September 1, 2005 at 5:14 PM

“inside second stand, first violin, which is a position I like; close enough to see the conductor easily but without all the responsibility of first stand”

My sentiments, exactly!!!!

At the beginning of last season I was inside first stand, first violin. After the first concert I managed to worm back my way to third stand and was perfectly happy there for the rest of the season. In this particular orchestra, the section is chock full of strong players- I would say I’m middle of the pack- so it’s not a case of them needing me at first stand.
This year we’ve got some seriously heavy pieces & they’re going to take up a good chunk of my practice time just to avoid embarrassing myself. I was already worried about that especially as I find myself doing more chamber music & wanting to devote more time to playing & practicing for it… not to mention that I’ve agreed to play with 2 other groups that really do need me. So this week I got a sneak peek at the preliminary seating for this season: I’m right back at inside first stand, first violin.

Ack!

Frankly I’m baffled. Maybe they go by attendance records?

From Ben Clapton
Posted on September 1, 2005 at 10:31 PM

A) Take it as a compliment as they either think that you're a good, strong player, or that you're a leader with a strong musical background.
B) Perhaps they have decided to place the stronger players at the back of the section and the leaders at the front. The back of the section is where the sound comes from, the front is where the leadership comes from.

Anyway, enjoy the music, I'm sure you'll have fun anyway.

This entry has been archived and is no longer accepting comments.