November 23, 2025 • 15 mins
Mindy and Mikaela speak with Jena Huebner, Double Bassist from Columbus Symphony Orchestra!
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:05):
Oh, the sound of a symphony. There's nothing stronger than
the sound of a symphony. And you know what, even
if you're if you're following a play or a theater performance,
or even in the movies, and you can hear the
music Star Wars exactly. It makes such a difference, It
(00:25):
sets the tone. It just what would we do without music?
Speaker 2 (00:29):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
And I'm so glad that there are other talented people
who can do it, since I cannot do anything like that.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
And I'm so excited to introduce this brand news segment
with our partnership with a Columbus Symphony Orchestra and to
have in studio for the very first time. Jenna Heabner,
did we.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Say it correctly? Jenna, Yeah, we did.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
So tell us we are going to get to know
you in these next few moments, so everybody can know
more about not just you, but the symphony, what you're doing,
and just the overall feeling of why Columbus is so
fortunate to have this group.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Okay, are you ready, Let's do it. That's fantastic.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
So, first of all, tell people a little bit about
what you play and how how if this is a
full time gig or a part time gig. I think
people don't understand those things.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
So I play the bass, which is the largest string instrument.
It's the one that is you essentially have to stand
up to play it. It's as I'm five ten and
it's as big as me. Oh so, uh, it's the lowest.
We're the foundation of the whole orchestra basically, that's basically
(01:39):
that's a good point.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Well, the lowest sound.
Speaker 4 (01:42):
Yeah, I mean, along with the timbani and tuba that
you know, we're the We're an octave below cellos.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
So you got to be strong though you do.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Yeah, I mean really very physical instrument.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
Actually, I mean it takes when you're young, a young
bass player, you have to build up strength to be
able to do certain things.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
So, out of all the instruments out there, how did
you pick the bass?
Speaker 4 (02:07):
You know, I was always, even as a little kid,
drawn to the lower pitches. I never liked the high
pitched instruments. And you know, my my mom's a pianist
and she wanted us all to learn something, and my
sister was learning cello and I'm like, well, I'm going
to play something bigger than her because she was older.
So I got the bass, and yeah, and I mean
(02:30):
I loved it.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
I had I had had a little.
Speaker 4 (02:32):
Dabbling you know on piano or guitar other instruments, but
once I started with bass and that was it really
clicked for me.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Like I said, it's very physical.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
I was also a dancer, and so I like that
that real physicality of and and you can feel the
vibrations of the instrument in your body.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
That is so cool.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
And that's actually one thing that I want to say
that live music, if people don't come here live music,
Live music is so different than you know, watching it
on TV or listening to recordings because sound is as
a physical thing that actually goes into your whole body.
It's not just your ears that are affected.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
So I'm kind of into a sound as healing moment
right now. I haven't even talked to Mindy about this. Yeah,
but you know, different hurtzes and things like that. I'm
sure it is therapeutic to hear music live, especially the
kind of music that you all perform. I think with
the vibrations and and other things, I would.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
I would think.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
So, I mean it is for me, it's I mean,
it's almost honestly, it's almost spiritual to be a musician.
I think as you're it's so like intrinsic as part
of who you are, and you're sort of the core
of yourself to play music. For most people, I think
to play music. But then yeah, I mean audience members.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
I think.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
You know, if you talk to people that come to
symphony concerts a lot, they will they will say, it's
just it's not it's to go live to hear live
performance of especially acoustic music.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
You know, there's not amplification.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
I mean for the pops concerts or for the movies,
we are amplified, but for the symphonic concerts were not.
And it's just it's just really different than what we're
accustomed to at home with our electronic stuff.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
It is powerful, there's no doubt about it. When you
were sitting and hearing and watching a live performance of
the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, it's just powerful and it's moving.
When we're in our profession and we make a mistake,
we know it right away.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
It's easy to see and hear and whatever.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
When you're playing and you're in the moment, can the
audience tell if you make a mistake, Oh, this is.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
A good question. Ah, it depends on what kind of mistake.
Does a mistake look like across the stage?
