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I know many of the string players and woodwind players (at least from last year’s orchestra) and I will be chatting them up–probably not on site but at other gigs with other groups! I don’t know how I could padlock the harp or make it unplayable BUT I could leave the pedals in some weird setting to see if it changed. And I will also take my mike pickup home with me, along with the proprietary pre-amp!
I know I sound redundant, but this is the 3rd year with this church and the first two years were totally fine and professional–and it’s the same music minister/conductor and the same support personnel. I don’t know what happened this time out–and it’s not like I was the problem! I was ALWAYS at least 30 minutes early to tune, I was always appropriately dressed, always professional, always sober, always prepared, etc. I never caused any issues, scandals, or scenes, so nothing makes sense–other than the Tinkerbelle hypothesis suggested earlier. My total fee would have been less than .5% of the budget. So go figure…..and yes, it’s turned into the weirdest of gigs EVER for me, out of 30 years of performing! (And trust me, I’ve had some doozies!)
The animals, I will say, are VERY controlled, and they are only onstage for about 5 minutes tops. The rest of the time they are outside in a holding pen (which I hope is heated) so there’s absolutely no issue with the harp and Bengal tigers!
My only rehearsal is next Monday. God grant me the strength to know what I can’t change…and what I MUST.
I’m not moving the harp over hill and over dale (remember, this is a VERY big church!) out of the “pit” for each service, especially when I’m not playing the matinee but I am playing the evening performance. I have a bad back, and moving the harp 11+ times isn’t practical, especially with a crowded pit and mike cables to contend with. I will cover the harp (black padded cover) and leave it there.
Trust me, I will NOT be playing with them next year, or ANY year in the future.
None of this makes any sense–even down to the “ignore all emails unless we actually mean it” feats of clairvoyance. But a friend did posit a rational explanation.
The lies about no printed parts, the weird schedule, and the re-scheduling to make sure I’m there for all performances on December 7. make no logical sense…………unless:
Some VIP in the church, or some huge donor to the production, has a daughter, granddaughter, or niece who plays the harp, and this person(s) insist that little Tinkerbelle play the harp part.
Suddenly it all makes sense–we don’t want you, there are no parts; then suddenly we DO want you for sure on these dates when you must, absolutely be there……
The dates involved are most likely when we will have real VIP guests in the audience: Arizona Governor Jan Brewer, Senator John McCain, Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton. These people have attended each year in the past–and those dates are when they are likely to attend. And the conductor is justifiably afraid little Tinkerbelle can’t cut it.
I really don’t think they hired another professional harpist! I know for a fact that we’re all booked out solid for December, and in some cases they are importing harpists from hundreds of miles away to cover gigs.
Granted, this is a hypothesis, but suddenly ALL the pieces fall into place.
I will sneak in on a performance I’m not playing to see if they have another harpist, and if she’s playing my harp!
I will keep everybody posted.
Hi Barb,
Just email me and I can send you pdf files. harpdude@cox.net
If I can get to Naples I’d be happy to play with your ensemble!@
No charge…..just send me your email address and I can send them to you in .pdf form that you could print out yourself. It’s not the WHOLE score….just those awful spots where you have to wonder what they were thinking when they laid the book out! I’m at
This is a HUGE production–truly Broadway Goes To Church. The first part is secular (i.e. Santa’s Workshop, Toyland, etc for the kids) and the second part is sacred, complete with live animals and a cast of hundreds. They EASILY spend $250K if not more and they’ve been doing this for 24 years now. So it’s not like this is their first time at the rodeo.
Perhaps I’m too trusting, but I would hope that a church that puts on the Pageant To End All Pageants to honor the birth of the Prince Of Peace would at least be honest and not lie to my face. I have over 100 pages of “nothing to play.”
I played the past two years with no problem. I was “hired” back on May 11 because all the pastors at this church said “this was the best orchestra ever–get them all back!” They have hired the best freelance players–I play with these people all the time!–and I’m flattered that they would include me in that elite group. So I didn’t beg or demean myself to get this gig….the church called ME.
The latest—–
I wondered if this reminder email about the unknown rehearsal today at 2pm was automatically generated–yet it came from the conductor’s private email account. So I wrote him and asked “Would you please confirm that this email is valid…that you DO want me there tomorrow at 2pm??? I have my first rehearsal as Dec 2 (Monday).”
He wrote back: “You are correct in that we do not see you until Dec. 2.”
SO…….the lesson to be learned today, boys and girls, it so IGNORE ALL EMAILS no matter what it says….and that man behind the curtain as well. “They want me….they want me not….they want me….they want me not.
Truly this production is produced by the Three Stooges and the musical direction is by Laurel & Hardy.
The only positive is that I now have until Dec. 2 to prep my 100 pages of “nothing to play.”
I’m seriously tempted now to show up, get my paycheck, but unplug my microphone for all the shows.
I just wanted to update everybody on things. I simply cannot believe it. I got an email this morning that the music was available for download, and that I was “expected” at a rehearsal tomorrow at 2. This rehearsal was NOT scheduled earlier! And after being told that the new orchestrations had no harp parts……out of TWENTY TWO songs there are published (from the publisher–not last minute additions) fully TWENTY, yes 20, harp parts!!!!! THEY LIED TO ME!!!!!!!!! These were there all along. But I was told there was nothing for me to play! They are spending at least 300K on this production, so I just don’t get it. My book is now almost 100 pages of music and I have 26 hours to prepare what allegedly didn’t exist, and after I was told I wasn’t needed. I honestly don’t know what to think or feel. It’s an awful feeling to play where you’re clearly not wanted….but now this!? 20 songs? 100 pages???
