Orchestral Salaries

Who hasn't dreamt of playing clarinet in a major symphony orchestra? Clarinets are one of the few instruments afforded many options of playing in various instrumental ensembles, but many of us know that it is very difficult to make a living as a musician.

For those curious about facts and salary figures of orchestral musicians, the website orchestrafacts.org contains information regarding salaries of 52 major American orchestras. The 52 orchestras surveyed currently employ about 4,200 full-time musicians. This website has compiled facts and statistics on wages, orchestra revenues, expenses, and budgets. Having trouble understanding economics of orchestras? Listings of additional readings cover the economic structures and issues faced by orchestras. Check out an interesting comparative chart on historical information of salary growth from 1952-2000 under the side-bar listing of "Facts About Orchestral Salaries." It gives a nice overview of salary figures across the nation. Since the data given is outdated by at least 8 years, it would be interesting to know the current and predicted wage trends under today's economic situation.

Wii Clarinet

We've all seen people spend hours perfecting their technique for "Guitar Hero." Well, now gamers can pretend to play the clarinet, too! This is the clarinet trailer for Wii Music, part of a series that also includes flute, violin, and even harp. It appears that this virtual clarinet is played using only two buttons. It doesn't really look that fun, but could be a nice distraction for those times when the real clarinet just seems too difficult.