Speaker 4 (04:55):
Yeah, people, you drop your bow, right, I've seen that happen.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
It's been your most embarrassing moment.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
You know. Honestly, playing in a rest is pretty bad
and performance so so in music you have notes and
then you have rests, and the rests are the parts
where you're not playing and somebody else is or nobody's playing.
And if you miscount because it's too fast, or you
get distracted, you start thinking about something else, or you know,
like every job, right, and you you accidentally play in
(05:28):
the rest where it's supposed to be empty.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
That's pretty embarrassing. Imagine that.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
That's why you practice, and that's why you rehearse.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Yeah, together rehearse. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
There's so much that you guys do that is incredible
And if you guys haven't experienced ESO, you really truly should.
Jenn I wanted to ask you about holiday pops because
we're loving to fill in people's calendars with things to
do for the next month. So what are you all
offering when it comes to holiday pops?
Speaker 4 (05:55):
Yeah, holiday pops is it's the week after Thanksgiving, the
weekend after Thanksgiving weekend, and.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
It's you know, it's great. It's like a big show.
Speaker 4 (06:07):
Souche Fitz is our Pops conductor and he's he's awesome.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
We love him. I mean, he's great. He's just this
like beam of positive energy. What are some of those
songs you guys are playing?
Speaker 4 (06:19):
You know, I actually I did not look at the repertoire,
but we always have the whole chorus, the Columbus Symphony Chorus,
which is an all volunteer group, which is they're fantastic,
and we have the Columbus Children's Choir, and we have
a vocal soloist too, So there's going to be a
lot of a lot of good holiday.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
You guys give back to the community a lot too.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
I know you're involved with the toys, the organization, and yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
It's all about giving back. I mean that's what life
really should be about.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Yeah, I mean I agree, that's that's what you guys
are doing.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
I'm looking at some of this now pictures with Sanna
and during holiday Pops it sounds like and you have
some crafts and things going on top of the toy drive.
Speaker 4 (06:58):
Yeah, and I think the crafts and things are on Sunday.
I don't know if that's every day, it's on Sunday, yeah,
but I think Santa's every time every concert, So that's
so fun.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Do you consider yourself a team, oh, the orchestra, Yes.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
I think we do. Yeah, I think I do. I
hope everyone.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Yeah, because you're on the same page. Everybody wants to
try to help everybody out. But there's got to be
a little bit of competition within the team as well
within the orchestra, is there not.
Speaker 4 (07:34):
You know, the competition really comes when you're trying to
get a job, Like that's the competition, That's what I mean,
really hard to get the job. Once you have the
job and you're in the orchestra and you're a member
of the orchestra, then your team and you're everyone has
the same goal, you know, and that's to play a
great concert and move some people in the audience. And yeah,
(07:56):
so we're not on stage, we're not competing with each other.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
It's when you're trying out for your chair. Yes, when
you're trying to get the job. Yeah, then you then
you're competing. And that's tough.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
I'm sure it could be ruthless. I'm sure anything is
in life, right.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
Yeah, And that's why you practice, and that's why you
want to get those ten thousand hours in that.
Speaker 4 (08:16):
You know, definitely malcolmsbout he is not wrong, not wrong.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
I want to think of the movie drum Line.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
Okay, and that's also another really good example exactly so
with it, is it a part time job or is
it a full time job?
Speaker 2 (08:28):
I'm very curious.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
About this, so, uh yeah, I mean a lot of
a lot of people don't know. So I came in
two thousand. I've been here twenty five years. When I came,
it was a full time job. And I you know,
came because it was a full time job. Most all
the musicians in the orchestra, I mean, we've all gone
to the top music schools. Most of us have graduate
degrees in our instrument. Like that's what you study in school.
(08:53):
I mean you study history and theory and all the
other music history and all the other stuff.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
But but then.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
There was a the orchestra sort of went through some
rough times and.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
Many did I think across the country, not like us,
not like you guys.
Speaker 4 (09:08):
Yeah know, we were really we were really hit and
uh why, I honestly couldn't answer that Okay, I don't know. Okay,
I mean I think there's a lot of reasons. So,
but it's two thousand and eight and we shut down
a recession. Yeah, and then we went back to We
went from a contract that was like forty nine weeks
(09:31):
of the year we were employed to twenty six weeks
of the year we were employed. So now we've kind
of got a few back. We're like thirty one or something.
