I recently shared some of these thoughts with a group of players in the New World Symphony at a pool-side informal round-table gathering (Sept. ’94)

It appears that the greatest concern of the young musician seeking an orchestral position is the belief in stage-fright or nerves. Assuming proper preparation and a good attitude (I have nothing to lose, I don’t have the job so I can’t lose it), the manifestation of a loss of control is simply fear; fear of not doing as well as you can. There is a law of this universe which is so simple and so powerful and it literally wipes this fear out of your being, and it is this… “perfect love casts out fear.” If you are actively engaged in loving your instrument, loving the music, loving the audience, loving the committee, loving your enemies, then there is simply no room for fear of any kind, and you will find yourself playing better than you expected. To love is to live, and breathe, and sing, and play. Love then.

Another concern is to try to second-guess what the committee is wanting to hear– is it rhythm?, is it intonation?, is it phrasing?, is it…? –what they really want to hear is the music, pure and simple. All of those other things are also very necessary, but the music is what it is all about. So, play the music, and play it with extraordinary love and understanding.

Some folks have proudly announced to me that they got their job while on some form of drugs like beta-blockers, etc. My response to that is that you can’t make any real progress until you have complete control of yourself. I once refused a glass of Vodka from my music director following a recording session of the Shostakovich Cello Concerto with Rostropovitch. He was startled and demanded to know why. I knew he wouldn’t understand if I said I didn’t drink, so I said that I didn’t like to give control of myself over to something I couldn’t trust, like alcohol. He approved of my answer. In the end, you are fully responsible for yourself, and only you can do the work that is required. No outside stimulant can substitute hard work. This includes tobacco, coffee, and tea as well as all the drugs. Best to drink water, get plenty of rest, pray quietly, go for a walk, and keep loving.

Is playing orchestra a joy or a job? It’s wise to make it a joyful job, but remember that no job really employs you completely. Working for money is never the real reason for doing any job. You must love what you do, and then you will find happiness and joy in your work. In actuality you are always being employed to express all the best qualities you are capable of, such as intelligence, wisdom, beauty, balance, grace, sensitivity, awareness, love…this is full-time employment, and it doesn’t take a full-time paying job to put these qualities into practice. Getting the job merely continues the expression of these qualities, which should ever continue to grow and develop. The job is really an acknowledgement of those qualities already expressed.

If you are miserable, it’s your own fault.

Make excellence, beauty, and truth your goals, and you will rise to that level. Keep growing. It has a wonderful effect around you. Establish a disciplined routine; very little progress comes in spurts. Consistent, daily work brings strength and freedom. Love your instrument, love your work on that instrument if you intend to make it your life-work. There is no greater joy than to master your instrument, play it beautifully, and bring everyone such deep pleasure. It uplifts and inspires, yourself included.

Learn the language of music. Know all the words the composer uses in the music. Own and use the dictionaries of the French, German, and Italian languages.

I think of music as a language. Just as an interpreter translates between two languages, so the musician translates the symbols the composer wrote down (for what was heard in the head and heart) into conscious sound so that everyone can hear what the composer originally heard, or some idea of it. The player is like a window that lets in the light, a transparency for the composer’s expression.

Always check your motive for taking a particular audition. First of all, be sure you really want it. It would be embarrassing to turn it down once offered if suddenly you didn’t like the town, or the conductor, etc. Then make sure you are not taking the audition for the job. Take it for the love of the music, and I guarantee you will be satisfied with the results.