Julian Morgenstern has been at the heart of the orchestral world since setting up his diary service in 1984, after studying piano and percussion at the GSMD. He gave the benefit of his experience at an ISM seminar The First 10 Years in November 1994, advising them to ‘put yourself in the other person’s shoes’.

The pleasure in making music, and in being creative, will be uppermost in your mind as you embark on an orchestral career. But you also have to be practical and think about how to make your way in the profession. That requires a certain amount of skill and foresight. Of course, we can all quote examples of those lucky musicians whose careers seem to be predestined, and who receive an unsolicited stream of job offers; but they are few and far between. In most cases a musician’s career development needs a helping hand, and the most reliable hand is your own. In making my points, I will be looking at what are possibly extreme cases of self-promotion. I would probably run a mile from the person I describe here - opportunistic, pushy and probably ruthless - but bear with me. I am not presenting you with an opportunist’s charter, but will discuss a range of techniques that you can use to give momentum to your career.

Two ideas keep resurfacing. First, when confronting the question of how to develop work opportunities, always ‘put yourself in the other person’s shoes’. Secondly, as they say in the scouts, ‘be prepared!’, because you never know when your luck will break - be prepared to make the most of all the opportunities that are cast your way, however humble they may at first appear. If you’re offered a last-minute Messiah in ‘the Styx’, accept it. Don’t turn it down because you’ve played the piece too many times - you never know who you are likely to meet on the date!

A simple example of putting yourself in the other person’s shoes might be your choice of a referee when sending out your CV. When Morgenstern’s clients have shown us letters and CVs they have sent to orchestras, we have noticed that they often include references or testimonials from famous musicians they have studied with, on the principle that these are likely to impress. In our experience, when it comes to orchestral work, nothing could be further from the truth. The fixer’s world orbits around the musicians that they work with, so a reference from any member of their orchestra, preferably one of the principals, will have a greater impact than any high-falutin’ testimonial from a famous musician with whom they have no contact.

Ideally, you should select a referee who knows both your playing and your personality. A fixer needs to be certain that you have the experience and ability to produce what is required by their orchestra. Also, the fixer needs to feel confident that your personality will fit in with the section, and this is something that only a musician who plays in their orchestra will know. So you must understand what it is that the other person, whether fixer or fellow musician, is looking for and expects from you.

You might find it anathema to think of your career in terms of running a small business - not the most artistic way to view it! - but in my experience, that is exactly what it is like. Managing your career involves confronting all the issues that any small business has to deal with, from marketing (i.e. understanding who wants to buy your skills, and promoting and selling your skills), to keeping accurate accounts for the tax man.

The ‘product’ you have to sell is the high octane mix of personality and playing skills which gives you your Unique Selling Point, or USP as it is known in advertising jargon; namely, those elements that differentiate you from your colleagues. So when you find yourself despairing and tearing your hair out because, in your opinion, a less respected colleague has been given opportunities you feel you deserve more, remind yourself that skill is not the only factor which orchestras take into account when deciding who to book. Personality, and who you know, can be equally important issues; and not getting your just desserts is unfortunately something that freelance muscians quickly become accustomed to.

Now a second example of putting yourself in the other person’s shoes. We are often asked by clients how they can get into the session world. This demands an understanding of the session fixer’s requirements. They have their reputation on the line at every session they book. Each minute of a session can cost hundreds of pounds, and they need absolute confidence that every musician will deliver the goods - for example, that they will arrive on time and will get on with their colleagues (possibly an obvious point, but one worth stressing , since a section that is happy within itself will sound and work far better than if there is internal strife). The session fixer also needs to be confident that you will be competent to work in whatever circumstances face you: for example, a click track, or difficult music to sight read; or conversely, extraordinarily simple music, which can lead to unacceptable lapses in concentration. Any musician booked by a session fixer must be prepared for the unexpected.

What does this tell you about fixers? Essentially, that they are unlikely to take the risk of booking musicians they do not know. They start in the session business with a list of tried and trusted musicians, and when they expand their fixing list, it is most often done by recommendation from within this repertory company. So sending your CV to session fixers is unlikely to generate work. Success in the session world will depend far more on the reputation you gain in the business and on the contacts you make; or possibly, for those lucky enough, on knowing a colleague who has negotiated a session booking contract.

Returning to the question of the First 2 Years, I see three stages in a career’s development. The first is to build on your strengths and look at the best opening into the profession. The second is to consolidate your position. The third is - all being well - is to derive pleasure from your achievements. Today I will concentrate on stage one; namely, how to get started in the profession.

