Conservatory Orchestra Handbook Academic Year: 2016-2017 Eric Dudley, Music Director

TBA, Director of Production and Ensembles 415.503.6284 Lucas Jensen, Assistant Ensemble Manager and Librarian [email protected] 415.503.6267 Edward Hong, Graduate Assistant-Orchestra Librarian [email protected]

This handbook is intended to define the policies and regulations of the orchestra. You are required to read and understand this document and you are expected to follow the policies contained herein. Failure to comply with the established policies and expectations outlined in this handbook may directly affect your grade.

The Conservatory Orchestra is the most visible ensemble that the San Francisco Conservatory of Music organizes each year, and is a showcase to display the talents at the Conservatory to the larger public. As a training ensemble, the Orchestra provides a productive forum for developing orchestral rehearsal skills and performance practice.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preparation and Parts Seatings Rehearsal Schedule Rehearsals and Attendance Sectionals/Woodwind Repertoire Class Illness/Emergency Policy Excused Absences/Substitutes Concerts Concert Dress Grading Unexcused Absence Tardy Policy Orchestra Excerpts Conclusion

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IN ORDER TO ENSURE THE BEST POSSIBLE CONDITIONS FOR THE PREPARATION OF EACH PROJECT, ORCHESTRA MEMBERS ARE EXPECTED TO OBSERVE AND UNDERSTAND THE FOLLOWING:

Preparation and parts It is obvious that successful rehearsals and performances begin with the best possible preparation. Orchestral practice parts will generally be available in student mailboxes two weeks prior to the start of rehearsals. A separate set of performance parts will be on the stands for orchestra calls. PLEASE DO NOT REMOVE PERFORMANCE PARTS FROM THE STAGE. These are the parts that should be marked during rehearsals. Do not lose your music. Any lost music is subject to a $30 replacement fee. Good preparation means not only knowing your individual part, but also having the piece “in your ear”. Listen to the repertoire before coming to rehearsal! All SFCM students have free access to the online Naxos Music Library. To access, visit http://www.sfcm.edu/library/resources and select the link for Naxos Music Library. You will be prompted to log in using your SFCM username and password. Recordings from YouTube are also available on the SFCM Orchestra Members Website. The Music Director and the studio faculty are here to help you prepare for your role in Orchestra. Take your music to them and get their advice! Arriving unprepared will be grounds for a lowered grade.

Seatings String seatings for the entire year are assigned by the Orchestra Manager, the Music Director, and the Chair of the String Department at the beginning of the year. Woodwinds, brass, percussion and harp seatings will be determined by the studio faculty from each department. Seating information will be posted on the website at least two weeks prior to the first rehearsal. In rehearsals, occasionally the Music Director may decide to temporarily invert the seating of a given section. This could mean, for example, that the back stands will move to the front for that rehearsal, and the front stands will move to the back. Notice will be given for this change. You should also expect stand-by-stand playing to occur in rehearsals - be ready to play! The conductor reserves the right to change seating assignments at any time, for any reason.

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Rehearsal schedules The schedule for the each concert cycle will be made available as soon as possible, and will be posted at least two weeks before rehearsals begin. The posted schedule is subject to change, even within a given cycle, so please keep an eye on the calendar and remain flexible. Although every effort will be made to limit changes to the schedule after it is posted, it will occasionally be necessary to make adjustments, and members will be informed as soon as possible. The orchestra calendar and rehearsal schedules will be posted on the Orchestra members website. There is a link to the member page on www.sfcm.edu/orchestra.aspx. You are responsible for checking the website and your SFCM email every day. Being unaware of changes is not an excuse for tardiness, absences, or unpreparedness.

Rehearsals and attendance Most Conservatory Orchestra rehearsals take place from 3:30-6:00 p.m. on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Most concert cycles will also include some Tuesdays from 7:00-9:30 and occasional Monday evening sectionals. There may occasionally be additional rehearsals at different times, including evenings. Each rehearsal will include a fifteen-minute break. The conductor reserves the right to extend rehearsals to 6:30 p.m. with advance notification. On concert days, an additional dress rehearsal may be called prior to the performance. You should be on stage at least five minutes prior to each rehearsal. It goes without saying that having pencils with erasers, mutes, etc. on stage for all rehearsals is normal and expected behavior! Please also respect basic stage etiquette – please no food or drink on stage during rehearsals. Hats are also best left with cases off-stage. No cell phones are allowed on stage. They should be left in the hall and silenced. Attendance will be taken at exactly the beginning of rehearsal. It is expected, as it is in the professional world, that you be on time. Being late may affect your grade (see Grading below). If you have a regularly scheduled conflict that will not allow you to be in your seat by the start of rehearsal, you must inform the Orchestra Manager or Assistant Orchestra Manager. If there are extenuating circumstances of any kind that will affect your timely presence (i.e., MUNI delay, car accident, damaged instrument, etc.), then you must make a good faith effort to communicate this to the Manager or Assistant Manager. You must then follow-up with either at the earliest possible opportunity. The Music Director or visiting conductors sometimes find it necessary to adjust the rehearsal schedule after rehearsals begin. If you are assigned to a concert cycle we expect you to be available for the entire scheduled Orchestra time even if your piece is not scheduled. If a change in schedule causes a conflict, notify the Orchestra Manager immediately. 4

