Life in the Pit

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This podcast is devoted to the lives and experiences of instrumental musicians who play for musical theatre. Listeners can hear the stories of what goes on in "the pit" and aspiring musicians can learn what it takes to become a pit musician.

Episodes

Friday Jun 11, 2021

53. Low Notes - Jennifer Wharton: trombone, bass trombone, tuba

Friday Jun 11, 2021

Jennifer Wharton loves playing low brass (her website tag is indeed, "I play low notes"), and has enjoyed doing so on Broadway in shows such as Beloved: The Carole King Musical, 9 to 5, Curtains, Porgy and Bess, King Kong, and most recently West Side Story. She's played with a ton of jazz ensembles and artists, and is a founder of the group Bonegasm, an ensemble of 4 trombones plus rhythm section! She talks about her shows and more! You can find out more about her at https://jenniferwharton.com/

Follow the podcast on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter @LifeInThePitPod. Visit www.davidlanemusic.com/podcast for more info or to send feedback regarding the podcast. You can also donate through the website. This podcast is currently ad-free, so all donations are gratefully appreciated. Please leave a rating and a review. Thank you for listening.

Friday Jun 04, 2021

52. Tours and Reels - Matthew Croft, keyboardist and music director

Friday Jun 04, 2021

Matthew Croft has either music directed or played keyboard, or both, for theaters all over Michigan, Ohio, and New York. He has also played for The Illusionists: Turn of the Century on Broadway. He has also toured nationally with 5 Broadway productions: Guys and Dolls, The Producers, Motown: The Musical, Something Rotten, and most recently Jesus Christ Superstar - the 50th anniversary production! Matthew talks about tour life, handling keyboard and music directing for some demanding shows, and tips for getting such work including demo reels. You can find out more about Matthew at www.matthewcroftmusic.com .

Friday May 28, 2021

51. Theatre in Ireland - Andrew Clayton, guitarist

Friday May 28, 2021

For the 2nd time, LIFE IN THE PIT goes outside North America to explore theatre from musician's perspectives in other parts of the world. Andrew Clayton is a young guitarist and teacher who lives in Dublin and chats to me about his experiences in the pit and of the Irish theatre scene in general. You can follow Andrew at instagram.com/claytona95 and on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4kB2-r-np0agWbqp33eDoQ

Friday May 21, 2021

50. The Collins Boy: A New Musical - Brad Bass and Cari Joy, writers

Friday May 21, 2021

5 years ago, the host of this podcast, David Lane, was invited to be the arranger and later the musical director for The Collins Boy. Working with the writers Brad Bass and Cari Joy, working with actors like Lisa Howard, Tony Galde, and Russell Fisher, and playing for audiences in NYC and Atlanta have been one of the best experiences! Brad is no stranger to Broadway. He was on-stage for a decade with Wicked, Memphis, and Jersey Boys. Eventually, he left NYC to focus on teaching and becoming a writer. His long-time writing partner, Cari Joy, is a songwriter, pianist, and teacher. This is a musical that is still being developed, but set a crowd record at the 2019 Atlanta Musical Theatre Festival. We talk about that show from where it started to where it's gone to where it's going!

Friday May 14, 2021

49. "Strategies for Success in Musical Theatre" - Herbert D. Marshall, music director

Friday May 14, 2021

LIFE IN THE PIT does its first episode on a book. The book is "Strategies for Success in Musical Theatre: A Guide for Music Directors in School, College, and Community Theatre" by Herbert D. Marshall, published with Oxford Press and available as an e-book through Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble, and other major outlets. Dr. Herbert (AKA Butch) Marshall is a professor of music at Kent State University, and has written this book, which is a wonderful resource for any novice music directors, or anyone who would like to polish their craft and explore new ideas!

Friday May 07, 2021

48. Singing for Cirque Du Soleil - Rochelle Collins, vocalist

Friday May 07, 2021

Rochelle Collins lives in Las Vegas, NV where she has been a performer for Cirque Du Soleil for 19 years, first for the show MYSTERE, and currently for KA. Her work as a vocalist puts her onstage (and over stage) in the spotlight, but she also performs as accompaniment to the action (in other words, as a pit musician). She talks about what it's like to rehearse and perform a show for Cirque, and we also briefly discuss her other theatre career with shows such as Oklahoma, Into the Woods, Fiddler on the Roof, and other shows and operas. You can hear a sample of Rochelle's work with Cirque du Soleil at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXEXkBZtJCg

Friday Apr 30, 2021

47. The Itinerant Music Director: Steven Zumbrun, music director, keyboards

Friday Apr 30, 2021

Steven Zumbrun has been everywhere because of theatre, and has so many stories to tell! He's played for shows based in the Springer Opera House in Columbus (GA), the Nebraska Theatre Caravan, the Totem Pole Playhouse in Pennsylvania. In addition to playing keyboards and music directing, he also is a performer onstage with acting, singing, and tap dancing! His stories include creepy high school theatres, a flood, a bus crash, and more. Steven has truly had an interesting life in the pit, and has an eloquent way of sharing! Check out his fun experiences!

Friday Apr 23, 2021

46. "The Best They Can" - Trevor Landreth, percussionist

Friday Apr 23, 2021

Trevor Landreth is a percussionist and educator in the Greater Wichita area. In addition to playing in the pit, he teaches high schoolers and college students in not only percussion, but also drum line, something we haven't given a lot of attention here before. In his spare time, he also co-hosts a podcast about movies called The Couch Critics.

Friday Apr 16, 2021

45. "I just love playing!" - Mary Ann McSweeney, bassist

Friday Apr 16, 2021

Mary Ann McSweeney has played enough shows on Broadway to be really close to having played in every physical theatre on Broadway. She's the original bassist for Avenue Q, You're a Good Man Charlie Brown, Far From Heaven, and Silence. But she has subbed for periods on dozens of other shows including The Book of Mormon, Sister Act, Next to Normal, Miss Saigon, Billy Elliot, Newsies, and many more! We talk about her phenomenal career as a Broadway bassist, her side projects, how she gets around NYC with such a big instrument, and what new work she's picked up during the pandemic. As a bonus: we have listener questions starting at 42:44!

Friday Apr 09, 2021

44. The Gear You Need to Get Started - Brady Aldrich, multi-instrumentalist

Friday Apr 09, 2021

Brady Aldrich lives in Wenatchee, Washington, and has music directed and played shows on keyboard, trumpet, drum set, and percussion. He has also done technical theatre particularly from the aspect of the sound, and we talk about what goes into sound reinforcement for the pit. Our main focus is going down the list of what music directors and keyboardists need as far as technology to get started and have a good chance for success. Before you shop at your music store, consult this episode.