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Romania through international eyes

In the States, we call such working musicians 'background players.' These people are seldom seen, but often heard. They provide all the musical backdrops for pop music's brightest stars, to say nothing of the drum fills heard alongside every comedian's punchline. Moreover, they provide nearly all of the melodies heard on music videos and television commercials. In other words, they provide background music for most events related to the perpetuation of popular culture. In all ways, they are the true backbone of any nation's music industry. Because of an implied necessity to be adaptable, accurate and punctual, background players are the music profession's best and brightest, as well as their most ardent professionals.

Unfortunately, because of a totemic naivety, combined with improper work habits, most Romanian musicians fail to do the work necessary to realise this highest standard. There are many reasons as to why this is the case. But it is safe to say that flailing national pride is an epidemic possibility.

As a Senior Fulbright Professor at the National University of Music, I had the good fortune to teach some of Romania's best musicians. Still, I was largely disappointed by what I observed. Before arriving in Bucharest two years ago, I had assumed that Romania would embody a high spirit of artistic nationalism. I envisioned an inundation of knowledge related to Romania's vast musical heritage. I further assumed that proud Romanian musicians would be more than willing to provide it. Instead, I discoved that the vast majority of Romanian musicians were more interested in learning how to sound like Westerners. ''Just show us how to play like you,'' they say. ''If you want to help us, show us how to secure Western residency.'' They always say this just before they tell you that they have no intentions of staying in Romania.

There lies the rub. Europe and the rest of the West simply cannot absorb an entire nation's musical community, nor does it want to. In Bucharest, where as much as 90 per cent of the Romanian musical community resides, artists who dream of emigration may actually suffer harsher conditions in the West than they have ever suffered at home. Immediately, they will discover that the Western musician's life is arduous, competitive, and solitary. But their greatest surprise will come when they return home to find their old spots filled, not by other Romanians, but by foreigners looking for more expansive and liberal performing opportunities.

The idea of a reverse migration is seldom if ever discussed by Romanians. Still, the prospects for such an occurrence most certainly exist. Throughout Europe and North America, millions search in vain for places where they can freely pursue the musical life. Due to intense competition in these locations, vast numbers of musicians work for next to nothing - and right now Romania seems like an appealing destination. Romanians are a great audience. They love music and they respect musicians. Hungarians and Poles have long known this, and now the Germans and the Americans are getting word. Americans are especially wanting, due to an enormous infrastructure of public school band programmes, by some estimates as many as 250,000 in all. This means that at any given time, America possesses as many as ten million capable musicians. In fact, some recent studies claim that as many as one in six Americans has either played a musical instrument or sung in a choir. Europeans in general and Romanians in particular cannot fathom such numbers. They view their status in the artistic pantheon as entirely unique. They could not be more wrong.

Romanian competition is minimal and performing venues are plentiful, albeit low paying. But this too will change when Romanian wages are forced to at least approximate a certain EU standard. This may take as long as ten to fifteen years, an eternity to some, but a mere chronological blip when discussing music history and its perpetually evolving trends. Already, there are scores of Westerners contemplating emigration to Romania, based on the largely true stories of plentiful opportunities, combined with further growth and expansion. Reports of Romanian bands where disinterested musicians regularly have their pick of choice assignments, is wonderful news indeed to qualified non-Romanians.

''This will never happen,'' say my students. ''The Romanian government will pass laws prohibiting such things.'' Such is the naivety of Romanians to believe that EU scenarios and their subsequent relaxation of North American work permits will prohibit others from entering Romania, while at the same time, Romanians will be free to come and go as they please. The willingness of Romanian musicians to believe such fairy tales will only accelerate reverse migration, and in turn seal their own fate.

Ironically, Romanians need not fear competition. Most of the better Romanian performers possess more than enough talent to take on all comers. But they suffer from debilitating professional attitudes. Because of their regional uniqueness, they mistakenly believe that their role in the Romanian way of life is indispensable. The end result has been the creation of a generation of musicians in possession of inflated egos and irresponsible professional decorum. It has been my misfortune to observe the manifestations of this unfortunate trend. They include everything from disinterested rehearsals, failure to call in absences, loss of music without explanation, wanton disrespect for conductors, and a total disregard for versatility. In places such as Bucharest, these very tangible behaviours are all encompassing.

Background musicians are very important in the production of musical galas, such as those recently witnessed on a number of HBO specials. Of the fifty musicians seen at a recent Elton John concert, at least forty were local background musicians, paid to perform in chairs deemed cost prohibitive, had the entire touring company travelled from its home destination en masse. By hiring locally, shows avoid paying superfluous travel expenses. This bypasses many of the costs associated with travel, food and lodging. If you think shows are expensive now, imagine how much they would be if consumers absorbed a cumulative maximum cost. Ticket prices would be out of reach for nearly everyone.

In the States 'big show' background musicians are hired by territory. For example, if Cher needs a large orchestra, she travels with a conductor, and a handful of support players. Everyone else is hired from an existing pool of local musicians. These people appear on the afternoon of the performance, rehearse, and play the show that evening. It goes without saying that musicians of this high standard are prompt, respectful, accurate and alert. In this highest plateau of the musical universe, time literally is money. This is not a proper environment for people who want to have it their way.

Most large shows in the States begin in Boston and move south to New York. The show then passes off to a new group who perform it in Philadelphia. This group then hands the show over to yet another group who take it to Washington, before the next group takes it to Carolina, then Atlanta, New Orleans, Houston and so on. Europe also follows a similar pattern. At present the extreme outskirts of the European territory is Budapest. But with EU accession and a new highway linking the Hungarian and Romanian capitals, the new end of the road will be Bucharest. This should be a great time for Romanian musicians. But they have to be ready.

Imagine for a moment a Western conductor, with a Prussian work ethic, experiencing the aforementioned stereotypical Bucharest musician. It is quite easy to discern what will happen next. Show organisers will tolerate one fiasco too many, and Bucharest will be absorbed into the Budapest territory. This will in turn create the ineveitable scenario of Hungarian musicians streaming across Romanian borders to play high profile jobs that once belonged to Romanians. That might be good news for some Bucharest musicians since their inactivity will allow them to see the show without having to work for it. Too bad they won't be able to afford a ticket.

Until recently, Tom Smith was Senior American Fulbright Professor of Music at the Romanian National University of Music and the University of Bucharest. He led the Romanian National Jazz Ensemble and was a frequent guest conductor of the Romanian National Radio Big Band.