Demands of the job

[eddietrumpet]

Some work that professional trumpet players do can be very demanding in terms of endurance. Many touring Broadway shows carry a "skeleton crew" of musicians, usually 4-5, often including 1st trumpet. When moving to a new city, rehearsal with the "new" orchestra starts at 9AM and usually doesn't finish until 6PM, with only a lunch break. Then you have to play a 2 1/2 to 3 hr show at 7:30 or 8 PM. Some shows are very heavy on the lead trumpet. If you want to keep your job, you have to find a way to do it. There's no getting around it!

[doubletop]

Your union not up to much then?

[Mzony]

[PH]

You just described my day Tuesday!

The touring company of "Fiddler on the Roof" hit town with a conductor, asst. conductor/keyboard player, percussionist, and first violinist/concertmaster. They hired 3 local trumpet players. I was on first. We rehearsed from 10-3, did a "soundcheck" (actually more of a rehearsal with the singers) from 5-7, and played the show from 8-11. It was a bitch.

Several people commented that the brass had improved a lot the second night (to which I replied, "No kiddin'! We didn't rehearse for 7 hours today".)

I had 2 jazz gigs (hour-long concerts) the second day prior to the show and a 90 minute jazz concert the day of the third Fiddler performance. Those days were like nothing compared to the first day.

I don't know what the $$$ will be-definitely scale for this kind of work in our local union. I know it will be Kosher though, because it is a National Equity Tour and the contractor is our A.F. of M. president's wife. I should get paid some extra for doubling because the both the lead book & the 2nd book had 15-20 measures of flugelhorn written as a double.

This is reality....if you're lucky enough to get the call. As Woody Allen said, "Life is impossibly difficult and it's over far too soon".

p.s. 80% of Fiddler is relatively unchallenging, but the remaining 20% is total white knuckles stuff!

[ This Message was edited by: PH on 2002-02-23 16:28 ]

[ This Message was edited by: PH on 2002-02-23 16:30 ]

[6pk]

noone sticks to union rules anyway these days

[histrumpet]

PH,
What do you consider white knuckle stuff?

[pair of kings]

[_Don Herman]

Way I recall, doubling pay (which, when I got it -- not often, and long ago!) was not a large increase. But, it applied whenever an extra instrument was called for. If I decided to play something on C instead of Bb, or flugel, because I liked it, no extra money (or, rarely). But, if a piece called for picc or flugel in addition to Bb, I received extra pay. Same as for players who doubled other instruments, e.g. trombone and trumpet, or flute and sax. I don't recall ever getting doubling fees for bringing a C and Bb, however. Or, Bb and kazoo...

Hopefully a modern pro (you could strike "modern" and it'd be the same for me! ) will answer with the current scale.

FWIW - Don
_________________
Don Herman/Monument, CO
"After silence, that which best expresses the inexpressible, is music." - Aldous Huxley

[dwm1129]

You usually get 20% of your fee for your first double and 15% for your second. So if your getting paid 100 bucks and your part calls for a picc and a flugel you get an extra 35 bucks.

[clarion89]

Playing piccolo trumpet and flugelhorn parts is actually considered doubling for a trumpet player? If it is, it's surprising and good (I guess).

Among other demands of the job, include playing church services. You arrive at the church and the music director insists on rehearsing all the music prior to the service and then, you play the service. I did this last weekend and played parts on B-flat, C, flugel and piccolo trpt. I got through it OK, but the key is you have to prepare for it days in advance with your practice sessions. An intelligent approach can keep you at your best.
_________________
Matt Wirfel
"don't practice long, practice often" - Don Jacoby
https://www.facebook.com/mgwirfel01

[PH]

If the part actually calls for another instrument besides your basic horn, and you bring the horn and use it (rather than playing it all on Bb or C) then that is a double that you must get paid for in most union local jurisdictions. This is for show work or recording. I don't know how that would work on a union per-service orchestra gig (where several horns per gig would be expected).

Most of these doubling rules are applied to woodwind doublers, guitarists playing mandolin, trombone doubling tuba or euphonium, etc. But they definitely apply to flugelhorn & piccolo trumpet doubles on show work or recording sessions. They might not apply to Bb/C/D/Eb trumpet work, since that is more of an artistic choice. I'm not sure. Only flugel & picc have ever been an issue in my line of work.

p.s. My paycheck after union withholding for the gigs I described above was between $450 & 500. This was through the Indianapolis Local (#3) of the A.F. of M.

[PH]

>PH,
>What do you consider white knuckle stuff?

There are big parts of this show (Fiddler) that are very exposed trumpet-led ensemble stuff that stays for VERY long periods of time in the range of middle D to high D (not super high, but a real endurance test). Additionally, most of this stuff is very fast and technical with lots of quick crisp articulation and tricky intervals (due to the quasi-Jewish harmonic language of the work).

Another tough part about show playing (and lots of church work and orchestral playing) is that you have to sit there for long periods without playing much or anyhing. then you need to be able to go from "0 to 60" in nothing flat.

[clarion89]

Mr. Adam,

Thanks for the clarification. I'll keep it in mind for my next show.
_________________
Matt Wirfel
"don't practice long, practice often" - Don Jacoby
https://www.facebook.com/mgwirfel01

[dbacon]

DB

[PH]

Dave is right. When it is time for everyone to transpose a piece the brass are required by law to drown out the strings, so play confidently!

Man, if the viola section would only bring their capos to the gig it would be cool.

[dbacon]

DB