# I have orchestra problems...



## hellodog

Hi, this is my first time here and I wanted to ask a question that's been bothering me for a while now. Im a sophmore in high school and i'm about to reaudition for my youth orchestra (my sixth year reauditioning). The problem is that I really don't enjoy it that much and the rehearsals are too much for me. We practice twice a week for three hours straight each. Also, there are way too much concerts which are really tiring for me. I don't really practice the music since I don't like the music most of the time and the conducter picks favorites (i'm not a favorite). Also, it costs a lot of money and my parents don't go to any of the concerts anyways (it doesn't really bother me that much as the other problems). The biggest problem I guess is that I have no friends to hang out with during the concerts and rehearsals. Now I have to reaudition and it's really hard for me since the 13 excerpts we have to practice are confusing and extremely boring (excerpts are going to be a part of the orchestra repretoire for the year). My parents want me to continue since it's good for college and i'm pretty sure my private teacher wants me to continue since she is super strict. My teacher is really stressing me out since she tells me that the "other students" practice about 4-5 hours each day for the reaudition and that i'm really behind (or basically, she says that i'm the worst out of students that are practicing for the reaudition). She tells me that now I have to practice 5-6 hours each day during the summer. Some people might think it's not much but for a super lazy person like me, I practically think it's impossible. I sound like i'm complaining - I guess I am.

I really don't know what to do. After my whole experience with my youth orchestra, it makes me think that I hate orchestra music in general. I really love classical music and i'm so glad I picked up my instrument but I just don't like my youth orchestra. I've been considering joining other orchestras (community not youth) around the area that are not as hardcore as the youth orchestra i'm in. But my parents say that I should at least join the youth orchestra for one more year (since you can only add high school stuff for college) but it really kills me to think about it. I really enjoy playing my instrument but I don't really think of myself as a person who will be a super musician in the future. Should I just do nothing but practice my excerpts and scales during the summer or should I try to convince my parents and teacher that I don't want to be in the youth orchestra? I've tried to convince my parents that I don't want to be in my youth orchestra but they still think I should still be in. I didn't even try to talk to my teacher about it since she literally scares me. I was also wondering if telling colleges that you were in a community orchestra is better than saying that you were in a youth orchestra? Sorry that this became really long. I just hope that someone could help me. Thank you so much for taking the time to read to the end! It really means a lot to me.


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## Meaghan

Most colleges (with the possible exception of some conservatories) will not care if the orchestra you were in in high school was a youth orchestra or a community orchestra. They just want to see that you have a well-rounded set of extracurriculars and will be happy to see that you played in an orchestra. At least, that was my experience. I was in a youth orchestra for only one year (and the wind ensemble associated with it for two) and I was accepted to all but one of the colleges I applied to and was also offered music scholarships at the college I ending up attending and one other (on the basis of auditions, which most music programs seem to value more than resumes). Are you looking at conservatories? I know a lot less about their requirements, maybe they would want to see that you spent all of high school in a hardcore youth orchestra, but I can tell you that when it comes to liberal arts colleges, not being in youth orchestra is very unlikely to jeopardize your chances. It sounds like conservatory isn't really what you _want_ to do anyway, if you're not super intense about practicing (I'm not either, most of the time) and aren't hoping for a serious music career. There is nothing wrong with just enjoying playing and wanting to continue with it without wanting your whole life to revolve around it. I wish you luck talking to your parents and your scary teacher about this. But really, if you're not aspiring to professional musicianhood, the only reason to choose a youth orchestra over a community orchestra is because you want to, and it sounds like you really don't.


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## samurai

What instrument do you play, then? For six years you've been re-auditioning without making the cut? *OUCH! *Maybe it's time to seek out another private instructor and/or switch to sports, which sounds a whole lot easier than what you've been putting yourself through with a glaring lack of results! I mean--no offense--sometimes in life things just aren't meant to be or turn out the way we thought they would, and we have to come op with a "Plan B", so to speak.


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## Meaghan

samurai said:


> What instrument do you play, then? For six years you've been re-auditioning without making the cut? *OUCH! *Maybe it's time to seek out another private instructor and/or switch to sports, which sounds a whole lot easier than what you've been putting yourself through with a glaring lack of results! I mean--no offense--sometimes in life things just aren't meant to be or turn out the way we thought they would, and we have to come op with a "Plan B", so to speak.


Actually, my impression of the post, since helldog talks about what it's like being in this orchestra, is that he or she has been in it for six years and just has to re-audition every year, which is pretty standard youth orchestra policy.


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## Lunasong

I can't reconcile "confusing" and "extremely boring." But I know how you feel about feeling forced to participate in something that just isn't fun for you anymore.

The music scholarship you will get for being a string player (I am assuming) at a liberal arts college as a non-music major is likely to be comparable to what it costs for your lessons and orchestra fees for the next three years. You can investigate this yourself now with a few phone calls or emails.

