Professional Symphony Research Articles

Shy One: The Songs of Rebecca Clarke

Abstract: Rebecca Clarke, 1886–1979, was a trailblazing British violist and composer. She was one of the first women to play in a professional symphony orchestra, and her compositions were exemplary, even though the press in her lifetime doubted they were written by a woman. This article provides a detailed biography of Clarke’s life, an overview of her general compositional style, pedagogical considerations for singing her music, and a closer look at eight of her strongest songs. For each song, a synopsis of the poem and musical analysis is presented, as well as details about range, tessitura, song length and suggested voice type.

Musculoskeletal pain in professional symphony orchestra musicians

Background: A musician’s many years of professional experience may contribute to the development of pain and musculoskeletal disorders. There are a few studies in Poland on gender differences in musculoskeletal pain among adult professional musicians. Aim of the study: This study aimed to assess and compare pain in Polish women and men who are professional musicians, as well as to analyze the relationships between the intensity and frequency of pain and the time spent playing each week and the experience of playing the instrument in years. Material and methods: Sixty professional musicians were examined (26 men and 34 women). Pain intensity was assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS). Participants reported the frequency of musculoskeletal system ailments, the location of the pain, the number of hours of playing the instrument per week, and the playing experience in years. In addition, body weight and height were measured and body mass index (BMI) was calculated. Results: Most of the participants (94% of women and 69% of men) reported pain in the musculoskeletal system (p=0.010). Women experienced significantly greater pain in the musculoskeletal system assessed using the VAS (p=0.036), and also declared pain significantly more often compared to men (p=0.002). Significant positive correlations were found between frequency of symptoms per week with the number of hours of playing per week (r=0.28), year of playing the instrument (r=0.38), and pain assessment on the VAS (r=0.57). Moreover, negative correlations were found between frequency of symptoms per week with body height (r=–0.45) and body mass (r=–0.36). Conclusions: Musculoskeletal disorders are very common among professional musicians, especially among women. In general, the greater the number of hours playing per week and the longer the history of playing, the greater the pain intensity. Future research should aim to evaluate the prevalence and risk factors of musculoskeletal disorders associated with playing an instrument in different groups of musicians.

Symphonies, Status and Soft Power: The Symphony Orchestra of India

The Symphony Orchestra of India (SOI) is India's only professional symphony orchestra. In this paper, I explore the roles and meanings of the SOI. First, I situate it locally within its home city of Mumbai, positioning it within discourses of social class, status, and globally-minded aspiration. I argue that local values and ideologies surrounding professional musicianship compromise attempts to embed orchestral musicking in the city. I then move on to place the SOI within discourses of nation building, questioning the role of the orchestra as a marker of national development. I suggest that Mumbai's transnational middle class and elite communities, as well as the SOI's multinational corporate donors, consider investment in an orchestra a part of India's wider political and economic development. I point to tensions that are created as India's local and national government resist the notion of the orchestra as a marker of modernity and instead champion Indian arts and cultures as foundational to India's nationhood. Finally, I explore the SOI's transnational networks, looking at its role within cultural diplomacy and soft power. I show that, whilst the SOI has made significant steps in 'reaching out' and finding a place within transnational cultural networks, its efforts are hampered by its failure to 'stand out'; to forge its own national identity as an Indian symphony orchestra.

Developing emplaced performance knowledge in professional symphony orchestras

ABSTRACT During an investigation into learning in professional orchestral performance, space and place was observed to be important to the musicians’ development of orchestral practices. Emplacement is advanced here as a useful concept to explain this spatial aspect of orchestral performance knowledge. Originating in sensory ethnographic research, emplacement refers to the process of construing cultural and embodied knowledges within socially negotiated and co-constituted places, such as an orchestral environment. From this perspective, place is a way of constructing understandings of environments that are contingent on individuals’ physical locations, movement patterns, and responses to the affordances of their environment. The participant musicians’ performance knowledge was found to be emplaced in and around the physical spaces of their specific musical and social environments. Thus, emplacement is put forward as a broadly-based cognitive process that connects bodily perception, environment, and learning by accounting for how individual musicians change their knowledge as they act together.

