Yesterday I had one of those rehearsals that makes you want to quit amateur music ensembles entirely.
Granted, I was the crankiest girl alive and through my own faffing getting out the door I didn't leave myself enough time to get coffee. And it was pissing down in sideways rain. So clearly I was feeling really patient with the world.
But we're playing this Haydn quartet in full string orchestra, and it feels like we have to discuss the same bloody things every week. I'm not kidding, we have discussed that the cellos are a) too loud, b) too heavy and c) too clunky every week for about a month and a half. I'm playing so quietly and lightly I can't even hear myself, but I can hear two desks behind me are sawing their instruments in half. IT DRIVES ME MAD.
I love that orchestra for its inclusive nature, and how friendly everyone is and all that – but sometimes everyone is a little too nice. Or maybe I'm too cranky. I don't know. I ended up just going home at tea break so I didn't say anything horrible to anyone.
Jake
10 November 2008 at 7:35 pm
I sympathise, but *why* do you think these people are so unreceptive? If I were in your orchestra (and played the cello) I'd probably be one of them. That's because rubbish players like me don't have time for subtleties like dynamics and articulation: it's all we can do to play something approximating to the right notes in something like the right order. Amateur orchestras and ensembles seem to have this urge to tackle material which is beyond the technical capabilities of many of those participating. Yes, I do know that this particular orchestra has easier parts for less advanced players, but in my experience *everyone* tends to be playing material that's too hard.
Erin
10 November 2008 at 8:21 pm
Hi Jake
I don't think it's that my fellow colleagues don't have time for articulations and dynamics, because we do manage it by the end of rehearsal… if we never managed it I wouldn't care as much, but we do. But spend hours going back over things because no one ever writes stuff down. It drives me insane.
Sometimes the conductor, who is learning to lead ensembles as we are learning to play in them, doesn't explain things in a way that works for the players. Clearly it's not making connections for our section enough that it sticks… so we do it over again every time.
I agree, sometimes over-ambitious music makes the whole thing feel impossible… and that's not fun.
It's frustrating to always play parts that you feel are beyond you, totally, I'm doing that right now with the Mozart I'm playing in another orchestra and it's giving me sweats just thinking about performing it. In this case, though, I've chosen to do it because I'm a nutcase and because I want a challenge, so I'm not complaining about that one.
And I think I was just in a terrible mood the other morning and that is probably the main explanation!
Jen
11 November 2008 at 8:40 am
I agree that it's frustrating when this happens – once in a while is fine (everyone has an off day) but when it's been discussed so many times and keeps happening…even after the conductor has had a tantrum (!) The worst part is when those being criticised nod sagely and look meaningfully at all the others in the section/ensemble, completely missing the point that THEY are the players in question!
Maybe the problem is the material being too difficult, but I think perhaps it's that people approach it differently. In a professional ensemble everyone is there to do a particular job (and anyone can be replaced at any point), whereas people join amateur groups for many reasons. Some, for instance, take their instrument very seriously and are very commited. Others, though maybe equally commited, are there to enjoy themselves and not perhaps so worried about the details.
But it's a problem when these groups are on opposite sides of the fence too often. If groups never tackle challenging material, how can they improve? On the other hand, tackling material that is too difficult or doing so too often alienates those who either don't want/are unable to commit the time to practice and rehearsal or who find it too challenging (even if only in their own mind). But I think it would be far from true to say that those finding the material challenging are necessarily the ones failing to respond to the conductor. In my experience those people who are feeling a bit uncomfortable are the ones making the most effort to do what's asked of them, and actually concentrating on what's going on during rehearsal.
I'm no example as I've quit a few ensembles for this very reason. Finding the right mix of approach and intention is hard, even in a big group. A good conductor can help, particularly in explaining clearly what it is they want (after all, everyone hears things differently). But also everyone in the group has to pull their weight in terms of remembering what's been discussed in rehearsal before. One difficulty is that often no-one wants to pipe up in rehearsal and say they haven't heard/understood/been paying attention.