If your brass quintet plays publicly for any length of time, you likely will amass an eclectic assortment of gigs. You will find yourself in all sorts of venues, performing for a variety of different occasions and a wide range of audience sizes. If you play in more than one small ensemble, you are more likely to encounter what I call “audience dichotomy.”
I recently performed with a quintet for a small student recital, then a day later I played with a completely different quintet for a middle school graduation. The experiences were on opposite ends of the audience spectrum.
Small Hall
In quintet #1, our tuba player Mr. J., in addition to being a band director, has a handful of private brass students. He asked us to play at his students’ year-end recital to show them what a real quintet sounds like.
The venue was at a local university’s performing arts building with a very nice recital hall that seats maybe 100 people. His students came from five different families, so with the kids and their parents our audience was about 25 people. No worries; we knew it would be small and that was fine, because it was about giving each student the experience of playing a solo (with piano accompaniment) on a stage in front of people. We were just the icing on the cake.
After the kids performed with varying degrees of success and nervousness, it was our turn.
As this was our quintet’s first gig where we were actually featured, there was a little trepidation. However, we could easily hear each other in the echo chamber and played well enough to earn a smattering of applause after each tune. Overall it went well for what I call a “shakedown performance” and people liked our musical offerings. Also, thanks to Mr. J.’s existing professional relationship with the hosts, we were invited back to use the hall if we wanted. Our job there was done.
Living Large
Move ahead about 28 hours and change musicians.
The next evening, the tuba player of another quintet, Mr. P. had set up an opportunity for us to play for a rather large middle school graduation ceremony – speeches, student rock band, video clips, the works – held in a local high school’s auditorium that seats many hundreds of people.
Let me repeat that. Many dozens of excited, graduating middle school students + hundreds of supportive family members = organic cacophony. Good times.
We were the live background music as people came in and found their seats. That was fun and we heard nice applause from the parents for some of the oldies we played. When we finished our “pre-game” set, it was time to bring in the students. (Thankfully we didn’t have to play Pomp and Circumstance this time. Ugh!)
We played an appropriate entrance fanfare as the kids entered and, as families are wont to do, they shouted names and clapped, adding to the rising ambient noise level. As the room filled, we could hear ourselves less and less. We expected this, but that didn’t make it any easier.
When the ceremony was over, you can guess what happened. Massive cheers, screams of joy, elation unbridled! I had to shout my count-off to the other musicians so we could start our recessional piece together. We finished when all the kids left the auditorium and the parents were filing out.
All in all, it was a good bit of playing, and I always enjoy being part of celebrations even though my group may sometimes only be “the help.” Appreciative audiences, no matter how large or small, should always be welcomed by any amateur or professional performing group.
Do you appreciate live music that’s not mainstream?
How about unplugged musicians?
When was the last time you saw folks playing non-electronic instruments?
Thanks for reading!