Jason Heath has posted some interesting reading on the reality of the freelance music business: 

http://www.adaptistration.com/artsaddict/2007/11/this-crazy-bu-1.html

Some of the points Jason makes include:

"Assembling a career out of these disparate employment opportunities and having no guarantee of future employment from the bulk of these employers has a leveling effect on the quality of each of these individual organizations in the eyes of the freelance musician."

Jason also writes, 

"Freelance musicians must therefore only allow themselves to have ‘part-time loyalty’ to these groups—that is, loyalty within reason, to a degree proportional to the amount of work offered and the stability of the employment conditions of this organization."

One wonders how the FGO intends to field a quality orchestra next season given the Opera's position on loyalty and stability for its musicians (who themselves have given loyalty and stability to the Opera)...

As a member of the "out-going" FGO orchestra, I find it particularly ironic that Larry Johnson sees fit to gloat about the company "finally upgrading" its orchestra by hiring a new contractor. Is he really naive enough to think that by starting at square one with a new set of local players from the same basic talent pool, but without the benefit of seven years of working together as an ensemble, that the level of quality is suddenly going to skyrocket to the level of the Met? The big opera houses have certain advantages that attract the top-flight players - A living wage for example. A real contract with collective bargaining rights. Job security. Health benefits. Things that would allow the players to devote themselves to developing their art on a full-time basis, not having to drive all over the map to pick up extra teaching and playing jobs just to make the rent. I put over 30,000 miles on my car per year, mostly from having to teach at distant locations and drive to "gigs" from Miami to Ft. Pierce. Not to mention the drive time involved. Considering the travails we musicians must endure to survive, it's amazing we're able to maintain the high level of quality we do, regardless of your opinions. We are neither novices nor dilettantes, and we want nothing more than the opportunity to practice our long-studied art with a reasonable degree of respect and regularity. As long as FGO refuses to employ their orchestra as an "official" entity, there will always be unevenness, substitutions and other problems. Hiring a new contractor with new and unseasoned players will only exacerbate the problem. Thanks in part to Johnson's influence, there will be only the illusion of positive change in the pit. If FGO and the city of Miami wants a real professional-level opera orchestra, they'll have to do as the pros do - take responsibility as the orchestra's employer and provide the same benefits and rights as the major companies do.

Chas Reskin - 14 April, 2008 - 22:12:49

Thanks for linking to my story! Much appreciated, and I hope that issues with FGO get resolved (or at least improved) in the near future.

Jason Heath - 18 April, 2008 - 15:25:43