If you still want to play, go for it. But change your goal so that you have fun. Try a community orchestra. Another short-term commitment (but lots of fun and a chance to individually shine) is to play for pit in local musicals. Sometimes they even pay a stipend.

You will need to audition to get that music scholarship and you will have to be worthy, which means study with a private teacher. But you can also audition just to be in the college ensemble, hang with like-minded people, and play music together, without worrying about meeting a standard of excellence. In my son's university orchestra, most of the string players are engineering majors


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## hellodog

Thank you so much for replying! I didn't realize that this many people would say anything. Your opinions really helped me a lot! I still haven't decided what to do but I guess I still have the whole summer left. I'm still trying to convince my parents and hopefully we could figure something out. Thanks again!


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## Moira

A smaller ensemble might also work for you if that is an option. I understand people who don't fit into "big" environments. I have never had a job where they employed more than five people at which I was truly happy. I work best in small environments where my own individuality is valued in ways which it is not in bigger environments and I have never even attempted to work for one of the huge corporations.


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## Jeremy Marchant

hellodog said:


> Thank you so much for replying! I didn't realize that this many people would say anything. Your opinions really helped me a lot! I still haven't decided what to do but I guess I still have the whole summer left. I'm still trying to convince my parents and hopefully we could figure something out. Thanks again!


What do you actually want to have happen?
What would you like to do?
Where do you want to be, musically, in a year's time? In five years' time?


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## Ramako

I actively avoided orchestra at school.
I joined a small early music group to shut my teachers up, and ran away if they started talking about orchestra.
I have a place to do music at uni next year.

If you don't want to do music at university/college, or as a career, then you don't need to practice 5 hours a day. Still, I would definitely keep talking to your parents: compromise is the buzzword. Perhaps you could do a certain amount that is more amenable to you (1/2 hours?) and say that if you make the auditions then that is great, but if not, then it is because you don't feel that you are amenable to the orchestra's ethic?


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## Moira

Ramako, one of the reasons that young people who did music seriously at school but do not do it as a career do better than average at their chosen careers is because of the discipline of practicing when they don't feel like it.  I was asking some orchestra musicians how much private practice they do per day, other than official rehearsals. Most don't do more than two hours a day (self-reported) and I suspect that is about double what they really do based on the fact that a very good friend of mine showed me her practice schedule for the week and it runs to one hour, ten minutes every day. My ex-husband was a semi-professional musician (or keen amateur) and his practice session for two instruments ran to one hour a day. He also rehearsed for four hours a week.


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## Ramako

Moira said:


> Ramako, one of the reasons that young people who did music seriously at school but do not do it as a career do better than average at their chosen careers is because of the discipline of practicing when they don't feel like it.  I was asking some orchestra musicians how much private practice they do per day, other than official rehearsals. Most don't do more than two hours a day (self-reported) and I suspect that is about double what they really do based on the fact that a very good friend of mine showed me her practice schedule for the week and it runs to one hour, ten minutes every day. My ex-husband was a semi-professional musician (or keen amateur) and his practice session for two instruments ran to one hour a day. He also rehearsed for four hours a week.


Discipline is excellent and highly commendable, but if a string is strung too tightly it breaks. It can take a lot of motivation to renew discipline if this happens. 6 hours a day? Sounds suspect to me unless one is aiming to become a soloist or something. You just said that 2 hours a day was more normal. From similar stories from a friend, I think teachers deliberately aim to intimidate students.


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## Krummhorn

I started piano at an early age ... between piano and organ, I studied privately for 12 years and another two years in college for organ. My organ teacher insisted that I practice at least 3 hours daily, which I did, and now very grateful for having done that.

I became a professional musician (classical pipe organ/piano) turned professional ... and without the aid of a conservatory ... I did it _on *my* terms_. My parents showed me the way - provided the cost of lessons - and it was easy as we were a very musical family and would often play together at home in the evenings (tuba, violin, viola, piano) as there was no internet, and the only television worth watching was the Ed Sullivan show on Sunday nights, and only in black and white on a small screen.

I was never told that I _had to_ practice ... I wanted to, because of my love for classical music and the instruments I chose (piano, then organ) to persue. I entered various competitions over the years and actually won a few ... feathers in the cap, but they did not contribute one iota to getting me a professional gig. No, I accomplished that on my own, through auditions, and there was one failure, but the rest I survived and became a better musician for the experience.

I don't have a degree in music ... and yet I can, and still do, play circles around DMA's ... they have the book knowledge, but little time experience in the field. The fancy paper with the scrolled lines _does not make one a musician_, rather the person does this themselves at an excellence level that they can live with.

In other words, one will only get out of music what they put into it. If one wants to turn professional, then practicing for hours upon hours will be the norm ... it all depends on what _you_ want to do.