Your first bookings will usually come as a result of the range of experience you have gained both at school and music college. There are opportunities for specialists in all fields: for early music specialists, for those who gained most pleasure from chamber music, or for those who concentrated almost exclusively on orchestral repertoire. It is a matter of looking at the contacts you have built up during your years of study, and talking to them to find out if they can see avenues for you to develop. Include your teachers, student colleagues, career advisers and any other contacts you make at college. Find out if they can suggest other musicians whom you would ideally like to have known your playing, and see if you can obtain introductions to them! The more people who know your playing, the more likely you are to be successful.

Throughout your career, you will find that time becomes an ever more precious commodity. Try to use it as effectively as possible. I always suggest to young musicians that they go to as many concerts as possible, to gain an idea of the standards they are likely to encounter in the profession. Also, strangely enough, you might find concert-going an enjoyable experience! To my everlasting shame, I can count on one hand the number of concerts I attended during my first two years at college, and I know I was not unique in this scandalous behaviour! Try to combine this research into current performing standards with networking, i.e. making contact with colleagues, possibly back stage after concerts, or wherever else they meet.

And then there is luck! Most often, you have to make your own. Since most luck comes from contacts and chance meetings, the more you are out meeting people, the more likely you are to bump into that lucky break. Think of how lucky those musicians were who joined the English Chamber Orchestra or the Academy of St Martin in the Fields in their early years. They could hardly have expected these ensembles to grow into the world-renowned orchestras they have become today. But do not look at those musicians and think ‘if only’. New orchestras are springing up all the time. In the last ten years, we have seen the emergence of orchestras such as Opus 20, Age of Enlightement, Prima Vera, Premiere Ensemble, Docklands Sinfonietta, East of England Orchestra, Guildhall String Ensemble and EOS to name but a few. So luck comes to those who take a calculated risk, commit themselves to join new ventures with their contemporaries, and blaze a trail for other musicians to follow.

I know that starting off your career is a worrying and uncertain time. But when you think about it, your hint for that lucky break can involve some very pleasurable activities! It might be found at concerts when you are playing, or when you are just in the audience, at the bar after concerts, playing chamber music, or going to parties. I am not suggesting that you run around like a headless chicken, trying to cover all angles: select judiciously from these activities. For example, when it comes to going out and you have a choice of concert or cinema, think about the opportunities you might be missing by opting for the cinema. When it comes to heading home for an early night or going out for a meal with the section, the same thought applies. As our client Clarence Ado said when we interviewed him for our advisory leaflet First Steps to a Successful Orchestral Career, ‘If you like curry and the rest of the section eats Chinese, eat Chinese’. Don’t be a loner - join in!

Keep a record of the colleagues you meet and work with throughout your student days and professional career. Disraeli used to keep a little black book, listing all his friends, and enemies, and noting how their careers developed. This is a good idea. It can be revealing and helpful to review your contacts after a few years as a freelance musician, to see how their careers have developed in comparison to your own. You might be able to call on unexpected favours from colleagues you have helped in the past.

What about stamina and health? There is no point in having that lucky break if you cannot take advantage of the work because you are incapacitated - for whatever reason. Once again, be strategic and take a look from the other side. Imagine the circumstances in which opportunities might occur. Concert seasons can be very demanding: come winter, there are lots of vulnerable immune systems waiting to succumb to whatever virus is flavour of the season - a small flu epidemic can decimate the freelance world. I am not suggesting that you indulge, even a little, in what the Germans call Schadenfreude, the nearest translation being ‘taking pleasure in the misfortune of colleagues’. You can be terribly sympathetic when colleagues fall ill. Just make sure that you are healthy enough to be considered as a replacement. Of course, there are happier circumstances that create opportunities: a colleague, having accepted an engagement, might have to dep out existing work, or deputies might be needed to cover for a colleague who has requested maternity leave! Whatever the situation, you need the stamina to stay the course and to wait for opportunities to break into the profession, and you need to keep healthy and energetic when all around are dropping like flies, because those are the times when you are likely to find your first work opportunities. Don’t bungee jump or go North Sea diving until you are really secure in the profession.

Try to give structure to your life in what is likely to be an unstructured career, in which chance, as well as planning, is likely to play an important role.

There is no way to guarantee success. But if you are clear in your mind about what to expect from the profession, and if you can develop a strategy that incorporates some of the activities I have referred to - those that you feel comfortable with - then you have given yourself the best chance of enjoying a successful freelance career.

Let me now review those elements that I believe are the key elements in giving your career the best chance of success. At the top of my list is survival! You need food, shelter and a place to practice in. During your early days, try to take on any work that is flexible enough to drop at a moment’s notice - try to ensure you accept your work on this understanding. You want an employer who will allow you to shoot off to a last-minute booking. Such work can include teaching, or perhaps working in a music shop - no disrespect is implied, either to your pupils or the shop manager!

