Alex Yates

I take no offense Robert. In my opinion there have been quite a few orchestras whose trumpet sections are changing with great frequency and not because folks are progressing to better jobs. There is also a lot of musical chairs going around and frankly, good players of mature age are tired of showing up for auditions when there is so much more uncertainty in the process than there used to be. It just seems as though there is more of this happening now than in the past. This is just my perception.

wiseone2

In 1965, the year I got the gig with the Baltimore Symphony, there were very distinct levels of orchestras. Lower level orchestras did exist. Baltimore's season was about 32-36 weeks long. Orchestras like Atlanta, St.Louis, San Francisco, Dallas were all sort of bunched together on that second rung. Then, one by one, orchestras got better contracts and the levels of performance went up. The Chicago Symphony was not the number one American orchestra. The east coast orchestras were the pace setters.
Bud's job was not all that coveted. Boston, New York and Philadelphia were THE orchestras to be in. They made more money, had longer seasons and had a better circuit of tours than the CSO.

The younger players were in the orchestras of the second tier, not the big ones.The smaller cities orchestras were like farm teams for the big guys.
That was then, today's orchestras are better paid and younger and sound better than ever before.
Wilmer

__________________
Be sure Brain is engaged before putting Mouthpiece in gear.
S.Suark 1951

Jhorn229h

Some of you are missing the point. Morris is being sarcastic.

If an orchestra job is your goal, don't get discouraged just because you don't have a major Orchestra Job by the time you're 21. Guys like Martin and Muckey are VERY, VERY rare. Although he is 30 now, I believe Martin was 22 when he won 4th/associate in Philly.

Tom Smith didn't win 4th/utility in the Philharmonic until he was like 40....

J

Jhorn229h

One things for sure, "if you don't show up you can't win."

J

uatrmpt

Thanks for the insight!

__________________
--Matt--

Alex Yates

Yes indeed, you're right J.....and don't worry....I'll keep showing up until I win.

MrClean

Many of you missed the point entirely, some did not. This was definitely a "tongue-in-cheek" article, basically reassuring us old folks (and a lot of the youngsters who have not yet scored big) that we are still relevant and vital, as long as we keep our eyes on what should be the real target - musical excellence. I can see the twinkle in Craig's eyes and the smile on his face as he wrote this - this was all done in a gentle nature, and it was actually a fun way to congratulate these guys on the wonderful things they have accomplished at such a tender age. Picture a big Golden Retriever puppy sitting at a computer, and you will get a good idea of his disposition. Craig doesn't waste a lot of time wringing his hands and worrying about what other people are doing, thinking or saying. He is not worried about their success, and neither should anyone else.

The "subtle" slap regarding Craig's history with the CSO was totally uncalled for and crass.

This is old news, and believe me when I tell you he has moved on. I don't think he is bitter about it, and regards the experience very positively in the whole scheme of things. Regardless of the outcome of that experience, he has grown tremendously as a player and a person. I have read his posts on his website with amazement at the level of maturity and thoughtfulness they exhibit. He is a class act.

Alex Yates

I did understand Craig's sarcasm, but also felt there were a few jagged pills to swallow in truths between the lines. Afterall, sarcasm is often used to make a serious point as easily as an amusing one. I actually thought he was making several points all at once. It is funny how one's state of mind can manipulate how words are digested and in what tone. When I read it now, after everyone's comments, I understand it in a different light than I did upon first reading. Here's to enlightenment.

bulldog

slightly off topic comment here...lets not forget what i think of as the most important link that chris martin and matt muckey have in common: charlie and barbara..

another thing we should all remember here is that while muckey was busy winning associate, jim ross was right there with him winning 2nd, and jim is not exactly a babe in the woods.

robertwhite

The obsession with youth in the music world cuts both ways. While we can all relate to the days in conservatory or music school when all anyone talked about was how young so-and-so was when they won this job, etc., there is also a tendency for the audition-circuit-set (you know who you are! ) to obsess as well (though usually negatively).

For me, a 33-year old with a regional orchestra gig, Craig's article is reassuring, above all. I have ambitions, and some close calls, but I was lucky to determine some time ago that even if I never got a gig, I'd still be happy because a gig wasn't going to define my life for me.

Even now, I am reminded daily that even though I love what I do, I don't always love my job! There's uncertainty, tension, frustration, committees, and sometimes beautiful music to play.