Professional Musicians!-- Do people with other jobs play in professional symphonies (teachers, doctors, etc.)?

Question

I am studying to be an audiologist but I have always loved music and would love to be able to play with a professional orchestra one day. I just wanted to know if it is realistic to hope to one day play with a professional group. I know it takes a lot of dedication, skill and practice. I was just wondering if it is common to see other professionals playing with such groups. Thank you.

Answer 1

That would depend on what you mean by "professional orchestra." Major orchestras that pay decent salaries have members that teach lessons or even make instruments on the side (I know the principal cellist of the Phoenix SO is also a luthier), but a full-blown career in another field would be out of the question...there's no way they could schedule it around rehearsals. BUT, there are many good community orchestras out there that have members with other jobs! Several months ago, I saw the Mississauga community orchestra do Mahler 5...if I didn't know this was a community group, I wouldn't have guessed in a million years.

Community orchestras have fewer rehearsals with more convenient timing, so I would say that is what you should aim for. Good luck:)!

Answer 2

I agree. The vast majority of musicians are perfectly normal, nice people and hardly any of them fit into the stuffy stereotype. You'll get the odd one who does, but you come across that kind of person in all groups, not just musicians. I must say I totally disagree with piano_cat above, who says that very few professional musicians are passionate about music. Why would they choose music of all things as a career unless they were passionate about it? If they wanted "just a job" to make money they should have pursued another career. And no professional orchestra who's only worried about getting the notes right is going to do well.

Answer 3

It is perfectly possible if you can figure out how to stretch out a 24 hour day so it has 36 hours in it.

Then, of course, will have difficulty making your schedule meet others...but that is a relatively small matter. You could, of course, transfer to another planet. I think some of them rotate a little more slowly, so the day is longer and everyone will be on ~ say ~ 36 hour time. Thatsa good!!!

It takes a lot of dedication, skill, and practise? What ...makes you say that? What is an "audiologist"? Is it anything like a cardiologist? I mean by that, in a sort of subterfugial way, that you should have a heart for those of us who are trying to be nice and helpful ....and yet your premise is so schlimpsy that it is difficult to know where to start ......much less where to STOP!!!!

Don't they tell you in creative writing classes to write about what you know about? I think that is a good thing to stick to.

Usually God Himself keeps people who already *have* a job from hogging the jobs that belong to professional musicians. We all need to pay the plumber, you know, and to take our jobs from us is not good form. You already have a fancy little salary. You want *two* of them???
Tsk!

It is realistic only if you ....no....God will keep you busy at your audiology.
God has a heart, God has pity. HE knows the plumber likes to be paid. Don't get too frisky here. There are a lot of us who would like to do a lot of things ...



anyway, as my mother used to complain every day about 5 PM, "the days are never long enough ...."

love (for real...I'm sorry to tease you)
Lakshmi

Answer 4

Almost all the musicians in local community orchestras have jobs in other fields. Musicians in major symphony orchestras usually do not work outside the music field, but generally will take on students or do other music-related part-time work.

Answer 5

Yes...there are plenty of professional and semi-professional orchestras, etc. out there, depending on where you live, and how well you play. They will require a significant amount of rehearsal time if you can make the orchestra, so be prepared.

Good luck.

Answer 6

I don't see why not... In fact, the better job you have, the more time it will give you for your music. Unfortunately, in the world we live in, Bohemian lifestyles are hard, so hard that we have to pay the bills or we don't survive. Nobody likes performing music on a streetcorner, so we work. Work supports our music habits, and if you get into something you like that doesn't stress you out and lets you have the time off you need, you'll be happiest.