Double Bass On community orchestras..

[Steve Freides]

Andy, it sounds like your orchestra isn't clear about itself and its purpose, its mission, and its policies. Therein lies the problem. Where I live, there are a number of "community" musical groups (band, orchestra, chorus).

Some of them are audition-only and a spot is highly coveted, and some of the players are pros who do it solely for the good music making - they don't need the practice. Only the best people are taken, period.

Other groups have a clear policy along the lines of, "if you were good enough to play in the band or orchestra in high school, you're good enough for us." There is no audition. They deal with body count by figuring out, when they have too many people on a single part, who will play and who will sit out each piece.

IMHO, your group needs to discuss - probably at a board meeting - how it wants to see itself and handle issues like the one you raised. Either you take everybody or you don't, but no one should get pushed out of an all-comers ensemble in favor of a better player because then it's no longer an all-comers ensemble. But not all community groups need to allow everyone - having a higher entrance requirement is a fine thing, too, just different, that's all.

-S-

 

[Andy Mopley]

Steve, 100% agree with you but when you are not part of the executive, you can suggest but being listened to, is a different matter.

 

[Steve Freides]

Ask to address a board meeting - email the chairperson and explain why. Or not, but you're asking about what's right and wrong, or in or not in the spirit of community orchestra, and my point is that different community musical groups have different characters, standards, and missions, so it's not possible for there to be a single right answer to your question - it will depend on the group, and if the group can't clearly see and clearly state its own mission, then maybe you should run for being on the board and help them do that.

I think people often underestimate the importance of clear leadership in these situations - if your group has a clear vision of itself, it will be much easier to attract and keep the kind of people who will further that mission.

Put another way, you shouldn't have to be asking the question you asked, IMHO.

Again, just my opinion.

-S-