So technically it's a full time job. On the weeks
where we're working, it's full time, but it's not every
single week out of the year, if that makes sense.
I mean, I think most people in the orchestra teach
(09:53):
we all. I mean I teach a couple of students.
I also sell real estate. That's something I really enjoy
doing too. That's great, but yeah, you know, people do
different things to sort of make up the difference. Yeah,
but you also, even when you're not working, you still
have to maintain your skills, right, So yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
You recently had a fundraiser to try to inspire other young,
maybe hopeful musicians to become part of a symphony and
to grow up with this background and to love music.
What's your favorite part about being in the Columbus Symphony orchestra.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
What's my favorite part.
Speaker 4 (10:34):
I mean, it's just it's just sitting in the middle
of an orchestra.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
I mean I'm actually on the edge.
Speaker 4 (10:40):
I'm kind of in the back, but playing music and
playing concerts, you know, for people who there's an energy.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
I mean, yeah, it's just it's hard to describe.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
Really, you have to everyone listenings just has to come
and see what it's like.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
I love earlier that it was a spiritual experience almost
like and I could see why for someone who is
a musician so in it. I know sometimes I feel
it as part of the audience when I'm really struck
by a great piece. I can only imagine what it's
like to sit on stage, you know.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
I was reading this stat and it says historically speaking,
professional symphonies have had more men than women in the
symphony itself. But I think the origination of the Columbus
Symphony was called the Little Symphony, and I think it
was from a women's foundation that first started it, like
in nineteen fifty one.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
Maybe, but it wasn't because there musicians were women, because
women supported it and there was the we've had like
the the Women's League or something, yes, has supported us. Sure,
and now they're called Friends of the Symphony. They've gotten
rid of the gender specificity of that organization has because
anybody can go to anybody, of course.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
But are there more male musicians.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
It used to be that way until when the auditions.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
Especially bass players.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Yeah, serious, No, it's true, It's true.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
There are.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
I mean, there are some very prominent female bass players.
It's more common. I mean, when I was in college,
about half of the base majors were women, and I
thought by this time that about half of the professionals
would be women.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
But that's not been the case.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
You know, you mentioned a lot of people go to
incredible schools. Where did you go now? I want to know, like,
where did you go to some undergrad state?
Speaker 2 (12:23):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (12:23):
I went to Indiana University, which is a huge music program.
They're huge and it's very really good. And then I
went to Peabody in Baltimore for graduate school.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
Yeah. Okay. But one other.
Speaker 4 (12:34):
Thing I wanted to say about being in a symphony
that I think people can relate to is one of
the things that makes your job either really great or
really hard and terrible is the people that you're working
with like the people who are directly above you in
the hierarchy, but also the people that you sit next
to every day, you know, and if you get along
and you work well together, then it's brilliant and wonderful.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
And if you don't like each.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
Other, and some of people, you know, they just don't
get along right, and then then it can be just
like any other job.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
It can be just gritting your teeth, we all know.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
But that's life.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
That's life, you know, And you're going to have to
learn to.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
Get along with everybody in every facet, whether it is
your job or whether you are part of a team.
You've got to be able to get along because that
is life. And you're not going to get along with
everybody perfectly.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
That's just the way it is, right, But preach it, mom, mindy,
because you do.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
You don't have a choice. Sometimes next to.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
You, I mean you have a choice, Kayla, we do.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
But you know, coming from TV, I mean there are
people that we've sat next to you that have been
probably more difficult than a donce.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
Like I said, that's life, that's life. And then yeah,
you just you know, you'd be a professional about it.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
As a member of the orchestra. Do you ever get
to maybe vote on we're going to do this piece,
We're going to do this song? Who decides, you know, usually.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
It's the for the classical, the master work repertoire, it's
the music director. So Russan Millinoffwood decide primarily in conjunction
with you know, they have to like we can't get
the solost this week, or we can't you know, we
can't do this piece because it's some reason or you know,
so they they coordinate all but I think Russan is
(14:19):
really the one who sort of determines that rep But
the he does ask us every year for pieces we
want to play, so we're allowed to either talk to
him in person or submit it and say, yeah, we
want to play this piece.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
So input by people who are very smart and trained
and this kind of thing you have been lovely. We're
going to have one of your colleagues in next weekend.