Musculoskeletal pain among Finnish orchestra musicians versus core workforce.

Professional musicians show a high prevalence of musculoskeletal pain, but information is limited about prevalence of pain compared to the general populations. Our cross-sectional epidemiological study compared the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain between professional orchestra musicians and the working population in Finland. Musicians with a permanent contract with all domestic professional symphony and philharmonic orchestras and a population sample of the workforce in Finland completed questionnaires including the same questions on musculoskeletal pain and on various other issues. Cross-sectional data from two population-based and two orchestra-musician studies were analysed by logistic regression model adjusting for confounding factors. In 2002, 345 musicians completed questionnaires (40% response rate), and in 2010, 195 (23%). The Health 2000 study sample comprised 5956 employed participants and in 2011, 5942. Musicians reported, in 2002 and in 2010, back pain during the past 30 days more often than did controls, 39% versus 27%, adjusted odds ratio (95% confidence interval, CI) 1.5 (1.2-1.9); shoulder pain, 21% versus 9%, 2.6 (1.9-2.5); elbow pain, 14% versus 5%, 2.9 (2.0-4.2); wrist pain 14% versus 7%, 2.2 (1.5-3.1); and finger pain 13% versus 9%, 2.8 (2.0-3.9). Prevalence of musculoskeletal pain increased with age in controls but not in musicians. Professional orchestra musicians reported more pain in the back and upper extremity than other working people. Future research should focus on explaining differences in the occurrence of musculoskeletal disorders between musicians and the general population.

Environmental impact study of symphony orchestras and preparation of a classification guide

ABSTRACT In this work, five professional symphony orchestras have been analysed for several parameters in order to assess negative environmental impacts related to their activity. The parameter with the greatest impact was the concert tour (40%) because of CO2 emissions, followed by the energy consumption in the printing of music sheets (30%), noise pollution (20%) and, finally, light efficiency (10%). The weighting of the results on a dimensionless scale (0–100), together with the elaboration of quality sub-indices allowed the elaboration of a Total Quality Index and a Classification Guide for analysing and comparing any symphony orchestra. The highest relative quality values (80–100) were related to the symphony orchestras that travel by private car, use the eBook as a support for their music sheets and rehearse in acoustically isolated rooms, illuminated with LED. Therefore, the basis for further studies related to the assessment of environmental sustainability in other less common areas can be carried out using the method applied to orchestras.

Measuring emotion through quality: evaluating the musical repertoires of Spanish symphony orchestras

Repertoire programming decisions taken by symphony orchestra managers usually pursue a mixture of aims embracing both quality and audience success, but are influenced by various factors. Our goal is to assess the quality of the repertoire of Spanish symphony orchestras and to gauge the impact of a series of external variables on the programming decisions. We take a sample of 20 professional symphony orchestras covering a homogenous period from 2014 to 2017. First, we summarise the quality in the repertoires through three partial indices (contemporaneity, most well-known composers and conventionality) before constructing a composite quality indicator using Data Envelopment Analysis. Second, we use regression analysis to examine the effect on the programme quality of various external variables, some related to the internal management of the orchestras, others addressing the socio-economic contextual aspects of the area in which they are located. We also carried out a cluster analysis to identify the most frequent programming strategies. We find there are two programming strategies, ranging from novelty and risk to more stable and safe repertoires based on well-known composers. The quality of orchestras is linked to longer seasons, how young these institutions are, and their being located in Madrid, whereas the most conventional programmes correspond to longer-standing orchestras located in areas with older populations and lower levels of education.

