to them shortly, in the mean time, you're spot on about stand partners. Of course, we might concede that this is an inside/outside distinction. I say outside players get the originals, inside players get the copies. But you both should have them with you during rehearsals. Think about it: accidents don't happen because you remembered something.

I played a musical recently were I had to share the book with my sub. It was really nerve wracking to get in the car and not have the music. At that point, you just pray that the music was left with the right person and that the right person will remember to bring it.

Maren said...

Hey man, I don't know which stand partner you're talking about, but I am almost certain I saved you multiple times. ;)

Anonymous said...

David,
The one thing that annoys me is like I said, they never bring their music, but what I had forgotten to say is that they do bring the day of the concert and they always insist on us using their music!...Which they don't always get away with! The problem with that is they haven't written anything important in their music! =P

And the thing about leaving and not taking any music, I know that horrible feeling, once I accidently left my music at my Violin teachers house, who's also my orchestra conductor, anyway, it was four days before our orchestras seat placement, I nearly died when I had found out I didn't have my music! And yes we were able to get the music back the day before which IS still very nerve wracking!!
~Elsie

Bisceglia Family said...

David - you're right, depending on what you call young (this was last year). It was a community college orchestra (or actually I think they called it their String Ensemble) and my stand partner was going there part time or something. She was maybe four years my elder. I remember the violin teacher at the college mistaked me for way older that I was!

As a note, I always brought my music; I wasn't about to just trust that she had hers - however she always did. Maybe it was because she had a violin lesson after rehearsal and routinely had her music for that, which she kept with her other music or something. Maybe she had a good memory. I can only guess.

On the other hand, I didn't actually play there for very long at all, so I may not have a sound/accurate sampling. :) At any rate, your tip is great to keep in mind!

~Fourth Rose

Bisceglia Family said...

Oh yes, I was going to add that I started part way through the term (good for my sight-reading skills, you know) and they were still getting me (updated) music copies and so it was easiest to use my partner's music.

~You Know Who

David said...

I feel sorry for librarians. No body notices them until they need something or something's messed up. Definitely an example of an unsung hero (not, as I heard it once, "un-hung zeros"...oops). So let me take this opportunity to thank all you orchestra librarians out there. You folks are awesome.

@Maren: Yeah, you're right. Allow me to publicly proclaim Maren's superiority as a stand partner. Witty, prepared, and, when you bring candy, she usually doesn't eat it (although she does have this type-a thing about rogue bow hair).

@Elsie: I've been blessed to have relatively intelligent stand partners. Most of the time, you have to establish who's in charge of what at the first rehearsal. But bring extras in case they don't follow through.

Last-minute music can be a pain, but, ahem, I've had the blessed misfortune of experiencing that a lot. "Sure, I can play tomorrow's concert. Is there a rehearsal tonight? No? A dress rehearsal tomorrow? didn't think so. Sound check? Bummer. Well, okay, I'll see you tomorrow at seven 'o clock."

@Kathreena: I wasn't making a dig at your age, I was actually thinking that if someone felt significantly older than you, they would probably also feel responsible for the music (I was considered an "underage" musician as well so I know what that dynamic is all about). Why were they giving you new music? By the way, you must be a violinists. If a violists of your age was getting updated music, they probably wouldn't even notice.

Bisceglia Family said...

I see what you meant; I've experienced that kind of thing before from both sides, older and younger.

One of the pieces was originally in the key of E, but just after I stepped in they changed it to D, and gave me that music. No one liked the sound of D and the poor violists had notes impossible to play in their parts, and so the conductor switched back to E, which everyone already had except myself. By the time I obtained a new copy I didn't have all that long to rehearse and no one seemed to be able to tell me which part I was to play when second violin split. I chose one and what do you know but when the violin teacher got it straightened out she had me play the opposite of what I'd practiced. Thankfully, the piece wasn't difficult and I didn't have any problems besides deciphering which set of bowings to follow out of three written over each other. For as disorganized as it sounds, it wasn't that bad in reality and everyone was very kind and I enjoyed the experience.

Well, whether you wanted it or not, you got the full story. :) I suppose that's just a sign of my being the detailed violinist I am. :)

~Kathrina, the Fourth Rose