Back in Oklahoma
I came back to Oklahoma for a while before my crazy summer starts. Just last weekend I played the Brahms Requiem with Tulsa Oratorio Chorus and musicians of the former Tulsa Philharmonic and the new Tulsa Symphony Orchestra. I’m hopeful that the Tulsa Symphony will be prosperous in the next year and grow into a leading organization in this state. However it is very sad that Tulsa has gone since 2002 without a full time professional orchestra. Many of the musicians have stayed here in hopes for a new orchestra and now it may be here. However, several are beginning to move on. The principal clarinetist and 2nd flutist will be leaving to take academic positions, the principal flutist and 2nd cellist will be leaving to freelance in the DC area and others already left a few years ago and/or have retrained to work in other fields.
It is really sad that a community that was once a huge supporter of the arts, has forgotten what its like to have outstanding quality organizations. There is another little what i call "pick up" orchestra here but the quality is embarassing and it is run by people with no artistic vision beyond their own egos.
After playing with these musicians all weekend, I see the quality that Tulsa has given up. These people have degrees from all of the major conservatories in this country and are fine musicians who could hold positions in any orchestra in the country. However, many have been here 15 or more years, and are now trying to get their audition chops back so they can earn a living. I would not be playing my clarinet - who knows what I would be doing, if those musicians had not been here and the orchestra hadn’t been such a wonderful organization.
But I guess all things change. It saddens me to see so many old friends leaving Tulsa because there is no full time orchestra anymore. It is really hitting the musical community hard, the quality of music in the schools is dropping because there aren’t any private teachers around to teach students. Therefore the school programs are on the decline, what is happening to the arts?
Ok - enough soapbox - I guess when you are gone from a place for 10 years, you figure it will be just as you left it. Unfortunately that isn’t the case here. I’m off to hear my dad’s school orchestra and jazz band concert.