I have no regrets for missing out on childhood experiences - I was practicing on the piano when friends were playing baseball out on the street. Yes, I had sufficient time for recreating ... it wasn't all work and no play ... there was a mix, and for me it worked out well. After 51 years, I am still a professional organist ... mainly playing in church and doing some concert work (when I want to) ... and I still love this line of work now as much as I loved it when I began this musical journey.

I came up with a little phrase years ago ... I have it posted on the organ console at church:

_Amateurs practice until they get it right ... 
Professionals practice until they can't get it wrong!_

Kh ♫


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## superhorn

Welcome to our forum ! It's great to see a young person who's really interested in classical music . We need a lot more of them . By the way, what instrument do you play ? I started learning the horn in elementary school , and played in the band , continuing on through graduation from high school, on through college as a music and education major, and through graduate school ,playing in a wide variety of different groups . 
I don't know where you live, and how much opportunity there is to play in different groups , but I was fortunate to grow up on Long Island in the 1960s where there were plenty of opportunities to play in a wide variety of musical groups outside school . I was active in the Summertime Usdan center for the arts on Long Island ,playing in the band,orchestra and horn classes under soem well known horn players .
There were special band and orchestra concerts for the most talented kids from the entire school district where I lived, and I played in them , and then went on to [perform in a wide variety of groups, orchestras, bands, opera companies for many years until I started doing a wide variety of freelance work as an adult .
I also played in the Long Ilsand youth orchestra in college , which has toured on all continents but Antarctica during Summers outside its regular concerts on Long Island, and in the 1970s played an unforgettale tour of Australia,New Zealand, Samoa and the Fiji islands .
Whether you want to continue playing further and possibly go to a music school and possibly pursue a career in classical music is up to you . But you'll never regret the experience of having been a young musician ! Good luck !


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## Jaws

hellodog said:


> Hi, this is my first time here and I wanted to ask a question that's been bothering me for a while now. Im a sophmore in high school and i'm about to reaudition for my youth orchestra (my sixth year reauditioning). The problem is that I really don't enjoy it that much and the rehearsals are too much for me. We practice twice a week for three hours straight each. Also, there are way too much concerts which are really tiring for me. I don't really practice the music since I don't like the music most of the time and the conducter picks favorites (i'm not a favorite). Also, it costs a lot of money and my parents don't go to any of the concerts anyways (it doesn't really bother me that much as the other problems). The biggest problem I guess is that I have no friends to hang out with during the concerts and rehearsals. Now I have to reaudition and it's really hard for me since the 13 excerpts we have to practice are confusing and extremely boring (excerpts are going to be a part of the orchestra repretoire for the year). My parents want me to continue since it's good for college and i'm pretty sure my private teacher wants me to continue since she is super strict. My teacher is really stressing me out since she tells me that the "other students" practice about 4-5 hours each day for the reaudition and that i'm really behind (or basically, she says that i'm the worst out of students that are practicing for the reaudition). She tells me that now I have to practice 5-6 hours each day during the summer. Some people might think it's not much but for a super lazy person like me, I practically think it's impossible. I sound like i'm complaining - I guess I am.
> 
> I really don't know what to do. After my whole experience with my youth orchestra, it makes me think that I hate orchestra music in general. I really love classical music and i'm so glad I picked up my instrument but I just don't like my youth orchestra. I've been considering joining other orchestras (community not youth) around the area that are not as hardcore as the youth orchestra i'm in. But my parents say that I should at least join the youth orchestra for one more year (since you can only add high school stuff for college) but it really kills me to think about it. I really enjoy playing my instrument but I don't really think of myself as a person who will be a super musician in the future. Should I just do nothing but practice my excerpts and scales during the summer or should I try to convince my parents and teacher that I don't want to be in the youth orchestra? I've tried to convince my parents that I don't want to be in my youth orchestra but they still think I should still be in. I didn't even try to talk to my teacher about it since she literally scares me. I was also wondering if telling colleges that you were in a community orchestra is better than saying that you were in a youth orchestra? Sorry that this became really long. I just hope that someone could help me. Thank you so much for taking the time to read to the end! It really means a lot to me.


The first thing I notice about this is that you don't like doing a lot of practice. That is fine, some people don't.

I see that you say that your parents don't go to the concerts, is this because they don't like the music either? If this is the case I think it is unreasonable for them to expect you to like it.

Don't worry about what your teacher thinks and if they keep comparing you to their other pupils it is time you changed teachers. Everyone learns at different rates, so comparing you to other pupils is completely unhelpful. What your teacher thinks about you joining the orchestra is unimportant. The teacher is there to help you get the most out of learning to play music. Not, you are there to help the teacher with their success rate.

My advice would be to join a community orchestra, and not worry too much about the music practice. The music practice should not stop you from starting another activity that you may enjoy as much as playing music.


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## Vaneyes

My advice would be to step away from it entirely, and find something that builds a fire within.


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