I just got the new “properly printed” harp part for THE FANTASTICKS and I’m glad to see that the pedals were gone over by a harpist, and the glisses are properly marked–down to the “circle system” where only the pedals that need to be moved are circled on a pedal diagram!
Venus Harps made two harps for me with wide spacing. I haven’t had any issues with going back and forth to regular spacing harps. I might miss an octave for the first couple of minutes but my brain quickly adjusts. From what I understand Salzedo as a big fan of wide spacing, and many original Salzedo models were wide spaced. I have big hands, and the wide spacing really helps me! On the other hand, I find it almost impossible to play on Camac harps because they are just a teensy bit to narrow for my fingers.
Well, here’s the latest. Just got an email from them. Now they want me to ADD two performances. Sheesh…..I guess they have some VIPs coming and they want the harp to add class. Go figure. Ugggghhhh and grrrrrrrrr……..
I’ve not heard a word back from the Associate Minister of Music for this church as of today. A couple of friends have said I was over-reacting, but others agree with me. I do have at least one replacement gig in the wings that just came up that would get me out of at least 2 “services” for this church. And I’m actively trying to find more gigs–and usually I do get a few panicked calls in November from organizations who either forgot to hire a harpist for things like CEREMONY OF CAROLS or NUTCRACKER. (I once got a call with 90 minutes warning to come play the whole NUTCRACKER ballet because they forgot to get a harp!)
And yes, this church spends the BIG BUCKS on this presentation–17 performances with 3000 audience seating per performance. Last year I wound up about 6 feet from a Bengal tiger during every show! But you’d think with all this professional staging, effects, flying angels, live animals, click tracks, lipsyncing on some vocals, etc. that they could get their act together on this!
I’d like to post an update and a request for feedback. The latest on this: I just got an email from the conductor asking me to confirm what dates I’d be playing with them. I sent them the dates. Then this morning I got the following email:
“I don’t remember it being that many performances. I would appreciate it if you would forward me our original correspondence regarding these dates.”
In other words, they DON’T BELEIVE ME when I sent a list and think I’m lying!
And their email with the dates was sent 6 weeks ago.I’ve just about had it! It’s clear they DO NOT WANT ME THERE. Do I just soldier on and play the dates? I’d be nearly physically ill doing it….what a horrible space to be in, creating music where you are CLEARLY not wanted….or do I tell them that I will never darken their doors again and spread the word to the harp and orchestral community that this is how they treat people? They have at least a $200,000 budget for this production–it’s truly “Broadway Goes To Church” complete with flying angels, live animals, and a cast of 300 and a 35 piece orchestra. So $750 is NOT a budget breaker for them! I’m sure they spend that much just to rent the live python or kangaroo (which I never remember reading about in the Christmas Story…….but that’s another issue…..)
Any advice as to what to do? I’ve never been treated/insulted/had my honesty so questioned. I know if I tell them to stuff it–then they win and they don’t pay me. But I’m so angry now that I don’t know if I could even come up with a scale gliss without being filled with totally negative feelings. FEEDBACK PLEASE!!!!!
If you’re not used to ensemble playing, the “sound pressure” of hearing other instruments live and loud near you can make your brain (and fingers!) freeze!! You’re not alone in this. I remember one harpist saying to me, “All it takes is one moving plaid shirt in the first violins and you’re toast!”–AND SHE WAS RIGHT! It’s all very overwhelming until you just calm down and get used to it. So don’t beat up on yourself! You do get used to it. I always try to play with a recording, if at all possible….you learn your entrances and can listen to what else is happening. That way there are no surprises when you show up at rehearsal and had no idea you were solo–or tutti with the bassoons or whatever. Don’t give up….you do get used to it, and it’s a real thrill to be in the middle of such a wall of sound!
Okay gang, here’s the latest: Out of the blue I got a form email asking me to “confirm” my participation in this year’s pageant! I emailed the music director and asked, basically, what was happening? I thought I was out. I got this in reply:
“Maybe call your friends from out of town, explain the situation, and see if you can get the gigs back.
You received the planning center email from April because you will need to download any harp music that we have and be prepared to play it with us on the dates you listed:
December 3,5,6,8,10,11,12,13,14,15.”Now *I* am totally confused–suddenly I have all these dates to “confirm” but I was told there was no parts and I wasn’t needed?!?!
I emailed them back:
“Maybe I’ve slipped a gear somewhere, but I thought you said you DID NOT need me at all! I have all the dates open right now in December.I haven’t booked anything yet, and I can’t really call the other harpists (I did not hire them, the orchestras/conductors did when I said I wasn’t available.) But I AM available every day in December.
Do you need harp for December 4,7,9?
I apologize if I misunderstood you, but I thought you had said you had no harp parts at all (new orchestrations) and my services weren’t needed at all. That’s why I’m very confused!”
The answers I get back are more cryptic than ever–apparently (and I have to read between the lines!) I am to play several dates unless I can get another gig. I think. I’ve shown the emails to several friends and they are all perplexed as well…..as one friend said, “I think they want you to get as many jobs as possible and just go away.”
I’ve never been in such a situation. As another friend said, “When IS a harp valid for orchestrations, especially in December? ” So I guess I will be doing SOME dates with them after all, but it would appear they will be sulking and very unhappy that they are paying me anything. I mean, asking me to call the other harpists and yank my gigs back from them?!?!? I would never do that in a million years!!!!
Dave Ice
I feel that way too, but they sort of blind-sided me. In fact they called during a harp society meeting! But I am charging them for every rehearsal/concert I turned down. They even asked “can’t you just get the gig back?” I told them emphatically NO…it’s not fair to the other harpists or the conductor!
