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David Allen
Samuel Dunn
Writing 150
28 Nov. 2012
Keeping It Alive:

Why Live Music Should Be Preserved and Protected On Broadway

In the history of the American Broadway musical, it has become
evident that a brilliant combination of all the elements, including
music, are required to create a fantastic show. In Musical! A Grand
Tour, it says The question of musical ambience has always been one
of the hardest for composers Unless the music supports the drama it
isnt theatre its opera or concert music. (Flinn 405-406). Large,
rehearsed orchestras have always accompanied these shows until
recently. With the rapidly expanding possibilities in digital and virtual
music, it gets easier and easier for producers to use smaller orchestras
with added synthesized sounds or just do away with live music
altogether. Brian Doherty is a drummer who has performed with the
companies of Rent and Hairspray who has all but given up trying to be
a professional musician. He states, People aren't really looking to live
music anymoreyou can hire a second keyboard player to activate a
percussion sequence, so you don't need a percussion player. It's like
being a Catskills ventriloquist. You're all trained, but no one really gives

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a damn. If we have the technology, why dont we use it to our
advantage? Although this is an easy route, it swipes jobs from qualified
musicians, creates a different, synthetic atmosphere for the audience,
and most alarmingly, robs the actors of the interaction with live
musicians. Preserving live music on Broadway will produce better
shows because it creates a more real, audience-connecting
environment.
The interaction between the actors and the musicians is an
intricate exchange that enlivens the audiences senses and interest.
Taking jobs away from trained musicians is an issue that is on the
rise, particularly in Broadway and dance company orchestras. Brian
Doherty is a drummer who has performed with the companies of Rent
and Hairspray who has all but given up trying to be a professional
musician. He states, People aren't really looking to live music
anymoreyou can hire a second keyboard player to activate a
percussion sequence, so you don't need a percussion player. It's like
being a Catskills ventriloquist. You're all trained, but no one really gives
a damn. This replacement may have more implications than just lost
jobs. Is it really feasible that a keyboardist can know every nuance and
trick that a violinist knows from years and years of training? 6
violinists, each with their own unique playing style, articulation, and
musicality, simply cant be replaced with one keyboardists pressing
down keys. Furthermore, if Broadway largely replaced orchestras with

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virtual ones, the overall music quality and progress would suffer. A
large number of these musicians playing in the pit are trained in many
other areas like classical or jazz. Many musical breakthroughs would
cease because these musicians might very well stop pursuing this
employment, like Brian Doherty.
But why exactly do we (the audience) prefer live music? The
Council for Living Music posted an article that explains this well. It
quotes a study performed by psychologists at McGill University that
showed its the visual cues that give us the satisfaction we crave. It
was done with two control groups that responded with electronic
sliders for them to toggle when they experienced tension in the music,
one viewing live music and one hearing recorded music. At times, the
experience of tension and phrasing for participants who both saw and
heard the performances was enhanced compared to judgments made
by participants receiving information from only one sensory modality.
At other times, the addition of visual information served to dampen the
intensity of emotional response seeing the musician may have
revealed complexities in the emotional character of the music, leading
to a more comprehensive interpretation of the piece or to greater
aesthetic satisfaction. The article goes on to state, 91% of
theatergoers say the best part of Broadway is live music. (Vines).
I myself have performed on stage for numerous musicals
performed at various levels from our backyard to high school and our

