Introduce yourself to us.
My name is Samuel Rothstein, and I am currently the Assistant Principal Clarinetist and Bass Clarinetist with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Before joining the Indianapolis Symphony in the fall of 2015, I spent two seasons with the Richmond Symphony in Virginia as the Acting 2nd/E-flat/Assistant Principal for one year and also the Bass Clarinetist for one year. Since the Bass Clarinet position in Richmond is a part time position, I was able to split my time between Richmond and Chicago in order to complete my second year as a clarinetist with the Civic Orchestra.
Tell us about one of the most memorable experiences during your years in the Civic Orchestra.
Two concerts stick out to me the most in my time with Civic, one during each of my two years. The first was when we performed Scheherazade in the spring of 2013 and the second was when we performed Shostakovich 15 in the fall of 2013, both with Maestro Cliff Colnot. I don’t know what it was about those two performances, but sometimes you just know when you are putting something special out to the audience. I was fortunate to play with a great wind section in both of my two years and these two concerts were real showcases for us. I was incredibly proud of my colleagues, and these two concerts still stick with me to this day.
How did your experience in the Civic Orchestra influence your musical career?
The knowledge that I gained from my years in the Civic Orchestra were invaluable to my professional career. It was really my first time that I was able to have a group of people in an orchestra setting that I was able to work with on a consistent basis, which proved both challenging and rewarding. Fortunately, my colleagues were patient with me as I went through some growing pains in Civic, and I came out better for it. I still go back to things that I learned in Civic, and even pass that knowledge on to others.
Do you stay in contact with any of your Civic colleagues and, if so, who and in what capacity?
I do stay in contact with some of my former Civic colleagues, though admittedly, not enough as I would like. I was fortunate to have the same clarinet section both years in Yvonne Dean and Joe Sanchez. They are not only great clarinet players, but I couldn’t have asked for two better people to sit next to. We had a lot of fun not only playing together, but also outside of the orchestra as well. Unfortunately, I am in Indianapolis and they are both in Chicago, but I always keep in touch with them to hopefully have a reunion soon! It’s amazing how much I run into people from Civic. In fact, just a few weeks ago, one of my former colleagues was subbing in Indianapolis in our percussion section and it was great to catch up with him.
What is your advice for Civic members who are beginning to take professional auditions?
My advice for Civic members who are beginning to take auditions is pretty simple. Preparation is everything. I always think its funny when someone walks away from an audition and says something to the effect of, “Well, I would have advanced if I would have…”. It’s a common misconception that if you would have played louder, or nailed a certain passage, that all of the sudden the committee would have passed you through to the next round. I can say from sitting on an audition committee, that I make a sub-conscious decision as to whether or not I like someone’s playing within the first 10-15 seconds of listening to them. It sounds maybe counter intuitive, but when I prepare for auditions, I structure it in a way as to raise the lower level of my playing to the highest level possible. A lot of people can play in a range of 40-100% of their potential in any given audition situation. I would rather aim to play in a range of 80-90% of my potential. This way, I know that even if I play the worst I could have possibly played, its still 80% of what I’m capable of, which is really good! If my preparation is successful in this regard, then I can walk away from any audition knowing that put out the best possible product that I could, and the results are completely out of my hands.
What would you say to musicians who are considering an audition for the Civic Orchestra?
Audition every year and don’t give up! I think it took me three or four attempts before I was successful in my Civic Orchestra audition. I’ve been rejected from countless music festivals, and I was even rejected from all three graduate schools that I applied to. A year later, I won a job with the Richmond Symphony. Two years after that, I won a job with the Indianapolis Symphony and came close to winning three others.
Share your thoughts on how to best prepare for a professional career in music.
The best advice I can give about how to prepare for a professional career in music is to be a good person. Your reputation is everything in this industry, and once it is tainted, it is hard to reverse. I have certainly made my share of mistakes along the way, but every day I am not only striving to be a better musician, but also to be a better person, colleague, and friend.