You go, yah, you go yeah, So he'll be in
and so people can get tickets at Columbusymphony dot com.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
But Pops and some other things coming up right.
Speaker 4 (14:47):
Yeah, yeah, And we have all kinds of good classical
stuff coming to January, and yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Yeah, we'll talk more about it next week.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
Kicky, you were so lovely having like what Kayla said
in thirty seconds. What would you say if someone has
a grand child or a child who may be perfect
for the symphony to pick up that instrument. What's the
one thing you would tell them?
Speaker 4 (15:06):
So one thing I would tell them just play music
in your house and take them to hear concerts. Just
expose them so that it's part of their everyday life.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Great advice.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Get on columbusymphony dot com. Get some tickets.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
Guys, Jenna, thank you for being here.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
This is a Thanksgiving.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
Oh yeah, happy Thanksgiving.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
This is what matters on six ten WUTVN
Oh, the sound of a symphony. There's nothing stronger than
the sound of a symphony. And you know what, even
if you're if you're following a play or a theater performance,
or even in the movies, and you can hear the
music Star Wars exactly. It makes such a difference, It
(00:25):
sets the tone. It just what would we do without music?
Speaker 2 (00:29):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (00:30):
And I'm so glad that there are other talented people
who can do it, since I cannot do anything like that.
Speaker 1 (00:36):
And I'm so excited to introduce this brand news segment
with our partnership with a Columbus Symphony Orchestra and to
have in studio for the very first time. Jenna Heabner,
did we.
Speaker 2 (00:48):
Say it correctly? Jenna, Yeah, we did.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
So tell us we are going to get to know
you in these next few moments, so everybody can know
more about not just you, but the symphony, what you're doing,
and just the overall feeling of why Columbus is so
fortunate to have this group.
Speaker 2 (01:05):
Okay, are you ready, Let's do it. That's fantastic.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
So, first of all, tell people a little bit about
what you play and how how if this is a
full time gig or a part time gig. I think
people don't understand those things.
Speaker 2 (01:17):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (01:17):
So I play the bass, which is the largest string instrument.
It's the one that is you essentially have to stand
up to play it. It's as I'm five ten and
it's as big as me. Oh so, uh, it's the lowest.
We're the foundation of the whole orchestra basically, that's basically
(01:39):
that's a good point.
Speaker 2 (01:39):
Well, the lowest sound.
Speaker 4 (01:42):
Yeah, I mean, along with the timbani and tuba that
you know, we're the We're an octave below cellos.
Speaker 1 (01:49):
So you got to be strong though you do.
Speaker 2 (01:51):
Yeah, I mean really very physical instrument.
Speaker 4 (01:54):
Actually, I mean it takes when you're young, a young
bass player, you have to build up strength to be
able to do certain things.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
So, out of all the instruments out there, how did
you pick the bass?
Speaker 4 (02:07):
You know, I was always, even as a little kid,
drawn to the lower pitches. I never liked the high
pitched instruments. And you know, my my mom's a pianist
and she wanted us all to learn something, and my
sister was learning cello and I'm like, well, I'm going
to play something bigger than her because she was older.
So I got the bass, and yeah, and I mean
(02:30):
I loved it.
Speaker 2 (02:30):
I had I had had a little.
Speaker 4 (02:32):
Dabbling you know on piano or guitar other instruments, but
once I started with bass and that was it really
clicked for me.
Speaker 2 (02:40):
Like I said, it's very physical.
Speaker 4 (02:42):
I was also a dancer, and so I like that
that real physicality of and and you can feel the
vibrations of the instrument in your body.
Speaker 2 (02:52):
That is so cool.
Speaker 4 (02:54):
And that's actually one thing that I want to say
that live music, if people don't come here live music,
Live music is so different than you know, watching it
on TV or listening to recordings because sound is as
a physical thing that actually goes into your whole body.
It's not just your ears that are affected.
Speaker 3 (03:12):
So I'm kind of into a sound as healing moment
right now. I haven't even talked to Mindy about this. Yeah,
but you know, different hurtzes and things like that. I'm
sure it is therapeutic to hear music live, especially the
kind of music that you all perform. I think with
the vibrations and and other things, I would.