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community theater. I know the importance of a live orchestra as the
unpredictable nature of the art form. Often times, the orchestra will
have to vamp, or repeat a section, until receiving a cue to go on from
the actors, sound, lighting, etc. Sometimes, an actor will miss a cue or
be late in entering (Ive done this on occasion). The pit orchestra has
to vamp the section until the actor arrives or continue on without him.
Recorded music simply cant compensate for the unpredictable nature
of the Broadway musical.
Virtual orchestras, played by a few keyboardists, can do this,
you might say. The average theater attendee probably cant notice the
difference between a well-engineered string and brass patch and a full
orchestra. The New York Times published another recent article on this
issue, stating, The truth is, orchestras on Broadway have been
becoming virtualized for years. Electronic enhancement is used to juice
up the sound of the string section and boost the punch of the brass.
Missing instruments -- extra woodwinds, a couple of harps, exotic
percussion -- are rendered through digital keyboards. The chorus
onstage is often fortified by taped voices that are blasted through the
sound system. (Tommasini). Anthony Tommasini goes on to explain
how this alternative accompaniment started a long time ago with
amplified and boosted orchestras. The audiences of Broadway have
grown accustomed to this big, blaring orchestra that seems to
emanate from an encircling battery of loudspeakers and clobbers

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you. (Tommasini) Few theatergoers get to enjoy a natural, completely
live setting anymore. Tommasini also points out a new player in this
struggle that Local 802 hasnt directly attacked or addressed,
Operaworks. He says, This scrappy New York company typically
presents 8 to 12 staged productions a year, often of unusual repertory.
But since 1989, to save on the enormous cost of hiring enough
musicians for an opera orchestra, the company has used a computerrealized electronic substitute. (Tommasini). Broadway producers
have recently started investigating this company as an alternative for
their shows. Even with these advancements in technology, these
electronic substitutes still cant catch subtle differences and respond to
actors in an organic way.
If theatergoers prefer live music, then why is it under attack?
The answer is actually simple and quite practical. It comes in two
parts: 1. Broadway producers see the virtual option as a conscious,
creative choice. Live orchestras have their place, but in todays day
and age, new musicals call for a different, synthetic feel. 2. It is a lot
cheaper to hire a few keyboardists to run sequences and cover the
parts or run recorded music to accompany the show.
The first reason, I think, is a valid one.This conscious choice can
be valid in rare cases. Gary McQuinn, a producer of Priscilla Queen of
the Desert, a show that has evoked many protests for its use of
recorded music, said that using recorded musical sounds including
recorded strings is a necessary part of the shows artistic conception

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of recreating the art form of 1980s drag performances in Sydney; the
production features a couple of numbers with lip syncing and others
that mix recorded, manipulated musical sound with live musicians. He
said that live string players could not achieve the particular synthetic
pop flavor that the creators of the show sought for several of the
numbers. (Healy).

The fact is that some shows call for a different

accompaniment and atmosphere. Take the example of American

Idiot, a show featuring the songs of Green Day. I think it would make
a lot of sense using a traditional 20-member orchestra to play 21 guns,
dont you? No, it calls for a smaller, rock-oriented pit. In this case,
Local 802 of the American Federation of Musicians, the organization
that has fronted the opposition to recorded music, concurred that
American Idiot could break the set minimums for the orchestra using
the special situations clause that was done in contract in 2003 at
Gracie Mansion after a week of protests from musicians. . In the same
article, it states, According to the Broadway League, roughly 20 shows
have done this since the 2003 contract. It goes on, Bernard M. Plum,
a lawyer for the Broadway League, said that arbitration proceedings
over set minimums and recorded music were fairly rare. The league
discourages producers from triggering the special situation clause, he
said, unless the artistic rationale is very convincing, adding that he
believed Priscilla met that test. I dont see the Priscilla pit as a
harbinger of everyone on Broadway using recorded music, Mr. Plum

