The gig world can be drastically different from a symphony musician's "day job" onstage, but certainly no less rewarding. Jane Hart Brendle, first violinist of the trio Carolina Strings, enjoys the opportunity to take her talents off the stage and into the community: "We love the variety of locations and special celebrations for which we are providing the music. I also enjoy creating custom arrangements of music for our group." The varying venues and environments can be a far cry from our comfortable homes at Belk or Knight Theater, but that's often part of the fun. Jane and her colleague, cellist Susan Davis, recall a particularly memorable Christmas Eve gig during an ice storm, in which a stressful situation involving a sudden power outage turned unexpectedly magical: "There was no power at all in the church and the pipe organ would not work. Les (the organist) was pulling and pressing buttons and pedals for a few seconds. Then he just looked at us and said, 'You've got to carry on' or something like that....We played by the candle light from the choir's candles, choosing music from our collection of quartet Christmas music, which we happened to bring with us 'just in case', not expecting that we would actually need it..."

Longtime gig musicians will agree that "expect the unexpected" is probably the most accurate way to describe the job. As orchestral players, we're all trained to respond quickly to new information, but in chamber music there's no conductor running the show. When stressful or unanticipated situations arise, as they do more often than not, it's up to the musicians to be flexible and react in the moment. "Adjustments are made constantly to take into account all unknown factors," says Jane, "including special surprises like a bumblebee buzzing around the bride's dress, a wedding director making changes that weren't discussed, an impending storm with wind gusts blowing our music off the stands (while we keep playing from memory...), watching as guests and parents encourage a young flower girl who just realized she's the center of attention to finish her walk down the aisle... Funny and strange things are a part of what's expected at most every gig!"

Weddings in particular require a great deal of flexibility and sometimes a need to improvise, due to their many moving parts - rarely do things go exactly as planned! Sakira Harley, founder and first violinist of Charlotte Strings, has played with her group at several high profile events over the years, including the Democratic National Convention, and at weddings for family members of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Michael Jordan. She describes a funny (well, funny NOW) wedding gig story in which their second violinist Carlos Tarazona saved the day with his improvisational skills: "I accidentally packed two first violin books for a wedding, so Carlos had to harmonize the entire time. And for whatever reason - usually at weddings people are talking, but this time people were so serious - it was like a freaking recital. So of course you have to keep a straight face, but he basically had to harmonize for an entire hour and a half. He did great."

Emily Chatham, founder and first violinist of Carolina Chamber Players, has been playing gigs in Charlotte with her group since 1985, and still gets a kick out of some of the more adventurous wedding choices. "It's always cute, even though it doesn't always go well, when someone has their dog being the bearer of the rings." Emily has also seen the duties of ring-bearer carried out by a pot-bellied pig. Her favorite part of the job? "Connecting with people in either happy times, like a wedding, and not so happy times, like a funeral - I've just hoped we could provide some comfort to people who are there, maybe spark some memories..." After over thirty years in the business, Emily and her colleagues have dealt with a wide variety of clients, in an equally wide variety of circumstances: "I have found that major life events can bring all sorts of stuff to the surface, whether it's good, or really really bad. The majority of people I deal with are lovely. But it seems like about once a decade, I get a bride that we label the 'Bride of Satan', who makes me want to quit the profession altogether." (Editor's note: Having played alongside Emily at many of these gigs over the last few years, I'd say that the sense of humor she retains around said circumstances makes her a joy to work with, even when Satanic brides may strike.) "Still", she maintains, "I really love what I do."

As CSO musicians, orchestral playing will always hold a special place in our hearts. But for many of us, especially these talented and entrepreneurial colleagues, the gig world offers an outlet for further musical expression, no less important than what you see onstage at the symphony. It's a place where we can hone other skills - improvisation, music arrangement, quick thinking, olympic-level multitasking - and, of course, further connect with our community and our audiences. So next time you hear chamber music wafting over from some corner of an event, come say hello - you may find a few familiar faces!