|
News Article
|
The Secret lives of classical musicians
By David Crowder
Most people, when they get home from work, don’t want to do anything that closely resembles what they’ve been doing all day.
Lawyers don’t work on lawsuits for the love of it and high school teachers who want to keep on teaching teenagers algebra or French wouldn’t be considered normal by their peers.
So what would be said of public school orchestra teachers who, after school, play in, say, three orchestras, teach private lessons, tune up for an opera when they have the chance and grab quartet gigs for weddings and quinceañeras.
Workaholics for money or love?
Members of the El Paso Symphony Orchestra who do all of that say the extra money’s great and admit to being a little driven, but they insist it’s mostly about the music and the joy of performing.
“We keep ourselves busy, but we love to play,” said Elizabeth Zamora, who plays second violin for the El Paso and the Las Cruces orchestras and is a member of the Juárez university orchestra as well.
Of the 68 members of the El Paso Symphony, 24 play for Juárez and 21 are also part of the Las Cruces orchestra.
The three orchestras perform for the public during the season from September to April or May on successive weekends. Their schedules differ, but there are four rehearsals for each orchestra leading up to two weekend performances.
“I teach during the day, and then I come home twice a week and teach private lessons for two hours,” Zamora said. “Then on symphony weeks, I go to rehearsals right after my lessons. That’s three weeks out of the month.”
Zamora is the personnel manager for the Juárez orchestra. She does the hiring and manages the payroll.
El Pasoan musicians make up the large majority of the 45-member Juárez orchestra, which rehearses in El Paso and, surprisingly, pays significantly more than either the El Paso or Las Cruces orchestras.
Performances in Juárez, held at the Teatro El Paso del Norte close to the Downtown bridges, are heavily attended and, Zamora said, seem to be needed, given the turmoil and bloodshed that have disrupted daily life there.
“The audiences are very respectful and appreciative of what we do, and the performances are frequently sell outs,” Zamora said.
The pay for an orchestra player isn’t great, but with three orchestras to play for, it can add up.
Zamora said El Paso section players receive about $450 for a symphony week, while section leaders get about $520.
The Juárez orchestra, which is subsidized by the university, pays section players $595 a week with section leaders getting $700 to $800. Las Cruces section players receive about $500 a week.
So for those with the stamina and the skill to keep up with a fast-paced schedule, there is a good living to be made after school playing for orchestras, El Paso Opera, quartets at birthday parties, bar mitzvahs, weddings and holiday church services, not to mention private lessons.
Sylvia Blair, who is in the first violin section of all three orchestras, said the extra money helps and offers a security that many professional musicians don’t enjoy.
“You hear about orchestras going under. Albuquerque’s just shut down,” Blair said, referring to that city’s full-time orchestra. “I just heard they decided not to complete the season. We’re grateful for the work we have, I must tell you.”
In addition, the constant practice and performing with different musicians and maestros makes for better musicians.
“We just live, breath and eat music, and the more the better,” Blair said. “We are constantly with our instruments in hand. I think that’s why our conductors don’t object, because they’re getting better players. We’ve got to play as much as possible. It keeps our chops up.”
David Crowder can be reached at (915) 630-6622 or david_crowder@sbcglobal.net.
|
| READER RESPONSE |
|
|
|
| Maria Nockin - posted: 12/5/2009 12:41:51 PM
I loved reading this. I just lost my day job as an administrative assistant and I think I would go crazy if Idid not have my low paying and non paying music jobs. Music is much more than a job and it rewards you with a great deal more than money. | |
|
|