My experience of playing in an orchestra: a musician’s story

Probably, if someone had told me 20 years ago that I would work in a professional orchestra, I would not have believed it then. In those years, I studied flute at a music school, and now I understand that I was very mediocre, although then, compared to other students, it was quite good.

After graduating from music school, I decidedly gave up music. “Music doesn’t feed you!” – everyone around said it, and this is, indeed, sad, but true. However, some kind of gap had formed in my soul, and there was such a lack of a flute that, having learned about the brass band that existed in our city, I went there. Of course, I didn’t think that they would take me there, I was hoping to just walk around and play something. But the management turned out to have a serious intention, and they hired me right away.

And here I am sitting in the orchestra. Around me are gray-haired, experienced musicians who have worked in orchestras all their lives. As it turned out, the team was male. For me at that moment it was not bad, they began to take care of me and did not make any big claims.

Although, probably, everyone had enough complaints inside. Years passed before I became a professional musician, with a conservatory and experience under my belt. They patiently and carefully nurtured me into a musician, and now I am immensely grateful to our team. The orchestra turned out to be very friendly, united by numerous tours and even general corporate events.

The music in the brass band’s repertoire has always been very diverse, ranging from classics to popular modern rock. Gradually, I began to understand how to play and what to pay attention to. And this, first of all, is structure.

At first it was very difficult, because the tuning began to “float” as the instruments played and warmed up. What to do? I was torn between playing in tune with the clarinets that were always sitting next to me and the trumpets that were blowing at my back. At times it seemed that I couldn’t do anything anymore, so my system “floated” away from me. All these difficulties gradually disappeared over the years.

I understood more and more what an orchestra is. This is a single body, an organism that breathes in unison. Each instrument in the orchestra is not individual, it is only a small part of one whole. All tools complement and help each other. If this condition is not met, the music will not work.

Many of my friends were perplexed why a conductor was needed. “You’re not looking at him!” – they said. And indeed, it seemed that no one was looking at the conductor. In fact, peripheral vision is at work here: you need to simultaneously look at the notes and at the conductor.

The conductor is the cement of the orchestra. It depends on him how the orchestra will sound in the end, and whether this music will be pleasant to the audience.

There are different conductors, and I have worked with several of them. I remember one conductor who, unfortunately, is no longer in this world. He was very demanding and demanding of himself and the musicians. At night he wrote scores and worked brilliantly with the orchestra. Even the spectators in the hall noticed how collected the orchestra became when it came to the conductor’s stand. After rehearsing with him, the orchestra grew professionally right before our eyes.

My experience working in an orchestra is invaluable. It became at the same time an experience of life. I am very grateful to life for giving me such a unique chance.