Effect of a rehabilitation program on performance-related musculoskeletal disorders in student and professional orchestral musicians: a randomized controlled trial

Objective: To explore the feasibility of a rehabilitation program and its effect on the performance-related musculoskeletal symptoms and functional limitations of orchestral musicians. Design: Single-blind pilot randomized controlled trial with exercise group and control group. Setting: Workplace of professional symphony orchestra and tertiary-level conservatory orchestral musicians. Participants: Professional and student orchestral musicians with or without performance-related musculoskeletal disorders. Interventions: A rehabilitation program including an educational presentation, an 11-week home exercise program and three supervised exercise sessions, versus no intervention. Measures: Feasibility measures included adherence and drop-out rate. The Musculoskeletal Pain Intensity and Interference Questionnaire for professional orchestra Musicians (MPIIQM) measured symptom intensity and functional limitations, while the Nordic Musculoskeletal Questionnaire (NMQ) measured symptom prevalence and frequency. Results: A total of 30 participants were recruited (n = 15 per group). Exercise group adherence was 97.7% for the supervised sessions and 89% for the home exercise program. There were no drop-outs. Significant group-time interactions were obtained for both the pain intensity (partial η2 = 0.166; P = 0.025) and pain interference (partial η2 = 0.186; P = 0.017) sections of the MPIIQM. Mean (standard deviation) pain intensity score changes from baseline to 11 weeks were control group: 0.40 (5.04); P = 0.763; partial η2 = 0.007; and exercise group: –4.07 (5.31); P = 0.010; partial η2 = 0.386. For pain interference, mean score changes were control group: 0.20 (9.10); P = 0.933; partial η2 = 0.001; and exercise group: –9.00 (10.73); P = 0.006; partial η2 = 0.430. NMQ analyses revealed no significant interaction (P > 0.05). Conclusion: Results suggest that the studied program is feasible and effective in decreasing the intensity and functional impact of musicians’ symptoms. However, no significant medium-term effect on the prevalence and frequency of symptoms was shown.

Health problems of orchestral musicians from a life-span perspective

The profession of orchestral musician is often linked to musculoskeletal problems, hearing disorders, and struggles with stage fright. However, data on the prevalence of physical problems are very divergent because of different research methods and sampling procedures. It is to be expected that physical problems generally increase with age, but the literature on medical issues that affect musicians contains very few studies on this aspect. In light of this, the data produced by a cross-sectional study of 2,536 musicians from 133 professional symphony orchestras in Germany were analyzed with regard to a number of health aspects. The data from 894 female (36%) and 1,607 male (64%) professional orchestral musicians aged between 20 and 69 ( M = 45.5, SD = 9.52) were used to study physical problems, their duration and intensity, and psychological difficulties (such as pressure to perform in the orchestra and stage fright) in conjunction with variables such as age, gender, instrument family, position in the orchestra, and category of orchestra. The various health problems were also examined in relation to health behaviors, including preventative actions taken (nutrition, sleep, etc.). The results showed that more than one in two (55%) of the orchestral musicians who took part in the survey were suffering at the time from physical problems that affected their playing. The prevalence increased significantly with advancing age, and string players and harpists had an above-average frequency of experiencing physical problems. Interestingly, there was no significant correlation between the severity of problems and different health behaviors (including preventative action). Around half (49%) of the orchestral musicians said they felt the pressure to perform was intensifying, something that they partly attributed to an increase in artistic demands. The findings are discussed with reference to existing empirical results, potential methods of prevention and treatment, social aspects, and health-care policies.

A trio of multi-purpose halls, 1995–2016: Aronoff, Overture, and Hancher

The Aronoff Center in Cincinnati OH (1995) includes a 2700-seat multi-purpose hall used as a roadhouse, with a particular focus on touring Broadway shows. The Overture Center in Madison, WI (2005), has a 2250-seat multi-purpose hall that is the home to a professional symphony orchestra and opera company, as well as hosting touring Broadway shows. Hancher Auditorium in Iowa City IA (2016) has an 1,800-seat multi-purpose hall that acts as a roadhouse for a broad variety of performance types, as a presenter for dance, and as the largest performance space for the University of Iowa's arts programs. All three performing arts centers had Pelli Clarke Pelli as design architect, Theatre Projects Consultants as theater consultant, and Kirkegaard Associates as acoustics consultant. This presentation examines what these halls have in common, how they are different, and what drove these differences. It looks specifically at the degree to which the differences are a design response to the particular program of each ro...

