Professional Studies 1: Working in the Creative Industries – Written Research Portfolio

As someone who has always been fascinated by the work of musicians in theatre, I chose to research the work of pit musicians. I felt that this field of work had some interesting challenges as well as providing a lot of transferable skills into other areas of the music industry, and therefore would provide a strong base for my research portfolio. In this assignment, I will look at the different areas of expertise and qualifications required to be a pit musician, some of the further opportunities that can come from working in this field, as well as other questions that help to provide an in-depth analysis of this career. I hope that through this assignment, I can use the information I find and apply it to my musicianship, and it will provide a strong knowledge of the area of music that interests me so much.

What is a pit musician?

‘A pit orchestra musician plays in an accompanying ensemble for musicals, operas, ballets, plays, silent films, and other shows involving live music’. (Berklee College of Music, 2024)

What are the qualifications you need?

There are no requirements for academic qualifications such as GCSE’s and A-Levels for pit musicians. However, having tailored tutoring in music such as BA Popular Music or BA Classical Music offered by Leeds Conservatoire will be very beneficial, as branches of both Popular and Classical music are used in a pit orchestra setting.

Strong sight-reading ability is another pit musician essential. Musicians may sometimes have limited time allowances to learn and familiarise themselves with the charts or scores, so an ability to playing music accurately and confidently in a short time frame is a must. It is also important to be comfortable following a conductor and working to a click track. Some performances, mainly with more classical based repertoire – such as Richard Rogers Carousel and Oklahoma! – will be purely with a conductor. However, more modern musicals will make use of both a conductor and a click track, as can be seen in Back to the Future: The Musical (Back to the Future: The Musical, 2022), where ‘the… visual cues… directly link to lighting and video, as well as time codes and click tracks.’ (Front of House Magazine, 2023).

All pit musicians are required to be highly proficient on at least one instrument. The parts are often complex and therefore require a high level of understanding and control to play accurately. Doubling/tripling etc. is also an often required role for certain musicians, most commonly flute/clarinet/saxophone. It is also common for there to be a solo percussionist, rather than being assigned to a single instrument as it often is in orchestral settings. Being confident on tuned percussion, untuned percussion, and drum kit would be a strong recommendation for any pit orchestra percussionists.

What are the knowledge, skills, and personal qualities required to be successful in this industry?

Good communication is crucial when performing in a pit band. Strong communication during a performance allows the performer to quickly get information across to the conductor or other members of the band, which is a critical skill. Remaining calm under pressure can also be a skill which can be the difference between a good and bad performer. As a lot of pit orchestra roles come by way of auditions, having this skill in your repertoire can help you to progress deeper into the industry.

It is also highly important to be able to easily switch between genres. Most productions will have a fusion of different styles of music so the ability to seamlessly switch between these is crucial. ‘To succeed in this business, it’s really great if you can be a master of all of [these styles] and know how to play several different ones in the course of one evening,’ (Playbill, Sperling, 2018).

Alongside this, a strong ability to multitask will undoubtably prove itself to be useful, especially as a percussionist. Some productions require very complex percussion parts which involve balancing multiple tasks simultaneously, as can be seen in Joe Martone’s video (Joe Martone, 2015), where there are instances of multitasking visible during this production of West Side Story, such as 2:10-3:00.

What does a typical day consist of?

Theatre shows often take place in the evenings, meaning that mornings for a pit musician normally contain little to no work. Most commonly, mornings include solo instrument practice, which may be specific to the show but can also be less tailored. Practice of this kind may consist of looking over more difficult sections of a score or working on changes between or included in a track. The afternoon would usually have a rehearsal with the full pit band, and on some days can also involve the on-stage actors to help with alignment of the music to the visuals.

Evenings for a pit musician most often involve performing the show they are involved with. Usually, around 60 mins before the show begins, the musicians will look at tunings and do a soundcheck, as well as reanalysing sections of the score if necessary. After the conclusion of the performance, they will pack up instruments if needed and may attend a post-show meeting to discuss certain aspects of the performance.

Most West End shows run every evening from Monday-Saturday, with Sundays off. There are also normally 1-2 matinees a week, on a Saturday or midweek. On average, they will play 8 shows a week, however this varies depending on the venue, the length of the run, and the popularity of the show.

What are the financial or legal issues that might affect someone in this line of work?

One of the most common financial issues faced by pit musicians is due to the unpredictability of the work. Whilst some will be involved in long running West End productions, the musicians in less successful shows will have a much less stable income, as when they are between shows they will have no income stream. Some musicians choose to combat this through session work or freelancing, however this industry is also unreliable, meaning balancing time and money wisely is a vital skill.

There are also various legal issues pit musicians may encounter. These often stem from contractual issues regarding pay rates, working hours, or the responsibilities required for the work. The suggested rate for a pit musician playing one show every night for a week on a single instrument is £1,183.74 (Musicians Union, 2024, p1). However, if there are extra responsibilities taken on such as extra hours, doubling, or portering, this rate should be increased. Some companies will not offer portering rates, which can spark issues when instrumentalists must transport large instruments. As a lot of pit musicians pursue work outside of theatre, this can spark issues with overtime pay as they may have other commitments which they have to cancel.

Commonly, there can be issues with copyright laws. Most musical theatre works are protected under copyright law, so both theatres and individuals must have correct licenses for distribution of this music. Navigating these laws safely can be difficult, and some performers also have clauses meaning they have extra requirements for the distribution of their music, which can also provide extra complications.

It is also common practice for musicians to be changed during the run of a production. If a musician feels they have been unfairly dismissed from their role in a way that violates their contract, this could mean that they have the grounds to pursue legal action.

