Musicians and Managed Print Providers
I recently traveled to Salt Lake City to watch my sister, a professional violinist, perform in a solo recital. I felt very fortunate to be sitting there, in this beautiful theater, watching and listening to her. It took me back to my childhood.
I grew up in a very musical family. My mom is a violinist, and she raised all her children to have a deep appreciation for music and the arts. Beyond our private music lessons and orchestra rehearsals, we were constantly going to concerts and seeing classical performers who had come to town. There were never packed theaters, but the people who were there really wanted to be. They were respectful of the music and the musicians.
I remember my mom telling us stories about the music scene when she first moved to Las Vegas in the 1980s. Shows on the Strip mostly used orchestras at that time. They weren’t huge, but they were live. Somewhere down the road, though, musicians got cut and orchestras got smaller until most shows didn’t use live music at all. Instead, they opted for a sound system and a CD. Recorded soundtracks seemed like the way to go. It was much cheaper. It cut back on rehearsal time, allowing the theater to be open for more shows or showings, and the majority of audiences didn’t mind.
Thankfully, the allure of recorded music has worn down. Show producers eventually saw the value of live music, so musicians have made a bit of a comeback. Some shows still use that trusty sound system, while others utilize a small quartet, jazz band or chamber orchestra. It’s not the same as 20 or 30 years ago, but it’s something. For me, that something adds a bit more personality to the show. It adds to the credibility of the show, and it most certainly adds to the magic. For other people, it makes no difference.
Although musicians are being used more frequently, the job of a musician is a rough one. There may be a violin opening for a show, and hundreds of talented violinists will audition for it. It is competitive; it requires long hours and hard work – for something that some people don’t even notice.
As I sat in the theater and thought of the career my sister has chosen and how hard it has been, I started thinking that musicians and managed print providers aren’t all that different. Stay with me here as I make the associative leap.
Back in the heyday of the imaging industry, everyone was printing. People couldn’t get enough paper, which meant more devices, more supplies and more successful salespeople. Today, print volumes are flat, workers are mobile and everything can be accessed, viewed and shared on a screen. Paper isn’t always needed. Competition is fierce. All those successful salespeople are fighting for those clients that actually do print.
But the great thing about the music and managed print industries is that there will always be an audience – I’d like to believe, anyway. It might not be standing room only, but just like the people who were there to watch my sister perform wanted to be there, the people who need to print will.
The world changes, and people change. One decade, the entire community is going to orchestra concerts, opera and the ballet; the next, they are watching 3-D movies from their couches. One decade, people are printing everything they view and even things they don’t; the next, they don’t even have home printers. I am guilty of all of this.
But no matter how much the world or people change, there is always a market. You might have to work harder to get the gig – or the contract – but success is still possible.
Go support your local music scene and print your tickets!
Posted by Katherine Fernelius on 02/14/2012