Concept-Based Arts Integration: Lessons Learned from an Application in Music and Biology

Arts integration has been a mixed blessing, with both the potential for developing deeper understandings amid concerns that it diminishes the integrity and authenticity of learning in the arts. This article describes concept-based arts integration as a model of arts integration where curriculum is designed around shared concepts that connect across the arts and other academic subjects. The benefits of using concept-based arts integration curriculum are explored within the scope of an educational outreach program led by a professional symphony orchestra that partnered in a multiphase arts integrated program with forty surrounding elementary schools. Several strategies and criteria are included to help music educators identify shared concepts and design concept-based arts integrated projects in their schools.

Comparing the Impact of Specific Strength Training vs General Fitness Training on Professional Symphony Orchestra Musicians: A Feasibility Study.

To evaluate the feasibility and effect of "specific strength training" (SST) versus "general fitness training" (GFT). A feasibility study using randomized controlled methods. Primarily, evaluations involved self-reported impact on instrument playing and satisfaction with the interventions. Secondary evaluations included pain intensity, hand-grip strength, aerobic capacity, body mass index, and self-assessed physical fitness. A total of 23 professional symphony orchestra musicians were randomly allocated to either the SST (n=12) or GFT (n=11) groups. Participants conducted three 20-minutes exercise periods/wk at the workplace for 9 weeks. Evaluations of both interventions showed that approximately 50% of musicians were satisfied with the interventions and experienced a positive impact on playing, while 18% reported a slightly negative impact. From baseline to follow-up, SST showed a significant reduction in pain (26.3±22.5 to 11.4±15.2 mm), with no significant reduction for GFT (19.7±24.0 to 13.5±26.0 mm). GFT significantly improved aerobic capacity (34.1±7.9 mL/min/kg to 40.0±13.6 mL/min/kg) compared to no significant gain for SST. For GFT, a significant improvement was seen in self-reported muscle strength (5.7±1.3 to 6.5±1.8) with a tendency toward significant improvement in self-reported aerobic fitness (5.6±2.3 to 6.2±2.5). Exercise interventions have the potential to improve musicians' working situation. For future research, muscle-strengthening exercises and aerobic fitness exercises might be combined in an intelligently designed program, which may include other relevant educational activities.

Celebrating 100 Years of Musical Outreach in Scandinavia

This article outlines the significant, but less investigated historical development of musical outreach; the professional symphony orchestras effort to introduce classical music to new audiences, especially children and adolescents. Many Norwegian symphony orchestras have held public concerts for 100 years and throughout this period they have set up strategic objectives regarding outreach. Through a series of musical examples from various concerts targeting new audiences, the article draws a historical overview of the different concepts of concerts that have developed from the early 1900s till today. In order to better understand the uniqueness of these concerts, and enable us to appreciate the special experiences they offer, the article provides contributions to a terminology that can make us better able to assess and discuss these concerts on premises that is their own, and not rashly handed down from hegemonic notions of the classical concert experience. Keywords: Outreach, childrens concerts, school concerts, new audiences, 1B1, Kristiansand Symphony Orchestra.Affiliation: University of Agder, Faculty of Fine Arts

'The stigma attached isn't true of real life': Challenging public perception of dementia through a participatory approach involving people with dementia (Innovative Practice).

This paper discusses the potential impact of viewing public performances of an orchestra comprising people with dementia, family members, student volunteers and professional symphony orchestra members in contributing to challenging negative perceptions of dementia. Negative perceptions of dementia abound despite recent policy attempts to challenge the stigma associated with the condition. This paper reports on the findings from the performance element of a music project for people with dementia, known as the BUDI Orchestra, designed to replicate the traditional rehearse and perform cycle of musicians. Data were collected via self-completion questionnaires from audience members ( N = 109) at three public performances. The performances exceeded the expectations of the general public, and findings suggest a positive impact on perceptions of dementia, demonstrating the power and potential of participatory approaches showcasing the achievements of those living with dementia when attempting to raise awareness of dementia and challenge negative perceptions.

