by Liz Daube
Staff Writer
Chris Dwyer is playing more than one role at the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra, and he says the balancing act is tough, but worth it.
Dwyer has been playing the french horn with the orchestra since 2003, but he added the title of personnel manager to his repertoire a few weeks ago. The new title translates to a list of new responsibilities and about 20 hours of work each week – on top of the almost 40 hours he’ll spend practicing and playing with the symphony this season.
“I think most people think it (being an orchestra musician) is just something you do for a hobby. You know, ‘What do you really do?’ ” said Dwyer. “All of us are doing this full-time.”
Most people don’t realize how much time a professional musician invests in physical practice, according to Dwyer. Much like an athlete, Dwyer said, specific muscles – in the face for the horn or the arms for a violinist – must be consistently trained to maintain performance standards.
“Music is something where you never ‘arrive’ ... It’s constant and you never get a vacation from it,” said Dwyer. Even a few days rest from practice will leave Dwyer playing catch-up during his melodic workouts. “It’s too much work to lose.”
Alan Hopper, executive director of the symphony, made the transition from musician to management many years ago. He said Dwyer’s position is unique because it straddles both roles, but the job is often filled by a current player.
“The personnel manager is kind of the link between the management and the orchestra,” said Hopper, adding that following the orchestral union’s contract terms are a key component of the job. “There’s a limited number of people who are really qualified.You have to know music front and back, know the players.”
Dwyer said Hopper’s success in the management side of the orchestra inspired him to apply for the position. Still, Dwyer’s interest in music hasn’t dwindled. He’s worked too hard to get where he is now.
“A lot of kids decide, ‘I want to be a musician.’ But to get a job in an orchestra and play professionally, it’s sort of ridiculous,” said Dwyer. “I’d say, for my instrument, there are an average of three openings a year.
“For those few openings, 50 to 150 show up,” he added, noting the “weird sort of camaraderie” common to the aspiring players who often compete with each for years. “A lot of musicians and actors are waiters and bartenders.”
Dwyer said tenacity and luck got him where he is. A middle school crush on a flute player originally led him into classical music, and hard work allowed him to improve quickly.
“When I was young, I was really athletic. I had about no interest in music at all,” he said. Dwyer convinced the band director to let him join late, with a few conditions. “The only thing he had was a french horn. I was like, whatever.
“I had to take lessons after school to catch up. By the time I was in high school, the only thing I liked was classical music.”
With a lot of practice and some private training, Dwyer was accepted into the prestigious Eastman School of Music. He wound up playing with a variety of symphonies, from Sarasota to New Mexico. And while he never caught the eye of his original crush, Dwyer wound up marrying Laura, a former flutist with the Sarasota Opera.
Players who choose to go into symphony management full-time typically stop playing their instruments, according to Hopper. He gave up his bassoon when he stopped playing professionally.
“I just couldn’t find the time to do that anymore,” said Hopper. “I just didn’t feel good playing (without practicing for hours each day).”
Still, Hopper said he’s enjoyed the different perspective he’s achieved as executive director.
“You have to take pleasure in lots of other people’s success,” said Hopper. “As a player, there is a tremendous amount of personal reward. In management, you learn to work differently as a team player.
“It took me a while to actually learn to listen differently to the orchestra,” he continued. “I was actually missing a lot (as a player) because you can’t hear everything, you can’t focus on everything.”
Dwyer hasn’t decided whether he wants to move into full-time orchestra management at some point – after all, he only started his current role a few weeks ago.
“Most people don’t phase out (of the orchestra). It’s really sort of addictive,” said Dwyer. “It’s hard to imagine doing anything else.”