Sectionals There will be faculty-led sectional rehearsals at the beginning of each concert set. Principal players have the authority - backed by the music director - to call an additional sectional, if necessary. Attendance at all sectionals is mandatory and failure to attend will be counted against your grade. Illness/Emergency Policy If you are ill and cannot attend rehearsal, sustain an injury that prevents you from playing, or have a family emergency, you must inform the Orchestra Manager as soon as possible (no later than 10 a.m. on the day of the rehearsal) to arrange for a substitute. If the issue requires that you miss multiple rehearsals, you must notify the orchestra office prior to each rehearsal affected and might require you to be replaced for the concert. Excused Absences/Substitutes Students may receive an excused absence for medical/family emergencies. Under certain circumstances, students may also be excused for professional engagements. To receive an excused absence you must:  Contact the Orchestra Manager immediately as soon as you know of any conflict. Last-minute requests for absence will not be accepted.  You may be asked to submit a short term leave of absence form no more than two weeks before the absence which must be approved by the Dean. This form is found in the Registrar’s Office.  Let the Orchestra Manager know if you have a contacted a substitute. Substitutes, if necessary, must be approved by the Music Director and/or Orchestra Manager. Simply finding a substitute without prior notice to the Orchestra Manager will result in an unexcused absence. Unexcused absences will affect your grade (see Grading below).

Concerts All students are expected to be at the performance venue at least 30 minutes prior to the scheduled start time of the concert. You must check in backstage prior to this time or you will be marked tardy. A sign-in form will be available backstage. This is regardless of if you play on the first piece or not. Sound checks may be called on the day of the concert. These will be treated like any other rehearsal.

Concert Dress Men wear tuxedos with black bow ties, black socks, black dress shoes and without vest or tails. Options for women include: long black dress, skirt or black slacks with long or 3/4 length sleeves (no embellishments). 5

Shoes must be black dress shoes, no open toes. Black nylons or similar should be worn if any part of your foot or leg will be showing. In addition, please note the following:  Tight slacks or jeans are unacceptable.  Jewelry should be unobtrusive.  Undergarments should be completely covered.  Low cut tops are unacceptable. Please use good judgment and avoid outfits that will call attention to you.

Grading Grades will be determined by the Music Director and Orchestra-affiliated faculty on a letter basis (A, B, C, etc.) based on the following criteria:      

Individual preparation for all orchestra-related commitments. Attendance and punctuality at orchestra commitments. Proper orchestral rehearsal etiquette, including marking your parts. Proper concert etiquette, including appropriate concert attire. Responsible treatment of all music. Respectful treatment of your peers, your faculty, and any Conservatory guests.

Unexcused Absence/Tardiness Policy An unexcused absence is any absence that does not have prior approval from Orchestra management. The orchestra grading policy on unexcused absences is a follows:  Any unexcused absence will lower your grade by one full letter grade (i.e. A will be lowered to B)  Any student more than 20 minutes late to any commitment (scheduled start time) will be counted as absent.  Any missed concert will result in an F in the class and removal from the remaining concerts during the semester.

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Tardiness is any time a student is late for an orchestra event. The orchestra grading policy on tardiness is as follows:  Each student must be in his/her seat, settled and ready to play at the beginning of rehearsal.  Students returning late from the rehearsal break will also be considered tardy.  Students may be tardy once during the semester without impact on grading; subsequent instances of tardiness will result in a reduction of 1/3 of a grade (i.e. A will be lowered to A-) Please note that according to Conservatory policy, students may not withdraw from an ensemble without the ensemble director’s permission.

Orchestra Excerpts The Graduate Assistant-Orchestra Librarian can provide students with orchestral excerpts if owned by the Conservatory orchestra library. To request copies of orchestral excerpts:  Check if the library owns the piece by looking in the main library’s WOLFI catalog system. Make sure the location states Orchestra Library.  Email the composer, title, mvts and measure numbers you wish to have copied to: [email protected].  Please allow five days for the librarian to process your request

CONCLUSION Respect – for the music, the composer, your colleagues, the conductor, the audience – is one of the most important keys to having a successful and satisfying life as a musician. Productive rehearsals and excellent performances are the result of individual commitment and collective effort. Bring a good attitude and the best of what you have to the Orchestra, and we will all reap the benefits!

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