The Symphony Of Southeast Texas In 2015: A Regional Orchestra Navigating New Horizons

The Symphony of Southeast Texas (Beaumont, TX) is the only professional symphony orchestra between Houston, TX, and Lake Charles, LA. From 2010- 2014, the organization focused on resolving internal management and financial challenges. Additionally, the orchestra identified 3 major goals: (1) To be an orchestra able to play anything, (2) To be an orchestra reaching 1/3 of the local population each season, and (3) To be an orchestra hosting a music school with a full youth orchestra. As the 2014 -2015 season began, these initiatives created a position full of possibilities for the orchestra’s new executive director. He could now reach beyond simply solving problems within the organization, in order to bring the community of Southeast Texas a new perspective on classical music and the Symphony. This case study, best used in undergraduate or graduate management, marketing, service management, nonprofit management, operations management, or strategy courses, describes the progress of the orchestra and studies the opportunities and challenges still facing the Symphony of Southeast Texas in light of this new era. The information presented in the case study was obtained through interviews with staff and board members of the organization, along with a case study of the orchestra conducted in 2010. The findings were then analyzed to identify trends in opinions among members of the organization and to gather facts about the current management and the future of the Symphony of Southeast Texas. The study finds that the Symphony is well-managed, but must find new, exciting ways to fulfill its mission of reaching the community.

A Role of Medial Olivocochlear Reflex as a Protection Mechanism from Noise-Induced Hearing Loss Revealed in Short-Practicing Violinists.

Previous studies have indicated that extended exposure to a high level of sound might increase the risk of hearing loss among professional symphony orchestra musicians. One of the major problems associated with musicians’ hearing loss is difficulty in estimating its risk simply on the basis of the physical amount of exposure, i.e. the exposure level and duration. The aim of this study was to examine whether the measurement of the medial olivocochlear reflex (MOCR), which is assumed to protect the cochlear from acoustic damage, could enable us to assess the risk of hearing loss among musicians. To test this, we compared the MOCR strength and the hearing deterioration caused by one-hour instrument practice. The participants in the study were music university students who are majoring in the violin, whose left ear is exposed to intense violin sounds (broadband sounds containing a significant number of high-frequency components) during their regular instrument practice. Audiogram and click-evoked otoacoustic emissions (CEOAEs) were measured before and after a one-hour violin practice. There was a larger exposure to the left ear than to the right ear, and we observed a left-ear specific temporary threshold shift (TTS) after the violin practice. Left-ear CEOAEs decreased proportionally to the TTS. The exposure level, however, could not entirely explain the inter-individual variation in the TTS and the decrease in CEOAE. On the other hand, the MOCR strength could predict the size of the TTS and CEOAE decrease. Our findings imply that, among other factors, the MOCR is a promising measure for assessing the risk of hearing loss among musicians.

The Association Between Professional Performing Arts and Knowledge Class Growth

Economic development in the current century may favor those metropolitan areas that attract the “knowledge class.” This study provides a cross-sectional analysis associating the presence of one or more professional symphony, opera, or ballet/dance organizations with knowledge class growth. The authors find that the presence of one type of such organization is associated with a 1.1% change in knowledge class employment over the period from 2000 to 2010, two types are associated with a 1.5% change, and all three are associated with a 2.2% change. Between 2000 and 2010, the presence of at least one professional performing arts organization is associated with about 540,000 knowledge class jobs, generating about $60 billion in annual income among those 118 metropolitan areas with professional performing arts organizations. Metropolitan economic development implications are offered.

Sound Practice-improving occupational health and safety for professional orchestral musicians in Australia.