Secondly, there is the need to understand the profession and how it works. Orchestral life is like village life - everyone knows what everyone else is doing, so remember to be tactful. Not servile, just tactful - you never know, the person you are politely criticising may be a future fixer or section principal, whose patronage you might one day appreciate! A good way to get a glimpse into what could happen to you is to read While the Music Lasts, a novel I am unashamedly happy to promote, both because I found it un-put-downable, and because it was written by one of our clients, Alice McVeigh. In it you will be exposed to the dramas and pitfalls that lie ahead of those who plan to become orchestral and session freelance musicians.

Thirdly, develop a wide range of contacts. You never know who will find the opportunity to give you a helping hand. When it comes to making a decision, it is usually split second, so the fixer has to have to hand all the appropriate information to make a decision in your favour. If they require a referee, try to ensure it is one who knows your playing and your personality - another reason why you should take every opportunity to play with colleagues who are established in the profession. Remember, no matter how well you are known socially, without a referee who knows your playing, they are unlikely to feel confident about recommending you. In fact, where you can, make your own good luck and play to those willing to hear you, don’t just wait for auditions. Just bear in mind that the established musicians you are approaching today was once a struggling musician, like yourself, looking for ways to break into the profession.

When auditions are advertised, go for them. Even if you are not successful, they are an opportunity to make further contacts.
Finally, since we are planning a life-long career, let us look at what a young musician, entering the profession now, might expect to see during the next 10 years. Firstly, we are close to the millennium. As the year 2000 looms closer, Government and businesses will be tripping over each other to take advantage of this seminal moment in history, to promote policies and products at the dawn of the 21st century. What is this likely to mean for the arts? All being well, a lot of money will be spent in celebrating cultural life in the UK.

We are already gearing up towards the year 2000, and can see the development of new funding organisations such as the Foundation for Sport and the Arts and the National Lottery. A great deal of hope has been invested in these organisations, and if they are as successful as is hoped, a lot of new money will be made available for the arts.

For those who are thinking of setting up their own orchestras, don’t look only to UK companies to finance them, look to Europe. European companies need to make an impact in the UK if they are to sell their products, particularly as we come out of recession. What better way of making an impact than by funding artistic ventures?

A final thought, and one of the subjects I am most interested in - New Technology. It is an overwhelming topic, and who knows what riches it will bring? For example, it has been a great help to my business to own a computer that allows me to produce, easily and quickly, good quality publicity literature. We use it to promote both the careers of clients and the business I run. I find it tremendously exciting that I can sit in my own room with a computer, and explore the world of on-line databases by interrogating the information held on systems like the Internet and Compuserve. Finally, what about Multimedia technology? This is the 21st century equivalent of opera - the original multi-media art form, which brought together instrumental and vocal music, with acting, literature, painting and architecture. Multi-media is opera on your computer. It takes advantage of every type of electronic medium, such as digitised movies, sound files, images and anything else that can be digitised, uniting them on the computer. This technology is going to create exciting new careers for composers, musicians, writers, painters, actors and everyone involved in the business of the arts. So listen to what is happening, because it is likely to affect you. The 21st century is going to bring opportunities that are inconceivable at present.
 

Tips from the Front Desk

Speaking at the ISM seminar The First 10 Years, top violinist John Ludlow advised that‘it’s wiser to learn from other people’s mistakes than your own’. John’s success in the freelance orchestral world makes it difficult to imagine that he has made any mistakes himself, but with the benefit of many years of experience, as a freelance leader and Professor of Violin at the RCM, he offers some tips for young orchestral players.

Survey the Market
• Decide where you are willing to work.
• Decide which sort of orchestra you prefer - symphony, opera, chamber, specialised.
• Choose between contract or freelance employment.
• Consult the list in the British Music Yearbook (it contains over 150 potential sources of work).
• Consult the fixer’s list in the ISM Register of Performers and Composers.

Applying for an Audition - CVs
• Plan your text from the recipient’s point of view.
• Make it simple and clear.
• Include anything which suggests that you are suitable for the post you are applying for.
• If it’s not relevant, leave it out.
• Make sure you mention the instrument you play.

Applying for an Audition - Covering Letter
• ‘... asking to be considered for a position (or for extra/deputy work)...’

Preparing for an Audition
• What do they want to hear? Is it a specialised group?
• For symphony orchestras, offer something classical and something romantic.
• Select pieces to demonstrate tone quality, rhythm, sensitivity, agility and understanding of styles.
Prepare carefully the extracts they send you; research tempo, context and style.
Practise sight-reading regularly (but not the same piece!).

