Like No Business I Know
by Amy Dunn Williams
THE HOUSE LIGHTS DIM and a hush falls over the crowd. People shift in their seats, whispering to each other over shared playbills as they settle in for an evening of entertainment. There is excitement in the air as the music begins, building slowly and reaching a crescendo. The curtains part, and the stage comes to life with vibrant song, energetic dance, and glittering color.
There is nothing quite like live theater, or the music that accompanies it. Without question, the orchestra is an essential piece of the theatrical puzzle; whether you're watching a musical, a dance performance, or a comedy routine, the experience just wouldn't be the same without the music. But even the most avid fan can take for granted the person at the heart of that music--the piano accompanist.
Before the show is cast, the sets are built, or the opening date is decided, the piano accompanist is on the job. He or she is present throughout the audition process and at every rehearsal, often dedicating months to putting the performance together. "It's a big commitment, time-wise," says Debbie Gelber, 38, who plays for the Lubbock Community Theater in Lubbock, Texas. "I attend all of the rehearsals, play when I'm needed, and of course, sit and wait a lot! A big part of being a good accompanist is just being ready when you're needed, just being there."
Theaters that use an orchestra or band often don't bring these musicians in until just a few days before opening night. In the meantime, all of the music falls to the piano accompanist, who must learn all of the songs, be able to adapt to the skill level of the performers being accompanied, and eventually guide the orchestra musicians when they come in. "The accompanist really keeps the group together and often fills in or doubles the part of one of the orchestra members," explains Brenda Fernandez, 46, who accompanies for a variety of school choirs and musicals in Raleigh, North Carolina. "Sometimes there is no pit orchestra at all," she says. "So the pianist provides all of the music."
A Specialized Talent
Being a piano accompanist requires a very specialized skill set, and talent alone does not make a musician the right fit for the accompanist's chair. The best accompanists are excellent sight-readers, patient leaders, and team players. And if you have a knack for transposition, well, that's a big plus, too.
"Being able to sight read is so important," says Greg Vey, 46, who has spent more than 25 years as a music director and accompanist for musical theater companies throughout northeast Indiana. "And if you're not strong in that area, then you really have to put a lot of time into preparing. When you're performing in a group of 20 players, the piano part is less important, but during rehearsals you have to be able to cover every part."
Gelber agrees. "A good accompanist has to know how to fake it a little bit," she says. "You're not always going to be able to play every note on the page, especially when you're working from a conductor's arrangement or a reduced orchestral score. The important thing is to keep going! Keep a bass line going for the singers, a good solid foundation for them to work with. You can't ever stop to correct."
Accompanists often find themselves in the role of vocal coach, especially in community theaters where the performers are not always professional musicians. The singers, many of whom may feel uncomfortable on stage or unsure of their own abilities, will look to the pianist for guidance. And the pianist needs to be able to make that performer look good. Really good. "I'm very much into coaching the singers," says Gelber. "In a community theater setting, it's not uncommon to get a singer who doesn't read music, so he or she won't be able to just look at the page and know what to sing. I love being able to take the lead a little bit and help them get to where they need to be."
Says Mike O'Mara, 27, an accompanist from Evanston, Illinois, "Often amateur singers will not have an ability level that puts them in the same place vocally as the score. That's where transposition comes in. If you can do on-the-spot transposition, you can accommodate singers much more effectively. Most often, your singers are not going to be able to sing in the key the score was written in. They're going to need your help."
A Different Mindset
Singers aren't the only performers who need accompanists; many pianists work with dance troupes as well. "Dancers require a very specific kind of accompaniment," says Vey.
"Choreographers think in blocks of eight, so you have to be cognizant of that pattern when you choose pieces of music. It needs to work within that very defined pattern. Also, you may have to play the same eight measures over and over for 20 minutes while the group works on one step, and you should be able to pick up the music in exactly the right spot, based on where the choreography last stopped."
Perhaps the most difficult part of accompanying is just that--accompanying. Most pianists have been classically trained as solo artists and are used to performing on stage, in the spotlight.
Many play competitively. But an accompanist must relinquish the spotlight, focusing instead on garnering accolades for others. "I find that there is a bit of a stigma among pianists when it comes to accompanying, as if accompanying requires less talent or is below them in some way," says O'Mara. "I really don't understand why. The good thing about that, though, is that there are always jobs open in this field! Theaters often have a hard time finding pianists, so there are always theaters looking for a good accompanist."
A Matter of Networking
When it comes to finding work in the accompanist field, most suggest word-of-mouth advertising among local arts and theater communities, or posting ads in music school publications and community newspapers. Many theaters, when in need of an accompanist, begin with people they know, so building good relationships with area teachers and musicians will get your name mentioned in the right circles.
Vey adds that, in addition to networking, a would-be accompanist must work on his or her skill set, and be prepared to play in a very team-oriented, results-focused environment. "Any production is a collaboration between several groups of people. The cast, the dancers, the choreographer, the director, the stagehands--everybody has to come together and make it work. I've been involved in shows where people on the production team aren't getting along and it's really not fun. A great accompanist is the solution to problems, not the cause of them."
Being able to sell yourself as that kind of team player may be your greatest asset in landing an accompanist job. Theater directors are busy, and they need to know they're hiring someone who can jump right into the thick of things without a lot of guidance. Says Fernandez, "Good accompanists realize that it is their job to make everyone else sound and look fabulous. They have to be a truly sensitive musician."
It's also advisable to learn as much as you can about the theater world, and to try your hand at acting, singing, dancing, or another theater-related skill. “It really helps if you have a working knowledge of the other skills you're collaborating with," says O'Mara. "It helps you to understand what it's like to be on their side of the piano, and you become a better accompanist because of it."
A Rewarding Career
While there are certainly challenges to working as a piano accompanist, the rewards far outweigh them. For one thing, an accompanist rarely gets bored. From coaching singers, to collaborating with choreographers, to guiding orchestral musicians just coming into the production, the piano accompanist is always needed. There is always a new show in the works with new songs to learn. Many accompanists make lifelong friends through their work, and some even find love. "I met my husband, Bill, through my work as an accompanist," says Gelber.
"I was playing at a scholarship concert at Texas Tech, where he teaches, and afterwards, we struck up a conversation. We ended up having so much in common, and a year and a half later, here we are married!"
O'Mara says that for him, the best part of the process is opening night, when months of preparation come together and the performance plays out in front of a live audience. He loves to watch the actors and singers he works with improve little by little, until finally, they're performing at a level they never thought themselves capable of. “In the beginning, people will say things like, 'I can't do this,' or 'This isn't going to happen.' It's exciting to watch their progression; to see how they move from being so sure they can't handle it to being genuinely proud of their performance. That sense of accomplishment is why I do this work."
--Amy Dunn Williams is an avid theater fan, and has a newfound appreciation for the all-important accompanist.