Speaker 2 (03:31):
I would think.
Speaker 4 (03:32):
So, I mean it is for me, it's I mean,
it's almost honestly, it's almost spiritual to be a musician.
I think as you're it's so like intrinsic as part
of who you are, and you're sort of the core
of yourself to play music. For most people, I think
to play music. But then yeah, I mean audience members.
Speaker 2 (03:54):
I think.
Speaker 4 (03:55):
You know, if you talk to people that come to
symphony concerts a lot, they will they will say, it's
just it's not it's to go live to hear live
performance of especially acoustic music.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
You know, there's not amplification.
Speaker 4 (04:08):
I mean for the pops concerts or for the movies,
we are amplified, but for the symphonic concerts were not.
And it's just it's just really different than what we're
accustomed to at home with our electronic stuff.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
It is powerful, there's no doubt about it. When you
were sitting and hearing and watching a live performance of
the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, it's just powerful and it's moving.
When we're in our profession and we make a mistake,
we know it right away.
Speaker 2 (04:39):
It's easy to see and hear and whatever.
Speaker 1 (04:42):
When you're playing and you're in the moment, can the
audience tell if you make a mistake, Oh, this is.
Speaker 2 (04:48):
A good question. Ah, it depends on what kind of mistake.
Does a mistake look like across the stage?
Speaker 4 (04:55):
Yeah, people, you drop your bow, right, I've seen that happen.
Speaker 1 (05:01):
It's been your most embarrassing moment.
Speaker 4 (05:03):
You know. Honestly, playing in a rest is pretty bad
and performance so so in music you have notes and
then you have rests, and the rests are the parts
where you're not playing and somebody else is or nobody's playing.
And if you miscount because it's too fast, or you
get distracted, you start thinking about something else, or you know,
like every job, right, and you you accidentally play in
(05:28):
the rest where it's supposed to be empty.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
That's pretty embarrassing. Imagine that.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
That's why you practice, and that's why you rehearse.
Speaker 2 (05:36):
Yeah, together rehearse. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
There's so much that you guys do that is incredible
And if you guys haven't experienced ESO, you really truly should.
Jenn I wanted to ask you about holiday pops because
we're loving to fill in people's calendars with things to
do for the next month. So what are you all
offering when it comes to holiday pops?
Speaker 4 (05:55):
Yeah, holiday pops is it's the week after Thanksgiving, the
weekend after Thanksgiving weekend, and.
Speaker 2 (06:03):
It's you know, it's great. It's like a big show.
Speaker 4 (06:07):
Souche Fitz is our Pops conductor and he's he's awesome.
Speaker 2 (06:10):
We love him. I mean, he's great. He's just this
like beam of positive energy. What are some of those
songs you guys are playing?
Speaker 4 (06:19):
You know, I actually I did not look at the repertoire,
but we always have the whole chorus, the Columbus Symphony Chorus,
which is an all volunteer group, which is they're fantastic,
and we have the Columbus Children's Choir, and we have
a vocal soloist too, So there's going to be a
lot of a lot of good holiday.
Speaker 1 (06:37):
You guys give back to the community a lot too.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
I know you're involved with the toys, the organization, and yeah.
Speaker 1 (06:41):
It's all about giving back. I mean that's what life
really should be about.
Speaker 2 (06:45):
Yeah, I mean I agree, that's that's what you guys
are doing.
Speaker 3 (06:49):
I'm looking at some of this now pictures with Sanna
and during holiday Pops it sounds like and you have
some crafts and things going on top of the toy drive.
Speaker 4 (06:58):
Yeah, and I think the crafts and things are on Sunday.
I don't know if that's every day, it's on Sunday, yeah,
but I think Santa's every time every concert, So that's
so fun.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (07:09):
Do you consider yourself a team, oh, the orchestra, Yes.
Speaker 2 (07:14):
I think we do. Yeah, I think I do. I
hope everyone.
Speaker 1 (07:22):
Yeah, because you're on the same page. Everybody wants to
try to help everybody out. But there's got to be
a little bit of competition within the team as well
within the orchestra, is there not.