The Sound Practice Project is a 5-year study involving baseline evaluation, development, and implementation of musician-specific work health and safety initiatives. A cross-sectional population physical and psychological survey and physical assessment were conducted at the same time, with an auditory health assessment conducted later. The results were used to guide the development of a series of targeted interventions, encompassing physical, psychological, and auditory health components. This paper provides an overview of the project but focuses on the health findings arising from the cross-sectional survey. Three hundred and seventy-seven musicians from the eight professional symphony orchestras in Australia took part in the cross-sectional study (about 70% of eligible musicians). Eighty-four percent (84%) of musicians reported past performance-related musculoskeletal disorder (PRMD) episodes; 50% were suffering a current PRMD. Of the 63% who returned hearing surveys, 43% believed they had hearing loss, and 64% used earplugs at least intermittently. Noise exposure was found to be high in private practice, although awareness of risk and earplug use in this environment was lower than in orchestral settings. Improved strategic approaches, acoustic screens and recently developed active earplugs were found to provide effective new options for hearing protection. With respect to psychosocial screening, female musicians reported significantly more trait anxiety, music performance anxiety, social anxiety, and other forms of anxiety and depression than male musicians. The youngest musicians were significantly more anxious compared with the oldest musicians. Thirty-three percent (33%) of musicians may meet criteria for a diagnosis of social phobia; 32% returned a positive depression screen and 22% for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). PRMDs and trigger point discomfort levels were strongly associated with increasing severity of psychological issues such as depression and music performance anxiety.

Hearing Loss in Relation to Sound Exposure of Professional Symphony Orchestra Musicians

The objectives of this study were to: (1) estimate the hearing status of classical symphony orchestra musicians and (2) investigate the hypothesis that occupational sound exposure of symphony orchestra musicians leads to elevated hearing thresholds. The study population comprised all the musicians from five symphony orchestras. Questionnaires were filled in by 337 subjects, and 212 subjects performed an audiometric test. For a group of 182 musicians (363 ears) the results of the audiometry was analyzed in relation to the individual exposure, which was estimated on the basis of sound measurements and questionnaire data regarding the exposure time. The mean hearing threshold at the frequencies 3, 4, and 6 kHz, corrected for age and sex, was used as outcome. The musician ears with the highest exposure (29 of 363) had an additional threshold shift of 6.3 dB compared with the 238 ears with lowest exposure. The observed hearing loss of musicians was smaller compared with the noise-induced permanent threshold shift (NIPTS) predicted from ISO1999. A remaining confounding effect of age after ISO7029 age corrections could be observed to explain the difference in observed and predicted NIPTS. However, the observed hearing loss difference between the left and the right ear of musicians was 2.5 dB (95% confidence interval 1.5-3.6), which was similar to the NIPTS predicted from ISO1999. Most of the musicians had better hearing at 3, 4, and 6 kHz for age than expected, however, 29 ears with the highest exposure above 90.4 dBA with a mean exposure time of 41.7 years had significantly elevated hearing thresholds. Trumpet players and the left ear of first violinists had significantly elevated hearing thresholds compared with other musicians. Most of the symphony orchestra musicians had better hearing than expected but they had a work-related risk of developing additional noise-induced hearing loss. The additional NITPS of the left ear compared with the right ear was at the expected level based on the cumulated sound exposure and ISO1999, indicating that performing music may induce hearing loss to the same extent as industrial noise.

Getting in tune: A qualitative analysis of guest conductor–musicians relationships in symphony orchestras

Using a qualitative approach, I analyze the phenomenon of guest conductors in professional symphony orchestras to explain how they establish the legitimacy of their authority in a short period of time. I argue that guest conductors and musicians are two interdependent centers of power in orchestras: conductors try to affect musicians’ perception of their legitimacy, and players try to influence the behavior of their guest conductors. In situations where typical sources of a conductor's legitimacy may not exist and where musicians possess power simply by virtue of their knowledge of the orchestra and their experience of performing together, guest conductors and musicians may need to negotiate the domains and levels of power in every encounter. Although this negotiation is facilitated by the existing structure of the music field, the symphony orchestra, and the music score, relationships between musicians and guest conductors are modified in each encounter. Because of the temporary nature of guest conductor–musicians relationships, the success of this negotiation depends on the extent to which guest conductors can signal their readiness to build trustworthy and respectful relationships with musicians and invest in impression management.