Uncle Rico

Some of the younger players have had some things going for them from an early age also. Chris Martin, is his interview with DCI, mentioned that he was fortunate to have parents who helped make sure he had some of the best teachers available, etc. That's not to diminish his diligence toward success, or claim he had an unfair advantage: plenty of people study with the best teachers but never turn the corner into a pro symphony job, while some never had lessons until college and end up in a great orchestra. But Chris certainly gives his parents due credit for making sure he had the best available learning opportunities from their environment early on. I respect him for speaking words to that effect, and his parents for being great.

Edit: In regard to Mr. Morris' "writing on the wall" comment, in hindsight, concerning Martin's career path to the CSO...I would say that if it were Chris' parents who helped supply a few pens early on, it is Chris who has done the writing...

Alex Yates

I will echo Wilmer and say you are correct in that you don't know. And I will tell you this....I am a friend of Chris Martin (he is not a kid, he is 30) and respect his playing, but Craig Morris WAS/IS capable of playing principal in the CSO and any other orchestra. There is much more to his story than meets the eye. Also, Chris Martin IS exceptional - always has been and probably always will be, but he isn't the only one. Craig's comments were not targeting Chris, but pointing out a trend, IMO.

jcstites

So I am 22, guess that means I have to win a job this year or im screwed! LOL

I liked the way he wrote the atricle. I hadnt been on that site for a few months, thanks for reminding me about it Alex.

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wiseone2

.....And music has always been my motivation. Craig talks of the love of music not the need for employment as the reason for playing the trumpet. Never give up no matter what your age! Remember every old guy started their career as "The Kid." My nickname some time ago was "Junior," now it's "Pops"
Wilmer

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uatrmpt

And, I will echo all of you, and myself, in saying that I don't know (as both of you are quite willing to point out -- perhaps a case of "you can't do it, so you don't deserve to have an opinion?). I am quite aware that Chris Martin isn't a "kid". I was able to hear him play Petrouchka last spring, before he left Atlanta -- some of the most amazing trumpet player I've ever heard. I've also seen the posts that Craig Morris made himself on TH about his tenure process. However, nobody seems to want to answer my question. He had a taste of his dream and it wasn't quite the sweet dessert that everybody thinks it will be. Do you think that Morris' experiences have influenced his writing of the article?

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robertwhite

I think it's pretty clear that Craig's article was tongue-in-cheek; a parody of some of the chit-chat that inevitably occured upon news of Matt Muckey's success in New York. Pretty ballsy, as I'm sure he knew a lot of you would jump all over his case about it. But given his sweet gig at U of Miami, I doubt he's taking the news all that hard.

Alex Yates

First of all Matt, I didn't mean to offend you. Sorry about that. Secondly, yes, I agree with you. Craig's experience surely influenced his writing of the article, just as my experiences influence how I feel about it.

Music has always been my driving force. I couldn't live without it. I bleed little red notes. I could make a LOT more money with my brains and talent in other areas, but money is not what life is about. I MUST make music to feel alive. It has always been that way for me and always will be.

Alex Yates

Yeah, you're probably right about that.....and yes, it was pretty ballsy to say the least.

robertwhite

Alex, I mean no disrespect, but I think that the opposite is true. I've been racking my brain to think of any recent situation where a young trumpet player did not get tenure, and there's only a couple that come to mind. In both of those cases, also, it seems that "lack of experience" was not, in fact, the mitigating factor.

I think, by and large, that if a players' experience is questionable, then an orchestra is more likely to utilize a trial period, or just not pick anyone. There was no way someone could have won NYP without "covering all bases".

uatrmpt

I think that your post brings up an interesting historical point. Did Bud at the beginning of his career play like Bud at the height -- or even at the end? Have our expectations elevated to the point -- via recent performances by the masters or edited recordings -- that we expect [near?] perfection? Is it no longer possible to enjoy a less than perfect performance? This leads me to my next point: if the lower level orchestras are filled with older musicians who fit that role well but cannnot, for whatever reason, break into the top tier, where do the younger performers get experience to be successful in the top tier?

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