No Need to Play Second Fiddle

A Work Study Analyst recently paid a visit to a symphony concert. This is his report.

For considerable periods, the four oboe players had nothing to do. The number should be reduced, and the work spread more evenly over the whole of the concert, thus eliminating peaks of activity.

All the twelve violins were playing identical notes; this seems unnecessary duplication. The staff of this section should be drastically cut. If a larger volume of sound is required, it could be obtained by means of electronic apparatus.

Much effort was absorbed in the playing of demi-semi-quavers; this seems to be an unnecessary refinement. It is recommended that all notes should be rounded up to the nearest semi-quaver. If this were done, it would be possible to use trainees and lower-grade operatives more extensively.

There seems to be too much repetition of some musical passages. Scores should be drastically pruned. No useful purpose is served by repeating on the horns a passage of which has already been handled by the strings. It is estimated that if all redundant passages were eliminated, the whole concert time of 2 hours could be reduced to 20 minutes and there would be no need for an intermission.

Following the principle that “There is always a better method,” it is felt that further review might still yield additional benefits. For example, it is considered that there is still wide scope for application of the “Questioning Attitude” to many of the methods of operation, as they are in many cases traditional and have not been changed for several centuries.

In the circumstances it is remarkable that that Methods Principles have been adhered to as well as they have. For example, it was noted that the pianist was not only carrying out most of his work by two-handed operation, but was also using both feet for pedal operations. Nevertheless, there were expressive reaches for some notes on the piano, and it is probable that re-design of the keyboard to bring all notes within the normal working area would be of advantage to this operator.

In many cases, the operators were using one hand for holding the instrument, whereas the use of a fixture could have rendered the idle hand available for other work.

It was noted that excessive effort was being used occasionally by the players of wind instruments, whereas one air compressor cold supply adequate air for all instruments under more accurately controlled conditions.

Obsolescence of equipment is another matter into which it is suggested further investigation could be made, as it was reputed in the program that the leading violinist’s instrument was already several hundred years old. If normal depreciation schedules had been applied, the value of this instrument should have been reduced to zero, and it is probable that purchase of more modern equipment could have been considered.

The conductor agrees generally with these recommendations, but expresses the opinion that there might be some falling off in box-office receipts. In that unlikely event, it should be possible to close sections of the auditorium entirely with a consequential saving of overhead expense, lighting, attendance, etc. If the worst came to worst, the whole thing could be abandoned and the public could go to the cinema instead.

I found the above article when I was purging my files. My good friend Pete Porta picked up from a Caterpillar Tractor Company magazine. He then published it in the Service Department of Usiphil, the Caterpillar dealer in the Philippines during the seventies.