Life in the Pit

What can you do if you're wanting performing arts in a fairly isolated community of 4,000 people?  You can either go somewhere else that has it, or create it yourself.  The town of Elkin, NC renovated its Reeves Theater in 2017, and asked Tommy Jackson if he would create a house band to be featured performers with their own shows as well as provide backing for guest artists.  What does this have t...

If you're a piano student, be sure to listen to this episode!  Being a professional soloist is a moon shot, but learning how to be a great accompanist will give you a great chance to be paid for what you do!  Haidee is a staff accompanist primarily working with the theatre department at Elon University, one of the premiere musical theatre programs in the United States.  We have a fun conversation...

Most national tours of Broadway shows travel with a small core group of musicians along with the music director, but require the services of local contractors to fill out the personnel needed in the pit for each area they visit.  In the Raleigh-Durham area, that person is most likely Wayne Leechford.  He has contracted musicians for many groups, but especially for the Durham Performing Arts Center...

This is the third and concluding episode of the woodwind trilogy.  In Episode 18, we talked about flutes.  Episode 19 was about clarinets and saxophones.  This week's episode features Matthew Covington, as we talk about double-reeds (such as oboe and English horn) as well as Matthew's unorthodox path to choosing his instrument and becoming a professional musician. Follow Life in the Pit on Instagr...

This is the 2nd episode in a trilogy of conversations with musicians who play a specific family of woodwinds. Kania Mills is plays clarinets for multiple symphony orchestras and concert bands, and teaches at two colleges.  We talk a lot about the difference of a clarinetist's role in band and orchestra.  We, of course, talk a lot about playing for theatre.  We also have an important conversation a...

Episodes 18, 19, and 20 form a trilogy where I will be talking to a musician who focuses on one specific family of the woodwinds.  This episode features Dr. Tika Douthit, an assistant professor at Winston-Salem State University, adjunct professor at Forsyth Tech Community College, and principal flutist for the Piedmont Wind Symphony.  He talks about the flute family and his experiences in the pit,...

A little seriousness and a short necessary rant at the beginning.  The fun part of this episode begins at 6:07. Guy Kelpin is an everyman in music.  He has played in orchestras and horn lines for bands such as Bantum Rooster .  He's been a composer.  He's been a band director and private instructor.  He's been a church choir director.  He's been a properties manager and house manager, the latter a...

The harp is one of the most visually stunning instruments to see performed live.  It is also one of the most complicated instruments, enough that usually only harpists or experienced harp composers actually understand it.  For that reason, this episode features a lot more "101" on the instrument than normal. Our guest is Grace Ludtke, and she talks about what it's like to play the harp in addition...

Dr. Ronnal Ford plays two entire families of orchestral instruments, but when asked about his primary instrument he says, "My primary instrument is what I'm getting paid to play at the moment." Ron has played all of these instruments and more for theatre and other venues.  He is an educator and very active as a performer.  Among his projects is The Ron Ford Orchestra . He also describes how major...

Like all of our previous guests, Laura Watkins has pit experience.  Unlike our previous guests, it is solely because she created the need.  Even though she is accomplished pianist, Laura's experience with theatre before composing and staging new musicals was through acting.  She took up music directing and organizing a pit with musicals such as Comic-Con:The Musical and Glass Ceilings , the latter...

Would you like to know more about playing an instrument as a career on cruise lines?  There are some strong crossover with pit musician skills, and that is our main discussion in this episode. James Hodson lives in Melbourne, Australia, and has had a varied career that began playing trumpet and touring China with the Australian Concert Orchestra.  During this time, he began a popular YouTube chann...

Deena Rizkalla currently lives in Nashville and plays the violin for local theatre productions, including national tours of Phantom of the Opera and Hello, Dolly! as they have come through the area.  She describes how that process works and what the expectations are.  She has also toured the country as an on-stage violinist (and singer, dancer, etc) for a theatrical-style group called Barrage 8. ...

Maggie Gallagher has been influencing multiple generations as a school teacher, voice teacher, actress, and a music director.  At the age of 73, she may be retired but she still enjoys the challenge of the theatre, and shares the stories of her time on stage as well as her time in the pit.   As a reminder, you can follow this podcast on Instagram or Twitter @LifeInThePitPod.  Please rate and revie...

Dr. Tony Steve is a professor of Contemporary Music, Percussion, and World Music at Jacksonville University in Jacksonville, FL.  He has a lot of experience in the pit as a percussionist in New York, Europe, and in Florida where he is often contracted to play for national tours as they visit the area, including Wicked which he has played multiple times!  (Instrument demos included!)  Tony also com...

Randy Mintz is recently retired after being a band director for 43 years.  He has also spent most of his adult life playing for musicals, mostly on bass.  Aside from keyboardists and maybe drummers, no instrumentalist is in higher demand for a show than a bassist.  Randy is a friend and has been a regular in my pits since my very first show, but his career has included military bases, Puerto Rico,...

Kate Hopper plays French horn, and has all the qualifications to play in any ensemble of her choice, but prefers the world of musical theatre!  She also does part-time orchestra contracting for shows, and balances her work life with having a non-music day job, being a caretaker, and struggling with a chronic illness.  Listen to hear the ways that Kate overcomes her daily struggles, and why playing...

Brian is our second reeds player (multiple woodwinds) to be a guest on the show, but this is the first time we've taken here to dig into what that's like.  He also was a member of national bus touring groups for several years, and has some great stories!  Brian is also an enthusiastic collector of the ocarina which, as he mentions, although it is not a common instrument in theatre, it does make an...

Alex Johnston is a cellist, regularly employed with multiple professional symphonic orchestras. It's not as common as you might think for symphonic personnel to not only play musical theatre regularly, but also love it.  Alex, however, is one of those people.  She talks about why theatre music is so appealing, and also talks about the importance of marking your part clearly if you are going to hav...

Daniel Bukin is a graduate student at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque.  He is a composer and keyboardist, although his main focus the past few years has been as a conductor.  He has conducted symphony orchestras, ballets, operas, and of course...musical theatre, which Daniel can tell you why he thinks it's the biggest challenge for a conductor.  Daniel has many stories to share about e...

Overture, vamp, cut, tacet...There are a lot of terms found in musical theatre that need to be known by pit musicians.  Some, but by no means all of them, cross over into band and orchestra lingo.  Here are 31 terms you should know as defined by a cast of 25 voices.  If there are important terms I forgot, please let me know for a possible future sequel episode down the road.  You can connect with...

Theatre is for everyone! Whether it's full-time or part-time, professional or volunteer, theatre is an enriching endeavor! Beth Cox is a full-time educator, a middle school band director.  However, she has spent most of her life in theatre in such a way that it has given her a rare perception of theatre itself!  She has played pit in several shows, acted as a lead, acted in the ensemble, designed...

What is a drummer vs a percussionist?  You can be a specialist or a generalist.  James Brandt went the route of the generalist, and it has served him well over a career with wide variety, one that includes over 20 productions per year!  How can you become a jack of all trades in what is not just an instrument, but a whole FAMILY of instruments?! Jim has great advice and some great stories, includi...

What's a modern musical without a guitarist?  What does it take to be a successful guitarist in a musical theatre pit?  Allan Beck walks us through all the different skills that it takes compared to almost any other style of music

Welcome to the Pit - where instrumentalists gather together to play for musical theatre productions across the world, for everything from amateur and school productions to the houses of Broadway.  This is the introduction to this podcast about the lives of those who play for musical theatre, featuring your host David Lane - a music director, keyboardist, composer, and arranger.