What are the marketing and promotional aspects of this job that are required?

Most pit musicians will make use of Electronic Press Kits, having websites, links to social media pages, and other important platforms to promote themselves professionally. The websites often hold information such as prior experience, reviews, pictures, and other contact information. Social media is used to give up-to-date news about the musicians’ life and/or career. Most musicians choose to have multiple accounts to differentiate between work and personal lives. Some choose to have streaming links in their EPKs, as this can help to give an insight into your styles and areas of expertise. The use of EPKs is the most common way pit musicians choose to market themselves as a professional in the industry.

How would you progress further and develop this career?

Dep – ‘a stand-in, a musician who takes the place of a regular band member’ (Steven Howard Woodwind, 2024)

Most pit musicians will start their career as a dep, which normally takes the form of watching the regular musician perform shows and assisting if they need any help, before covering for a show which the usual musician cannot make. Some musicians will progress by ascending through the sections in a long running production, as they are familiar with the soundtrack. However, cross-production progression always exclusively comes by way of depping before an MD offers you a role in a production. Playing in these shows help you to become known to the Music Directors and Coordinators, and progression will come through being given work by other MDs, as most work in a pit orchestra comes through the MD and knowing someone who already has work in the industry.

Some musicians will use their prior experience to receive work as Musical Directors themselves. Previous work in pit bands is a common background for MDs, so progression of this manner may come by way of being offered a role as an MD rather than as a performer. Again, roles such as these often come from word-of-mouth recommendations, so connections and previous experience will often lead to more offers for work as an MD. Musical directors also commonly progress to being the music supervisor. This is a wider role which involves licensing, sound design, and the wider roles of music that are less involved with the pit band and more the general music in the theatre.

What are the intellectual or personal challenges that can occur?

There are a variety of both intellectual and personal challenges pit musicians can face. Spontaneous adaptation to both the different playing environments and styles is a vital skill to employ in this industry. Additionally, use of effective solo and group rehearsal methods is a hurdle for many musicians. Applying techniques such as KOLB’s learning cycle (Hull University, 2024) can help to analyse rehearsals and understand what the most effective practice methods are for each individual.

Some pit musicians also struggle with work/life balance. Working in this industry requires a lot of private practice outside of planned rehearsal times, and as such, musicians can struggle to separate home from work. This is added to by the fact that some will be members of a touring production, which means being away from family for extended periods, as well as living out of hotel rooms, which can be a struggle both physically and mentally.

It is also common for pit musicians to have problems with job security. This is a very prominent personal challenge that is faced by most pit musicians, as it is the nature of the industry that roles change, and you do not know where your income might be coming from. There are a lot of roles in a pit orchestra which over no job stability, as when the run of the show is over, if you have no work lined up, you will not have any income. As stated previously, a lot of pit musicians will balance their work in a pit orchestra with freelance work, and create a portfolio career for themselves, but job security is a very frequent issue when working in the pit music industry.

Some musicians will have to overcome psychological issues such as stage fright. Although a common issue, this will be a compulsory hurdle when performing, as a lack of ability to perform to an audience will mean that you are not able to play in shows, meaning you will not get any work in this field.

There can some physical strain in this line of work. Injuries could mean that you are unable to perform on a given night, which may lead to a lack of pay. This depends on your contract, as having a contract that works per show rather than a fixed contract will affect if you get paid. Also, playing instruments regularly can be very tiring, so this can have a physical toll on your body, as well as your mental well-being.

Conclusion

To conclude, being a pit musician has various challenges which come with the role. Ranging from legal issues to personal concerns, pit musicians have several obstacles to navigate in order to remain healthy and happy. Alongside these things, they must earn qualifications and personal skills, making the job difficult to gain access into. Despite this, ‘Playing in a pit orchestra brings me so much joy because the music is challenging and I’m about to play a part in a larger production, and that gives me such a feeling of accomplishment.’ (Vazquez, 2016).

Bibliography

Back to the Future: The Musical by Alan Silvestri, Glen Ballard (2020) [Live performance: play] Directed by John Rando. Manchester Opera House, 11 March 2020

Berklee College of Music (2024) Pit Orchestra Musician [Webpage]. Available at: https://www.berklee.edu/careers/roles/pit-musician (Accessed: 08 November 2024)

Front of House Magazine (2023) ‘Back to the Future’ Comes to Broadway [Webpage] Available at: https://fohonline.com/articles/theater-sound/back-to-the-future-comes-to-broadway/ (Accessed: 17 November 2024)

Hull University (2024) Kolb – Reflective writing [Webpage]. Available at: https://libguides.hull.ac.uk/reflectivewriting/kolb (Accessed: 30October 2024)

Joe Martone. (2015) West Side Story: Percussionist’s Perspective [Video]. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XckuLi5cqd4 (Accessed: 24October 2024)

Musicians Union (2024) SOLT/MU Agreement Rates [Written document]. Available at: https://musiciansunion.org.uk/working-performing/theatre-work/theatre-agreements-and-rates-of-pay/the-society-of-london-theatre-west-end-of-london-agreement (Accessed: 14 November 2024)

Playbill, Sperling (2018) How to Land a Job as a Broadway Musician [Webpage] Available at: https://playbill.com/article/how-to-land-a-job-as-a-broadway-musician [Accessed 28 November 2024]

Steven Howard Woodwind (2024) Of Deps and Depping [Webpage]. Available at https://www.shwoodwind.co.uk/Notes/The_dep.htm [Accessed 27 November 2024]

Vazquez, J (2016) What I Learned As A Pit Musician [Webpage] Available at: https://www.theodysseyonline.com/what-learned-as-pit-musician [Accessed 28 November 2024]