Together in the Pit
by Annie Chapman Brewer
With wintry days and dark nights, this time of year provides room for reflection. I was so fortunate to perform in a variety of shows in 2024. Each rehearsal and performance had me in pure wonderment: the timing, patience, and collaboration needed from each individual, especially in musicals. The following are thoughts from the pit orchestra, working together in music and in our communities.
Let me start with introductions: I’m an orchestral musician, playing in symphonies and chamber groups, as well as musical and opera pit orchestras. I bet most people read that and say, “What type of stringed instrument do you play?” Actually I’m a horn player in the back brass section, nestled in front of the percussion.
When you see an orchestra on stage, the numbers are staggering. Bach wrote for 10 to 40 players, Mozart wrote symphonies that incorporated 80 to 100 players, and Beethoven wrote for 100+ musicians. As time continued, so did the numbers in the orchestras, which ultimately grew their sound. Most of this, of course, was for sonic adaptations, but also for the inclusion of newly invented instruments. (See the ophicleide in Berlioz’s Symphony Fantastique.)
Historically, the sizes of operas and musicals were completely different to that of a symphony. The musicians were so few, they were usually made welcome on stage. However, as the orchestra numbers grew, more space was needed. To save room, the musicians were either put in front of the stage or on the floor level. In 1876, Richard Wagner invented an actual “pit” for the orchestra in his infamous Ring Cycle.
The front part of the stage was lowered with a shield added. Apparently, rowdy audience members would release their feelings on the defenseless musicians. The orchestra performers finally had protection in their “pit-in-shining-armor,” and amazingly, the musicians could all hear each other!
Once orchestral parts are decided and musician contracts are signed, soon the rehearsals begin. The first rehearsal is dubbed “sitzprobe.” In German it literally means the first rehearsal where everyone “sits” together to perform through the work. No costumes, no staging, no pit. In the rehearsal following, everyone performs from their usual places on stage or in the pit orchestra, practicing the choreography and blocking needed to make the show shine. And of course the Germans gave a wonderful (or should I say wünderbar) name for it! This second rehearsal, first time staged, is called “wandelprobe”, translating to “wandering and singing.”
No matter what rehearsal, there are a few unwritten rules of engagement in the pit orchestra to make each moving part successful:
Unless the director or your section leader quietly asks you a question, don’t talk. Today, musicians are mic’d. If you’re talking while someone is either communicating or performing, that is a HUGE no-no. The ensemble needs to be able to hear instructions without interruptions.
Bring a pencil. Everyone makes mistakes, but learn from them by writing in reminders so the problem can be fixed.
Be flexible. Productions are a complicated organism, so there can be tendencies for things to go wrong. An iPad used for sheet music loses battery, an actor falls, maybe someone forgets their lines or speeds up the tempo of the music. And be ready to vamp (or repeat a few measures) forever.
To be early is to be on time. You need to allow time to drive, put cases and accessories away, and, while navigating the usual narrow staircases, bring all of the instruments and music to your seat.
It’s not about you, it’s about the show. Bring your prepared part, and be a team player. You are all working together to share the production with old and new audience members.
I think about these rules often and how artistic collaboration is a mirror of a thriving community.
Just like rehearsals and performances, moments in our lives have the potential to either go really well or in an opposite direction. Yes, we can practice ahead to avoid roadblocks, but sometimes those plans quickly change due to unforeseen circumstances. We have to remain flexible for the unknown. And in that flexibility, we put trust in each other for support.
The ensemble, stage crew, and actors/actresses all have a role and rely on each other to keep the show moving, and fulfilling. This starts in the household, with friends and family, and with neighbors, or people you meet in your community.
It’s impossible for each of us to offer every single skill set. And right now, it’s very easy to allow division. In my experience, it’s better to set those differences aside and work together. I live in Michigan where it can be quite snowy. I don’t have a snow blower, but a couple of neighbors have graciously plowed the driveway multiple times. As a gift of gratitude, I share bread. One of these neighbors told me he didn’t want anything in return, just “continue to be a good neighbor.”
A music director once said, “Every night is a new show.”
Things might not go as planned, so be ready to support one another, adapting as needed. How many times have you arrived with an immediate change of plans? Think of how many times you had to improvise; maybe no eggs for your baked goods? Use an old banana or applesauce. A coworker is sick? Ask them how you can help whether it’s assisting on the job or picking up their to-do list. A neighbor is struggling with bags of groceries? Help carry their bags into their home. Have too much produce from your garden? Share the harvest with your neighbor.
Working together is harmonizing with one another.
Harmony in music is a phenomenon when more than one note is played together. They are separate pitches, but when combined, they create a whole new sound. Sometimes it sounds minor, major, or diminished. No matter, the sounds that get layered together create something new.
When we work together as a community to make things aligned, or help when others are in need, we too blend together. Sometimes these moments work out perfectly. Yay! The plans worked! Be in those moments and love them.
However, like a weekend of the same show, you’re going to get different results each time. That’s okay. Love these unique moments too. Sometimes those little messes keep things interesting, but it’s all more fulfilling when we work side by side.
Communities that work together create the best collaborations.
Enjoy the show!
Copyright © 2025 by Annie Chapman Brewer
Photographs courtesy of Rick Brewer, Jen Golay, and Mattesons Photography
.Annie Chapman Brewer Bio:
Annie Chapman Brewer is an award-winning musician, Grammy®-nominee, educator, and entrepreneur based in Midland, Michigan.
An AgArts resident artist, she created a solo horn composition with wildlife accompaniment called “River House on the Prairie” performed at the premier of “A Thousand Acres” by the Des Moines Metropolitan Opera at the Whiterock Conservancy.
“River House on the Prairie” has gained traction internationally, winning second place for the Ernst Bacon Memorial Award in the renowned American Prize competition in 2024, as well as first place in the 2023 Search for New Music competition through the International Alliance for Women in Music.
Her website is anniechapmanbrewer.com.
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Beautiful, practical, wise. Thank you!
I love learning new words and how the orchestra pit evolved. I love music and appreciate inside knowledge of how things come together for a performance.
Thank you for your lovely essay.