Speaker 4 (07:34):
You know, the competition really comes when you're trying to
get a job, Like that's the competition, That's what I mean,
really hard to get the job. Once you have the
job and you're in the orchestra and you're a member
of the orchestra, then your team and you're everyone has
the same goal, you know, and that's to play a
great concert and move some people in the audience. And yeah,
(07:56):
so we're not on stage, we're not competing with each other.
Speaker 2 (08:00):
It's when you're trying out for your chair. Yes, when
you're trying to get the job. Yeah, then you then
you're competing. And that's tough.
Speaker 1 (08:08):
I'm sure it could be ruthless. I'm sure anything is
in life, right.
Speaker 3 (08:11):
Yeah, And that's why you practice, and that's why you
want to get those ten thousand hours in that.
Speaker 4 (08:16):
You know, definitely malcolmsbout he is not wrong, not wrong.
Speaker 1 (08:20):
I want to think of the movie drum Line.
Speaker 3 (08:22):
Okay, and that's also another really good example exactly so
with it, is it a part time job or is
it a full time job?
Speaker 2 (08:28):
I'm very curious.
Speaker 4 (08:29):
About this, so, uh yeah, I mean a lot of
a lot of people don't know. So I came in
two thousand. I've been here twenty five years. When I came,
it was a full time job. And I you know,
came because it was a full time job. Most all
the musicians in the orchestra, I mean, we've all gone
to the top music schools. Most of us have graduate
degrees in our instrument. Like that's what you study in school.
(08:53):
I mean you study history and theory and all the
other music history and all the other stuff.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
But but then.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
There was a the orchestra sort of went through some
rough times and.
Speaker 3 (09:05):
Many did I think across the country, not like us,
not like you guys.
Speaker 4 (09:08):
Yeah know, we were really we were really hit and
uh why, I honestly couldn't answer that Okay, I don't know. Okay,
I mean I think there's a lot of reasons. So,
but it's two thousand and eight and we shut down
a recession. Yeah, and then we went back to We
went from a contract that was like forty nine weeks
(09:31):
of the year we were employed to twenty six weeks
of the year we were employed. So now we've kind
of got a few back. We're like thirty one or something.
So technically it's a full time job. On the weeks
where we're working, it's full time, but it's not every
single week out of the year, if that makes sense.
I mean, I think most people in the orchestra teach
(09:53):
we all. I mean I teach a couple of students.
I also sell real estate. That's something I really enjoy
doing too. That's great, but yeah, you know, people do
different things to sort of make up the difference. Yeah,
but you also, even when you're not working, you still
have to maintain your skills, right, So yeah.
Speaker 1 (10:16):
You recently had a fundraiser to try to inspire other young,
maybe hopeful musicians to become part of a symphony and
to grow up with this background and to love music.
What's your favorite part about being in the Columbus Symphony orchestra.
Speaker 2 (10:32):
What's my favorite part.
Speaker 4 (10:34):
I mean, it's just it's just sitting in the middle
of an orchestra.
Speaker 2 (10:38):
I mean I'm actually on the edge.
Speaker 4 (10:40):
I'm kind of in the back, but playing music and
playing concerts, you know, for people who there's an energy.
Speaker 2 (10:46):
I mean, yeah, it's just it's hard to describe.
Speaker 4 (10:50):
Really, you have to everyone listenings just has to come
and see what it's like.
Speaker 3 (10:54):
I love earlier that it was a spiritual experience almost
like and I could see why for someone who is
a musician so in it. I know sometimes I feel
it as part of the audience when I'm really struck
by a great piece. I can only imagine what it's
like to sit on stage, you know.
Speaker 1 (11:07):
I was reading this stat and it says historically speaking,
professional symphonies have had more men than women in the
symphony itself. But I think the origination of the Columbus
Symphony was called the Little Symphony, and I think it
was from a women's foundation that first started it, like
in nineteen fifty one.
Speaker 4 (11:29):
Maybe, but it wasn't because there musicians were women, because
women supported it and there was the we've had like
the the Women's League or something, yes, has supported us. Sure,
and now they're called Friends of the Symphony. They've gotten
rid of the gender specificity of that organization has because
anybody can go to anybody, of course.
