I recently got an email from a reader asking about what keyboards/synths to use in theatre.
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Dear Alex,

I have very much enjoyed reading your fascinating blog entries about musical direction. I found my way here while trying to learn about synthesizer programming for pit orchestras. Continue reading →

Recently I received an email asking me a bit about my experiences and how this person might deal with the issues she was experiencing. She gave me permission to reprint the story, questions and answers so that any other readers might benefit.

Hi Alex,

Just stumbled onto your blog, and wondered if I could pick your brain and if you could give me some info and advice.

A little bit about me:

I was a music ed/piano major in college and have taught GM in schools, accompanied school choirs, taught piano privately, etc.

Last fall a new theatre in town got my name and asked me to play in their first musical — “Godspell.” I had never done anything like before, but it was Very Very Cool.

I had hoped they would ask me to do their second musical, “Once Upon a Mattress.” (Since I had played for their first and only musical, it seemed to make sense that I would be first in the line for the next show.)

A couple months ago I saw from their website that they were holding auditions for it. I thought, “Great, finally I get a chance to work with them again!”
I e-mailed a couple of the people I knew and worked with, saying I would love to play with them again for OUAM. One of them said, “Sure, I’ll pass your name on the musical director,” the other person never responded. And I never heard back from anybody. (I don’t know the musical director, or have any contact info for her, so I was not able to ever contact her directly.)

I just looked at their website, listing the cast and what-not, and see that someone is listed as being “Second keyboard/Violin.” (That is the only musician listed.) The show is in three weeks, so unfortunately I guess at this point I have to assume they don’t need/want me this time around for some reason.

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Okay, all that to ask the following questions:

1) Not knowing me or the situation, what do you think might have happened here? Did they not like me or my playing?? Is it a bad sign that no one even got back with me to say “No thanks”? I know the musical director for this particular show is a good pianist. Do musical directors usually accompany the shows themselves, and therefore it is rare that someone like me would be needed anyway?

I would more wonder if the production team just simply had this other person in mind as someone they wanted to work with. A lot of things in theatre do happen by word of mouth, and directors tend to like to keep working with someone that they’ve had a good experience with in the past. It might be you, it might not be you. All I can really say is to keep your ears open — they may not be happy with the outcome of the show and give you a call.

Yes. Musical directors usually do play the show if they are capable of doing so. I would say that this happens about 90% of the time in shows I’ve seen and worked on. The main exception being in a case where the music director is conducting the show instead, or was simply teaching the music.

Example: When I did Les Miserables in New Bedford, the music director was conducting only, and all the keyboard players (including myself) were hired. This can happen in large orchestra situation. I did the same myself when I did Into the Woods–I mainly conducted, but did play some of the synth passages from the full score as they were sparse.

It’s not to say that you’re not needed. Mattress is an older show with a large orchestration. I think it’s mostly going to depend on the budget.

2) What is “second keyboard/violin”? Is there an actual score for “Second keybaord?” Or is the musical director playing the full score/orchestral reduction, and the “second keyboardist” plays just the basic piano accompaniment part? It sounds like this person is playing keyboard/piano for some songs, then violin for other songs…? Is that kind of thing typical?

No, there is no official “second keyboard book” for Mattress. You put together some good guesses–something I would probably do myself. They may be having someone play the actual piano book (which is just a piano part with no vocal line above the staff) or just playing fills off the piano/vocal score and maybe throwing in a violin line here or there. It’s also possible that this person is just playing synth strings as filler from the piano/vocal score. I’d say that it’s getting more typical all the time for weird doublings.

Again, this is all going to depend on budget for what they can afford to hire. Often that and space to put an orchestra or small pit combo.

EDIT: Apparently there is a string reduction book for Mattress.

3) What do musical directors want/not want in an accompanist? (Assuming they even need one, because I’m starting to wonder if they’re their own accompanist most of the time.) Is there a glut of accompanists, or is it hard to find good ones, or somewhere in the middle? What makes a “good” accompanist? Where/how do MD’s usually find their accompanists — or “second keyboardists,” as the case may be?

The questions are getting tougher! You are right, they often play themselves most of the time. When I use another keyboard besides myself (whether I am playing or not), I really think of that other keyboard player as just any other player in my orchestra. They just need to be a competent player and able to conform to my tempos and nuances. However, I find that theatre musicians as a whole are a different breed. We are used to putting together things on a limited number of rehearsals, and are able to play an entire show that can be 2 or more hours of music. To people who have exclusively played choral and solo work or even orchestral and wind ensemble material, it can be a very wild and different experience.

Whenever I need someone to play keyboard for a show, I like to get someone who has done theatre work before, because they understand the volume of playing. A good reader is good as well. I’ve met very talented players who do not read well and basically need to learn every note of music. They’ll also know the lingo and how things work. Theatre is full of all kinds of things that classical musicians will find weird and seldom run into, such as grand pauses, vamps, tacets, unusually long fermatas, cut offs, etc. Sometimes I forget that people don’t know what these are and how they work and I will need to explain it.

I look through people I know first, and then usually ask for recommendations. A lot of music (and theatre) work goes through word of mouth. There are also sometimes website and newspaper listings. In my area we have a website called New England Theatre 411 that is a great way to find out about auditions/casting calls, but also when companies are looking for production team members and musicians.

4) I see on your blog a lot of talk about “patches” and I don’t know what that means, exactly. It sounds like usually keyboardist for musicals play the parts for the other instruments, is that correct? If so, how does that work — I mean, do you shuffle back and forth between the flute book and the trumpet book, trying to play it all at once, or is there an actual “keyboard book” that compresses them all in a piano-like score?

Sadly, I seldom get to update my blog, and my prior entries do talk heavily on some of the more technical aspects that I’ve run into.

There is usually a keyboard book that is specially written for a keyboard player — the patches (or sounds) are specified in the book. In the case of Les Miserables, there are 3 keyboard books in the orchestra, two of which used some very specific sounds and i was talking a bit about how people could go about recreating them if they wanted the show to sound like the original production.

I have had to create books in the past, however, to cover the string section where one was not available. I’d basically just play everything on a strings patch, but I had note by note reduced the score from the violin, viola, and cello books (more or less combining them into one staff).

5) What would be a good way to let theatres in town know I’d be interested in playing for them?

Again, it’s mostly word of mouth, aside from any notices on websites or newspapers, but you could send messages to companies letting them know you’re interested.

6) What might be typical pay, if there is such a thing?

It can vary depending on the type of organization. The is usually between $50-$75 per show. A music director will usually get something besides this for rehearsals, but it depends on what the organization can afford.

7) Any other thoughts/advice/suggestions for an accompanist who wants to do musical theatre?

Mostly just keep your ears open. Talk to people and let them know you’re available or interested. (Business cards would be useful)
And be positive — like in any job you want to maintain a professional attitude. Since a lot of theatre is word of mouth, things can get around and people may be less likely to want to hire you.