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said. Some shows use some recorded or electronic music, yes, but
there are creative reasons at play. (Healy) Certainly, some shows fit
this special situation, but the majority of shows, especially revivals,
need that authentic, rich, fulfilling atmosphere that audiences expect.
However, The second reason is the most evident and
pertinent.budgeting is the most evident and pertinent reason
orchestras are being reduced, or even cut. The Paul Taylor Dance
Company has always had live music accompany them, but very
recently has started using canned music and has met opposition and
protest from Local 802. The WPXR Blog said, In a statement, the
dance company said it remains open to discussion and that while it
strives to have live music, it doesn't currently have the resources to
support it. "While it has always been our goal to have live music at
Lincoln Center, unfortunately we were unable to find the resources in
the current economy," said executive director John Tomlinson in the
statement (Wise). The New York Times also said, Fewer and fewer
Broadway shows feature large orchestras, mostly because of costs; one
exception, which was cheered by critics and audiences, was Lincoln
Center Theaters 2008 revival of South Pacific, which had 30 live
musicians (Healy).
Especially in todays economy, it can be incredibly difficult to
fund a full-size orchestra, but 3 out of 4 theatergoers say they wont
purchase a ticket if they knew it included recorded music replacing live
musicians, according to a 704-person survey conducted by the Council

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for Living Music. (Media). Margolit, the last name of a theatergoer
who was interviewed, said, If it's electronic music it just has to be
canned, she said. When asked if she would avoid a dance
performance using taped classical music she said, "No, Id probably go,
but its a little cheesy. Others feel its more than cheesy; it robs the
audience of unpredictability. Richard Sittinger, a spectator who was
going to the Metropolitan Opera, was quoted as well: Theres just a
part of it thats not happening in front of you, he said. The reason for
going to the theater is that its an experience thats happening then.
Otherwise, Ill go to a movie (Wise).
I myself have performed on stage for numerous musicals
performed at various levels from our backyard to high school and our
community theater. I know the importance of a live orchestra as the
unpredictable nature of the art form. Often times, the orchestra will
have to vamp, or repeat a section, until receiving a cue to go on from
the actors, sound, lighting, etc. Sometimes, an actor will miss a cue or
be late in entering (Ive done this on occasion). The pit orchestra has
to vamp the section until the actor arrives or continue on without him.
Recorded music doesnt have this capability.
Virtual orchestras, played by a few keyboardists, can do this, you
might say. The average theater attendee probably cant notice the
difference between a well-engineered string and brass patch and a full
orchestra. The New York Times published another recent article on this

Allen 9
issue, stating, The truth is, orchestras on Broadway have been
becoming virtualized for years. Electronic enhancement is used to juice
up the sound of the string section and boost the punch of the brass.
Missing instruments -- extra woodwinds, a couple of harps, exotic
percussion -- are rendered through digital keyboards. The chorus
onstage is often fortified by taped voices that are blasted through the
sound system. (Tommasini). Anthony Tommasini goes on to explain
how this alternative accompaniment started a long time ago with
amplified and boosted orchestras. The audiences of Broadway have
grown accustomed to this big, blaring orchestra that seems to
emanate from an encircling battery of loudspeakers and clobbers
you. (Tommasini) Few theatergoers get to enjoy a natural, completely
live setting anymore. Tommasini also points out a new player in this
struggle that Local 802 hasnt directly attacked or addressed,
Operaworks. He says, This scrappy New York company typically
presents 8 to 12 staged productions a year, often of unusual repertory.
But since 1989, to save on the enormous cost of hiring enough
musicians for an opera orchestra, the company has used a computerrealized electronic substitute. Broadway producers have recently
started investigating this company as an alternative for their shows.
So why is this image of a virtual orchestra so horrifying? A large
part of it has to do with the actor-musician interaction mentioned in the
sound study mentioned earlier. You cant feel the rush of a