Speaker 1 (11:50):
But are there more male musicians.
Speaker 2 (11:53):
It used to be that way until when the auditions.
Speaker 1 (11:57):
Especially bass players.
Speaker 2 (11:58):
Yeah, serious, No, it's true, It's true.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
There are.
Speaker 4 (12:01):
I mean, there are some very prominent female bass players.
It's more common. I mean, when I was in college,
about half of the base majors were women, and I
thought by this time that about half of the professionals
would be women.
Speaker 2 (12:12):
But that's not been the case.
Speaker 3 (12:13):
You know, you mentioned a lot of people go to
incredible schools. Where did you go now? I want to know, like,
where did you go to some undergrad state?
Speaker 2 (12:23):
Yeah?
Speaker 4 (12:23):
I went to Indiana University, which is a huge music program.
They're huge and it's very really good. And then I
went to Peabody in Baltimore for graduate school.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
Yeah. Okay. But one other.
Speaker 4 (12:34):
Thing I wanted to say about being in a symphony
that I think people can relate to is one of
the things that makes your job either really great or
really hard and terrible is the people that you're working
with like the people who are directly above you in
the hierarchy, but also the people that you sit next
to every day, you know, and if you get along
and you work well together, then it's brilliant and wonderful.
Speaker 2 (12:58):
And if you don't like each.
Speaker 4 (12:59):
Other, and some of people, you know, they just don't
get along right, and then then it can be just
like any other job.
Speaker 2 (13:06):
It can be just gritting your teeth, we all know.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
But that's life.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
That's life, you know, And you're going to have to
learn to.
Speaker 1 (13:13):
Get along with everybody in every facet, whether it is
your job or whether you are part of a team.
You've got to be able to get along because that
is life. And you're not going to get along with
everybody perfectly.
Speaker 3 (13:24):
That's just the way it is, right, But preach it, mom, mindy,
because you do.
Speaker 2 (13:28):
You don't have a choice. Sometimes next to.
Speaker 1 (13:31):
You, I mean you have a choice, Kayla, we do.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
But you know, coming from TV, I mean there are
people that we've sat next to you that have been
probably more difficult than a donce.
Speaker 2 (13:41):
Like I said, that's life, that's life. And then yeah,
you just you know, you'd be a professional about it.
Speaker 1 (13:47):
As a member of the orchestra. Do you ever get
to maybe vote on we're going to do this piece,
We're going to do this song? Who decides, you know, usually.
Speaker 4 (13:56):
It's the for the classical, the master work repertoire, it's
the music director. So Russan Millinoffwood decide primarily in conjunction
with you know, they have to like we can't get
the solost this week, or we can't you know, we
can't do this piece because it's some reason or you know,
so they they coordinate all but I think Russan is
(14:19):
really the one who sort of determines that rep But
the he does ask us every year for pieces we
want to play, so we're allowed to either talk to
him in person or submit it and say, yeah, we
want to play this piece.
Speaker 3 (14:31):
So input by people who are very smart and trained
and this kind of thing you have been lovely. We're
going to have one of your colleagues in next weekend.
You go, yah, you go yeah, So he'll be in
and so people can get tickets at Columbusymphony dot com.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
But Pops and some other things coming up right.
Speaker 4 (14:47):
Yeah, yeah, And we have all kinds of good classical
stuff coming to January, and yeah.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
Yeah, we'll talk more about it next week.
Speaker 1 (14:53):
Kicky, you were so lovely having like what Kayla said
in thirty seconds. What would you say if someone has
a grand child or a child who may be perfect
for the symphony to pick up that instrument. What's the
one thing you would tell them?
Speaker 4 (15:06):
So one thing I would tell them just play music
in your house and take them to hear concerts. Just
expose them so that it's part of their everyday life.
Speaker 1 (15:16):
Great advice.
Speaker 2 (15:17):
Get on columbusymphony dot com. Get some tickets.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
Guys, Jenna, thank you for being here.
Speaker 2 (15:21):
Thank you.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
This is a Thanksgiving.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
Oh yeah, happy Thanksgiving.
Speaker 3 (15:25):
This is what matters on six ten WUTVN
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