As I hang with the singers and songwriters of the LDS music world, there are few songwriters so universally respected as Cherie Call. Run by the Faith Centered Music Association, the Pearl Awards are the Mormon music industry’s equivalent to the Grammies.
LDS Musician – Singer ; Songwriter Cherie Call
If you’re a young musician wanting to break into the world of the West End theatre orchestras, where do you start?
It may come as a surprise that players who hold a chair would need a deputy. You might expect a chair holder to play at all performances, but there is an unwritten rule that says that players can take some shows off.
If you want to deputise as a musical theatre pit musician, put yourself in the mindset of the orchestral player you want to work for. The West End is the highest arena for orchestral pit playing in musical theatre. West End theatre musicians are ALWAYS employed by an MU-approved orchestral fixer. It isn’t possible to work as a musician in a West End show otherwise (in fact, it’s illegal). Do you know the show, the style, the feel of the music? What is your playing like? The sponsoring musician needs to know your playing. The chair holder already has knowledge of their playing ability and their personality. It’s essential that you play a range of instruments. Almost all woodwind pit parts are for doubling and trebling, and if you can do flute, picc, sax AND clarinet, you’ve got a headstart.
And finally, expect to do some touring before working on a West End show. I had been touring the UK and Europe for some time gaining experience as a pit performer before I received regular invitations to play in a West End show.
Posted in 
Tags: