A Week in the Life

This essay was written in September, 1999.

One of the best gigs I have ever had is playing guitar for the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. I do about 100 services a year for them, and they come in brief, intense bursts.

This week is in the middle of one of those intense bursts. I had 18 services (what orchestral musicians call a gig) in the first 14 days of September. I woke up last Monday near Cleveland, Ohio. We had traveled up there to play 2 concerts at a facility called Blossom over the weekend. The shows were the music of modern Broadway. They were fun shows for me; lots of good rhythm section playing and a couple of solos. I played electric, classical and banjo. We had audiences of 10,000+ each night. It's quite a thrill to sit in front of that many people, even if you are a very small part of the sound they hear.

Tuesday was a day off. Because the previous week involved 5 concerts, 3 rehearsals, and 2 travel days, a day off was welcomed.

Wednesday we had rehearsals at 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM. I was home by 6:00 and should have practiced, but just didn't. Fried brain syndrome. It's quite an irony of working as a musician; the more you gig, the less you practice. Your chops can actually deteriorate substantially if you work constantly.

Thursday we rehearsed at 10:00 AM and then played an outdoor concert in Cincinnati at 8:00 PM. The outdoor concerts are both fun and annoying. They're fun because they are generally low pressure deals, and we can have a good time. They're annoying because of all the hauling and setup of equipment. We have an amazing set of stage hands who do most of the work, but there's still quite a bit of setup to be done for each one.

Friday, we rehearsed at 10:00AM and then played a concert at 8:00 PM. It was a very light duty night for me. I only played on a couple of tunes - one on classical guitar, and one on banjo. On nights like this I think the orchestra is wasting its money by hiring me. But I still cash the check.

Saturday and Sunday nights were a repeat of the Friday performance. I had to come home and practice after both the weekend shows because I have a couple of solo parts that will be recorded on Monday. Saturday and Sunday mornings were spent in a delicious state of deep sleep.

Monday (today) we have 2 recording sessions. We are recording much of the music we've been playing the last two weeks for an upcoming CD of modern Broadway music.

It's Monday afternoon as I write this and we had the first of the two recording sessions this morning. It was a very intense 3 hours. It is incredibly expensive to record a symphony orchestra. I've been told that its costs $1,000 per minute for recording time. Everything is timed to the second. The personnel manager literally sits with a stop watch to time breaks.

Because we have to record 70 minutes of music in 6 hours (which is actually about 4 1/2 hours of recording time), there is a great deal of pressure placed on every one in the orchestra to get it right the first time. You very rarely get more than two chances to play a part right. I usually come out of these sessions tense, exhausted, and exhilarated.

Next week will be uniquely thrilling for me. I've been hired to play a series of concerts in Denver with the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. The soloist will be Marcus Roberts, and the shows are to be videotaped for broadcast on PBS. The music will be some Gershwin, some Ellington, and a bit of Joplin. So, if you happen to turn on that show at some point in the future, I'll be the guy in the background with a banjo in my hands.