As a young newlywed at 25 and 26 years old, I would often travel to play 4th Horn positions in a couple of orchestras. After the bittersweet moments at the bus terminal, saying goodbye to my husband, I would board a Greyhound bus and head for the destination, passing through a small town that reeked of a paper mill. I would spend a week or weekend sleeping in motel rooms, practicing four to five hours a day outside of rehearsals. Mealtimes consisted of drinking the coffee that was provided in the hotel rooms, eating peanut butter and saltine crackers, as well as Safeway deli chicken or egg rolls when there was enough money in the bank. After evening rehearsals, I would unwind by drinking a soda from the motel vending machine with the pocket change I had and watching old shows from the 1960s and 1970s, as well as Mystery Science Theater 3000 (which I’m still a fan of today). However, the feeling of being able to get paid for my services, the sense of accomplishment and satisfaction, made it all worthwhile.
As a 4th Horn player, the number of pieces we play varies. Sometimes we perform the entire orchestra repertoire for the concert, sometimes it is only one or two pieces, and other times, we do not play the concert because the repertoire consists only of the Principal and 2nd Horn in the section. This time, I traveled via Greyhound to a gig. I only had one piece, as it was a concerto concert, and most of the pieces had instrumentation consisting of two horns. I had practiced and prepared the piece, ready to accompany a young pianist who was to play the solo. However, there was a slight change of plans as they decided to only play the second movement. In this particular movement, I had only one note, and that was at the very end. The kid received a standing ovation, and I received a full check for all my services. Looking back on it now, I was paid by the note.