April 20, 2013 MSO Concert: Who ARE these people?!

This is the first in a short series about the music and people you will meet at the MSO Season Finale concert on April 20^th.

Most of the people you will see are old friends and seasoned MSO musicians.  No matter who else is on stage, conductor, choir, dancers, it is the talent and incredible dedication to music who make the music you hear.

Muncie Symphony Orchestra at Sursa Hall
February 23, 2013

All my life I have heard the term “sacrifice for missionary work”, and it is applicable in the world of the musical arts at MSO.  Sacrifice is not necessarily all monetary.  Just one example: One particular MSO employee has a Master of Music from Indiana University.  Full time employment earning a living as a musician is very rare and difficult to achieve.  This musician has one full time job, one part time job, and is a regular section musician for the three regional orchestras, Muncie Symphony, Anderson Symphony, and Marion Philharmonic.  Musicians are sent music several weeks before rehearsals begin. They are expected to know the music when they sit for the first rehearsal.

Rehearsal time can be used to plan and rehearse the tempos and dynamics that make the music as breathtaking as Beethoven’s 7^th Symphony  experienced at MSO’s February 23^rd concert.  Commonly orchestras have concerts around the same time of the year.  The next several weeks this individual’s schedule is inhuman:  Job 1: 8a – 5p, Job 2 5:15p – 6:30p, Orchestra rehearsal (including travel time) 6:45p – 11:15p.

Rehearsals for MSO’s April 20^th concert begin on April 17^th.  This season, the orchestra, the conductors and the soloists face a unique and challenging situation to bring live music to the stage.  Each is new to their role in creating an ensemble.  Ensemble performance is extremely nuanced.  Small ensembles do not as a rule have a conductor.  The musicians know intuitively and from much rehearsal how and when to change a tempo and a dynamic, and how to play together as one instrument.  Orchestras need a conductor to achieve this level of musicianship.  Ideally, the conductor and orchestra work together for many seasons and learn how to communicate to achieve beautiful music.  This season, you will see the fourth conductor of the MSO.  (And there is yet a fifth at Festival on the Green.)  The search is continuing for a Music Director/Conductor.

 

Neal Gittleman conducts the Season Finale Concert.  You will meet him in another post in this series.