If You Don’t Get the Job
It only means that someone else was reckoned to be more suitable, not necessarily that you were not good enough.

On Trial
• Turn up early, but not too early (if you are on time, you are late).
• Fit in, musically and personally.
• Don’t show that you know better.
• Don’t show disapproval of anything, even of yourself.
• Don’t be too conspicuous; you’ll be noticed anyway, so just concentrate on the job.
• Give the impression that although you already have the ideal qualities for that orchestra, you realise that you have plenty more to learn (you’ll still feel the same thirty years later!).

You’ve Got the Job, Now Keep It
Remind yourself of the above, frequently; the time will come when you can start voicing your opinions, but in the meantime wait until you’re asked. Listen, watch and learn, discreetly; especially...
• Don’t look at orchestral soloists (if you can’t think why, wait till it’s your turn, you’ll soon understand!)...
• Don’t look at anyone who has made a mistake...
• Don’t play anyone else’s solo...
• Don’t say how it should be done...
• Don’t be a bandroom concerto player; they’ve heard it all before, and better.

Your Playing
It may seem to deteriorate during the first year; in fact you are learning your weak spots, so tackle them. It’s not easy on top of learning all those new notes, but in the end it’s a matter of self-preservation and a stepping stone to better things. So attend to basics, especially tone and intonation, which so easily get damaged.

Further Study
Have you considered taking time out after two or three years to restore and develop your playing, having learnt what you need? There are trusts (contact the Arts Council and the Musicians Benevolent Fund) which might help if you can’t save up enough yourself.

Relationships with Colleagues
Everyone in an orchestra makes an individual contribution to a unified result. Merits differ, as do deficiencies; don’t discount the colleague whose ability seems to lack some freshness or virtuosity, his depth of experience may be the very thing you will be greatly relieved to hang on to under pressure. One day you’ll be like him; at one time he had your ability, and perhaps even more. You make your contribution, and be grateful for his.

Relationships with Conductors
Here’s the tricky one! Most are honest musicians whose intentions are to produce a fine performance; but, of course, it has to be their performance, and the first major problem for most orchestral beginners is to learn to subordinate their own sense of taste and style, so recently and firmly developed, to that of the conductor. If he or she speaks politely and respectfully it’s not too big a problem; but they don’t all express themselves so sensitively, and you can find yourself suffering dangerous self-doubt under some maestro’s clumsily-worded comments. Don’t be put off. If necessary protect yourself by wondering how his degree of sensitivity would sound on an instrument. And in the last resort, imagine him sitting on the loo. A great leveller, that seat! But still do what he wants!

Further Development
• Prepare yourself for promotion, even if you don’t seek it; the day may come when you have to move up into that hot seat.
• It may not be what you expect at this stage, but one thing you have to learn to overcome is boredom. If a rehearsal seems pointless, or you’re doing your fifth performance of Beethoven 7 this month, use the opportunity to prepare yourself for future promotion...
• Listen for the things you haven’t noticed before...
• Develop an understanding of how other sections of the orchestra work...
• Think how you would influence the performance in a more senior seat; tone colours, subtle internal balance, phrase shapes, character and atmosphere, and, for string players, more suitable bowings (but keep them to yourself for the time being)...
• Always demand more of yourself than is demanded of you.

A Few General Thoughts
• Do whatever date you undertake; if a fantastic ‘break’ comes up and you feel it justifies trying to get out of a date which clashes...
• Don’t just ring up the first orchestra and say you’re not coming...
• Don’t just send someone else...
• You can ask to be released from the first date; but if the answer is ‘no’ you must stick to it, or else you might well lose both connections (and more) if you’re thought unreliable.
• No experience is ever wasted, there’s always some benefit to be gained.
• Professionalism is 90% preparation, 10% inspiration; you need both.
• There’s no such thing as being the only one who’s right in an orchestra!

Diary Services

Morgensterns Diary Service 'diary management for the adventurous musician'
PO Box 3027, South Croydon CR2 6ZN
Tel: 020 8681 0555, Fax: 020 8649 7464
Website: www.morgensterns.com

Musicians’ Answering Service
Masters Yard, 180a South Street, Dorking, Surrey RH4 2ES
Tel: 01306 500000; Fax: 01306 888041
 

Useful Publications

The First 10 Years - Establishing a Solo Career (ISM)
(free to ISM members; £3 for non members)
Careers With Music (ISM) (on website only - www.ism.org)
British & International Music Yearbook (Rhinegold Publishing)
Musician’s Handbook (Rhinegold Publishing)
Music Journal (ISM)
Register of Performers & Composers (ISM)

Links:
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