Emon Hassan for The New York Times

The New York Times had an interesting report on the life of a pit orchestra musician yesterday. Think about the incredible skill it would take to perform flawlessly, especially thrown into the fire of a major performance, let alone with no rehearsal. Playing with perfection, sightreading, often on multiple instruments, these foot soldiers are the true heros of Broadway.

From the article:
"A regular works eight performances a week, but subs can do more if they're playing in more than one show at a time. Indeed, Mr. Schiller has had 10-performance weeks. Part of what puts him in such demand is that he's proficient on saxophone, flute, clarinet and a raft of other instruments. This flexibility, known as doubling, opens him to a wider range of work -- not to mention extra pay.

Unfortunately, there's a major downside to the sub lifestyle: There's no guarantee of when you'll play next. Mr. Schiller averages two or three jobs a week, but there are weeks when he gets none. That's why he and Ms. Klein would love to receive regular chairs."

Read Article: Broadway's Musical Chairs

Posted by Ted at July 26, 2014 1:02 PM