How hard is it to prevail as a symphonic violinist? What kind of competition does one face and what are the odds of success? What does the job market look like? According to The International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians (ICSOM), 52 orchestras currently pay a living wage. In the 2003-2004 Season, Minimum Salary […]
Orchestral Repertoire for Training Ensembles
WinterSelecting repertoire for student orchestras is subjective and controversial. Some conductors prefer to program a wide range of music, including numerous contemporary pieces, concertos, and music by composers on the fringe of the mainstream. I disagree with this approach. Music students must become grounded in fundamental principles and techniques of orchestra playing—a lengthy and challenging process. […]
So You Want to be a Musician Part 1: Professional Values
WinterThere are gaps in the way many young musicians are educated today. On the one hand the cultivation of deeper issues of musicianship are often neglected. Instrumental teachers mostly fail to stress the need for students to base an interpretation of the music they work on, both intuitively and consciously, on the harmony, rhythm and […]
Intonation for String Players
Fall
Intonation is a vexing problem for string players. In fact it is so much so that often one of the distinctions between the most sought-after string performers and ensembles from their professional colleagues less in demand is the quality and consistency of their intonation. The notion of “in tune” as a goal, however laudable, is […]
Elliot Carter’s Harmony Book and the Idea of Order
Fall
When I began to deal with the Piano Concerto and the Concerto for Orchestra, I kept finding that I was writing the same chord plans over and over again in order to find the relationship between them. And so I decided to write out something that was more or less permanent and organized so I […]