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Richard Dumas, a member
of the trumpet section for 20 or more years has assumed the position of
Orchestra Personnel Manager. Without doubt, this is a time consuming and
sometimes frustrating job. In a “per service” orchestra such as the
ECSO, it is often difficult to keep all the seats on stage filled. “Per
service” indicates that the musicians are not full-time employees. Most
of our musicians have signed an agreement to play at our concerts.
However, occasions arise when they request an absence from a rehearsal
or concert cycle. Even though we have a substitute list of auditioned
players, it can still involve a mountain of phone calls, especially when
it is a last minute cancellation. A good Personnel Manager is a key
ingredient in the quality of the performance. He/she can make decisions
that directly affect the concert. Add to that the duties involved with
running auditions, getting contracts out in a timely fashion, obtaining
official paperwork and creating the payroll list, and you have some idea
of what Rich Dumas has to do.
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