Violist Katie Shields has submitted a tongue-in-cheek article on the trials and tribulations of being an opera string player.
Written like an informal journal, it offers witty insights into the life of a musician.
It begins:
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Start playing at an early age- 10 at the latest.
Play an instrument worth tens of thousands. And that's just the instrument- the bow will be $4,000 and up; you'll need several of those.
Get several university degrees in music performance.
Along the way, get lots of experience: playing chamber music and symphony, teaching, playing summer festivals, musicals and sundry gigs (don't forget those "Singing Christmas Trees")
Win the audition!
Then:
Have a full day doing whatever you do (chasing children around, feeding dogs, grocery shopping).
Pack your instrument up with a sack dinner and cup of java. At 4:30 PM drop everything (not the java) to get in the car for the hair-raising drive to Tucson. Try not to spill the java on yourself on the trip. Workers comp will not cover burns until the rehearsal begins.
Arrive in Tucson. Jockey for a parking spot. Get out, sprint for the hall, snarf the dinner, and get yourself and your instrument into the pit. Don't trip on the cords or on the WW players. If they're already seated, you'll need to be airlifted to your seat as there's no path going there. If you trip and take a couple of them out, don't worry - they'll get workers comp.
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The rest of this article is here.
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