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synchronized downbeat with 20 musicians as you can with a couple of
keyboards plunking a note at the same time. Furthermore, the
strange, ghostly strings and brass can just never fully sound like a
trained orchestra. True, the technology will improve and the sounds
will become better than my Yamaha keyboard upstairs, but it will never
create the same environment. Stephen Sondheim, the world-renowned
composer of musicals such as Sweeney Todd, Into the Woods, and
West Side Story, introduces a third factor in this musical interaction,
the audience. The point of theater is that it only happens tonight.
Every performance is unique and every audience is privileged to see a
very specific performance that nobody will ever see again. Its the
aliveness of the orchestra that makes the evening unique and allows
for the interplay between the audience, the stage, and the pit, which is
necessary in every musical. There has to be a three-way interplay.
Each of them has to affect the other. . . . Everybodys controlling
everybody else. If its not all live, . . . it doesnt have life, or part of the
life is gone. (Sondheim).
Stephen Sondheim brings up a very good point thats often
overlooked. The audience is definitely a factor in this interplay. In a
way, they can control the stage and the pit. From my brief experience
playing trombone in the pit orchestra for a community theater
production of Curtains, a musical about a touring musical show thats
threatened by a mysterious murderer, I can attest to the fact that the

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audiences responses and reactions to what happens on the stage and
in the music can, in turn, bolster or enliven the performers. Each
musician in the pit orchestra responds in a slightly different way and
brings it out differently in their playing, acting, dancing or singing,
whether it is volume, style, crispness, or accents. This individual
response is practically eradicated when a synthesizer or keyboard
replaces a group of instruments.
Not only are these alternatives to live music taking away jobs
from trained, professional musicians, it is also damaging the future
music environment in New York and other major cities by making the
job prospects of musicians even more bleak than it already is. This can
only hurt any breakthroughs in music we might achieve. Additionally,
recorded music cannot account for the unpredictability of the
Broadway musical. Finally, the three-way interaction is deadened
when instruments are replaced with synthesizers because the
individual reaction to the stage and the audience is essentially erased.
AAlthough the lower costs may be tempting, replacing real living
musicians with keyboards or a cd will never give the audience the
enriching experience one seeks after when attending a Broadway
show.

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Crains New York Business Miriam Kreinin Souccar, Musicians woes
reach new lows as work fades, 2012
Gale Opposing Viewpoints (HBLL) Edward Ehrlich, The Show Must Go
On (With Musicians, Please), The New York Times, 2003

Works Cited
Berg, Charles Merrell. An Investigation of the Motives for and
Realization of Music to Accompany the American Silent Film, 18961927. New York: Arno, 1976. Print.

Flinn, Denny Martin. Musical!: A Grand Tour. New York: Schirmer, 1997.
Print.

Handel, Jonathan. "Broadway Musicians' Union Sounds Off About

Recorded Music." Hollywoodreporter.com. The Hollywood
Reporter, 16 May 2011. Web. 20 Oct. 2012.

Healy, Patrick. "Broadway Union Takes On 'Priscilla' Over Music."

Broadway Union
Takes On 'Priscilla' Over Recorded Music. New York Times, 15

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May 2011. Web. 26 Oct. 2012.

Matthew-Walker, Robert. Broadway to Hollywood: The Musical and the

Cinema. London: Sanctuary, 1996. Print.

"Media." Save Live Music on Broadway. Council for Living Music, 16

May 2011. Web.
10 Oct. 2012. <http://savelivemusiconbroadway.com/media>.

Sondheim, Stephen. Sondheim On Live Music. YouTube. YouTube,

01 Apr. 2011.
Web. 28 Nov. 2012.

Tommasini, Anthony. "THE THEATER WALKOUT: THE MUSIC; A Long,

Loud Journey
Toward 'Virtual' Orchestra Began Years Ago." The New York
Times. The New
York Times, 11 Mar. 2003. Web. 25 Oct. 2012.

Weinman, Jaime J. "The Case of the Missing Orchestra." Academic

Search Premier. EBSCO, 09 Oct. 2006. Web. 21 Oct. 2012.

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Vines, B.W.; Krumhansl, C.L.; Wanderley, M.M.; Levitin, D.J. CrossModal
Interactions in the Perception of Musical Performance. Cognition
Volume 101, Issue 1 (August 2006): 107

Wise, Brian. "Musicians Protest Use of Canned Music at Paul Taylor

Dance
Company." Web log post. Wpxr.org. New York Public Radio, 13
Mar. 2012. Web. 30 Oct. 2012.