Tony Cirone was kind enough to join us for this episode of @ percussion. He's not only the author of Portraits in Rhythm and its many "sequels," but also a distinguished orchestral player, performing with the San Francisco Symphony for nearly 40 years. We were particularly excited to hear his take on the orchestra strikes in Pennsylvania, which began just before taping this episode.
Topics: his new book, Buster Bailey, inner workings of being in an orchestra, the PA strikes
Watch here. Listen below.
0:00 Intro and hello
1:20 “Portraits in Rhythm” 50th Anniversary
7:18 “The Logic of It All”
8:45 Mike Cerreto: How did self-confidence in yourself as a performer and person help you overcome professional challenges in your long, distinguished career?
12:52 Orchestra members gaining control of auditions
17:45 The changing audition scene
21:40 Caleb Pickering: Can you and the panel share your thoughts about what is going on at the Philadelphia Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, and Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra?
22:40 Megan: Philadelphia Orchestra goes on strike
30:31 Negotiating with Orchestra Management
38:18 Ben: Buster Bailey
51:37 Teaching at San Jose State and Indiana University
58:16 Tony’s love story
1:00:22 Wrap and final comments about “Portraits in Rhythm”
