Shelf Life for Musicians/Performers

Written by Michelle Jones
Published: November 15, 2015 at 5:07 PM [UTC]

Unlike symphonic musicians, the Violectric and Fretless Rock rock violinists and violists stand and dance while performing, in 5"-7" heels, often for over 3 hours at a time. Dancers (especially ballet dancers) understand that the costuming and footwear are part of the show to do the job entertaining audiences. The constant dancing leads to calloused and sore feet, as well as lower back pains. This is in addition to the upper back issues directly related to playing violin/viola. Have you tried holding up your arms for 3 hours straight? How about while holding something in them? Then moving them around a lot?

Then there's the fingers and hands themselves. Sure, they are strong enough to support my weight only on my fingertips (yes, I try this regularly), and they are agile enough to move quickly across strings. But I know they are not the most beautiful fingers like hand models. They are short and stubby from the constant pressure since early childhood, and prone to arthritis due to the actions we must take for our profession. It takes me longer to warm up than in the past. My muscles are developed, but they are also older and less flexible with age. Diet and exercise keep them working, but like athletes, I know I have a "shelf life" for performing.

Equipment hauling deserves its own book, but I will mention that when you hire an amplified musician, you are paying mostly for them to haul their gear to your event/venue. The time, physical labor, and expense of amplified instruments is far greater than anything for an acoustic performance. I appreciate the days when all I have to do is sling a violin case on my shoulder and head out to a gig where I only have to unpack and tune, then I'm ready to play. With amplification, I have to: 1. own the proper equipment and gear to put on a great show; 2. own and maintain a vehicle large enough to hold all the gear; 3. load said vehicle 30 minutes before I have to leave; 4. allow enough time to find adequate parking and loading zones for said vehicle; 5. be at the venue 2-3 hours before I am supposed to play to allow time for setup and sound check; 6. deal with challenges at said venue (power, lighting, technicians, etc.); 7. put on a great 3-hour show after schlepping and setting it all up; 8. tear it down, pack it up and load it out and back into the vehicle; and finally 9. unload said vehicle when I get home. For most events, it's over 2000 pounds of gear total. And that's the normal, small events.

Mentally, we are constantly challenging ourselves to be better musicians and maintain playing abilities as we get older. Between the balance of constant self-doubt and self-confidence, we put ourselves "out there" for every performance. We are subject to criticism and praise. We are subject to haters and appreciators, especially within our own circle of friends and family. As performers, we have to leave our families on special days (like holidays) to entertain others. Most of us don't have regular schedules or can make plans more than a few days out at a time. I cannot count how many times I have made plans for a vacation and had to cancel due to gigs and opportunities. Or how many gigs I have missed after I made plans that could not be canceled. It's the mental state of mind of instability, and I have actually learned to thrive on that. For many, it's not enjoyable. But that's the risk of being a freelance performer. Many entrepreneurs in other fields understand the risk, too. Of course, that leads to financial and fiscal pains, for which I shall only mention that I continue to have my fair share of them.

It's these challenges and many more that we as performers face every day, and usually suffer in (mostly) silence. Why? Because we don't want to do anything else but our art/music/dance/performances. Each is a profession and a career.

SUPPORT THE ARTS means SUPPORTING THE ARTISTS with your time (attend live shows), your talents (volunteer whatever your talent may be), and your money (give to the arts you enjoy and purchase artists' work and recorded music). And remember to thank the people who do it for your enjoyment understanding the sacrifices they continue to make every day.

- with my sincerest appreciation to those of you who read this and continue to be arts supporters and fans. Love to you all! Vinylinist