The First Rehearsal

The first rehearsal is exciting, this one even more so because the orchestra welcomed their new conductor, Andrew Altenbach, to the podium.

What is a rehearsal like? It really depends on the conductor. Andrew is very animated. He encourages, suggests, cajoles and corrects while at the same time he is conducting the orchestra. He moves around on the podium, he is on his toes and waves his arms and talking the whole time. And sometimes, when the music calls for it, he makes very small movements and stands perfectly still. There is lots of stopping and starting in rehearsal. Sometimes the same measures get played a few times to be sure the musicians understand what the conductor wants. The musicians ask questions, make notes to themselves on their music and check in with each other from time to time. Hillary Vermillion is there taking attendance and making sure everyone has music. Tyler Hogan, stage manager, is the first one in and the last one out. He sets the stage and makes sure everyone has a chair and a stand. I try really hard to pay attention to all that is going on so I can learn about the music as well. It helps when people ask me about concert programs. But my job at rehearsal is really easy compared to everyone else.

How do the musicians respond to the conductor? Andrew has a great blend of humor and seriousness that keeps the orchestra on their toes. There is very little talking in rehearsal. It is three very intense hours of work. It is interesting to watch the dynamic between the musicians and the conductor. There are equal amounts of respect of both sides of the podium. Andrew is very respectful of the musicians and the work they are doing. The musicians are respectful of Andrew and his leadership.

What does the music sound like on the first night? It has been a long time since the orchestra has played together, yes, parts were rough. Other parts were really, truly beautiful. I did get goose bumps during the 4th Movement of the New World Symphony. Goose bumps usually don’t appear on me until the fourth or fifth rehearsal, so this is really good news! But overall, I had the sense that the orchestra was just really happy to be playing great music together again.

What am I doing this time of year? This is a very busy time for me. I am working to gather all the information for the season program book. I need to get biographies of performers, programs, program notes from Charles Echols, and pictures. I also need to get background materials on all the educational programs, acknowledge the patrons and the grant-makers and sell the ads to pay for it! Then I work with Kristin Rothstein, Continental Printing, and her wonderful staff to put all the pieces together to make a program that serves the audience and promotes the orchestra for an entire season.

What is next? Next week the orchestra will have sectional rehearsals. The strings in one room, the woodwinds in one room, the brass in one room and the percussion will rehearsal pretty much wherever they want to rehearse. When you break the parts down it is easier to hear the small details of the music that need to be worked. And it teaches the musicians to listen to each other. Listening is just as important as playing. Small group work has always been a great way to learn to listen. When the parts have been worked, they will be put back together again for a full sound.

I hope you will join us this season! I would love to see you in the audience.

Sandy

You PAY Musicians?

Many people greet me with this statement: You mean you PAY musicians? I have to be honest, I am amazed at their amazement!

Yes, we do pay our musicians. I strongly advocate for musicians to be paid. I have negotiated many gigs for musicians. Sometimes my request for a payment are met with gasps. And that is the end of the negotiation. That is fine.

Having said that, the SCSO cannot pay musicians what they truly deserve, but our small stipend does cover some costs, ok, maybe only pizza and some gas but it is something! I would love a donor to give me $100,000 and say, 'Spend this on the musicians.'

I feel strongly about this issue because so many people expect me to book musicians for them for free or for a pittance. Onetime someone wanted the whole orchestra to perform at an event, 'They will play for free because they just love to play, right?' My question back was, 'will your computer person fix your computer for free?' Needless to say, that did not work out.

It takes a long time to master an instrument. Trust me, I have tried. It takes hours of practice, no matter how long you have played. Many of our principal musicians still take classes and lessons in order to get better. None of that is free. So expecting musicians to play for free or for nearly nothing is, my dear community, just plain rude.

AND I, Sandy Nadeau, have always advocated that students get paid for their skills as well. Why? We want to train them to be professionals, we want them to behave as professionals and they have spent many hours learning to master a skill. Sometimes I have had to debate this issue rather vehemently. Last year the student musicians who performed "Ocean" with the orchestra were paid just as much as everyone else. Why? Because the expectations were the same and what better way to train someone than to have high expectations. I won that round.

Many time musicians do donate their time and skill to events for the orchestra. Recently, several musicians donated time at the St. Cloud Public Library to introduce the instruments of the orchestra to very young children. For this, I am so grateful. The musicians of the SCSO understand the big picture. They know that getting kids to classical music early is essential and sometimes we just don't have the budget to pay them for this. (Did I tell you they are the best musicians on earth!--In my humble opinion.)

I hope they also know that I am angry when people undercut them and try not to pay at all. I would challenge those who do, to take a personal inventory and ask themselves, 'do I share my skills, my time, my talents for free?'