FREEWAY PHILHARMONIC:
A FILM BY TAL SKLOOT

by Alex Walsh

Karla Ekholm, Meredith Brown, Bruce Chrisp,
Karen Shinozaki, & Robin Bonnell

Freeway Philharmonic follows seven San Francisco Bay Area freelance classical musicians as they perform with regional orchestras across Northern California while struggling to acquire a permanent position with a major symphony.  It depicts their efforts to balance a love of music with a road warrior lifestyle that often requires traveling hundreds of miles a day to rehearse, teach and perform.  These individuals have an unrelenting desire to perform for a living, sometimes at the expense of their family and well-being.  The goal of the film is to show the dedication, perseverance and rigorous life of the musicians, while they grapple with their desire to succeed in a hard-driving career and come to terms with their limitations in their quest for artistic accomplishment.
—Freeway Philharmonic promo

Freeway Philharmonic had its broadcast premiere on January 27 on KQED’s Truly California program. It was also shown at the Rafael Film Center, the Cerrito Speakeasy Theatre, and the Victoria Theater. Bay Area newspapers picked up on the story and gave it significant attention.

I recently had the opportunity to interview Mr. Skloot and several of the musicians who participated in the film. Tal says the idea came to him 20 years ago when he was studying classical guitar at U.C. Santa Cruz and roomed with two Freeway Philharmonic players. He was intrigued by their lifestyle and thought it would make an interesting film. In 2004 he began developing the idea with his co-producer, Steve Baigel. A year later, with the help of a small grant and self-financing, they began production.

To find musicians, Tal contacted his friend, violinist Karen Shinozaki (also featured in the film), who referred him to other players. He tried to find as broad a range of musicians as he could within his criteria, including that they had to be very active on the circuit. He ended up doing approximately 50 interviews from which he chose seven.

Promo from the movie:

“Music is my spirituality, my personality, my ecstasy…when it’s good, there’s nothing better and if you can do this for a living, good gig.” Robin Bonnell – cello

The filming took place over a period of 3 years. Ideally, he would have liked to film each musician playing in each orchestra, but that was unrealistic. So he chose orchestras that most of the musicians were playing in—Santa Rosa, Berkeley, and New Century Chamber Orchestra. Tal says that the project could not have been done without the help of Local 6 President David Schoenbrun, who was instrumental in developing contracts, relationships with management, and shepherding the whole process along.

It took a year and a half to edit and structure the film. They ended up with 100 hours of footage. Unfortunately, due to time constraints, a few scenes had to be pulled—one about conductors and another about how the media looks at the orchestras. Regrettably, much of the carpool footage had to be cut as well. He had hoped he would be able to show someone auditioning for and winning a position with a major orchestra, but with a documentary, he says, “You get what you get as you go.” There was one surprising development that could not have been planned—but you’ll have to watch the film to find out. Tal says that he will now spend a few more years promoting Freeway Philharmonic to various festivals and television stations.

The response to the film has been overwhelmingly positive. Tal says that he did not have a sense of the impact it would have until he heard feedback from audiences and musicians, but it became apparent at the public screenings held throughout the Bay Area that the film has relevance for a larger audience than the players themselves.

For more info or to buy a dvd visit www.freewayphil.com.

I asked the featured musicians who were available for comment what they thought of the movie, the response from their colleagues, things that could have been highlighted a little more, and possible subjects for a sequel.

Robin Bonnell
“I liked the film. It captures a lot of our existence in a short amount of time. I’m pleased the audience gets to see a little behind the scenes. Some might have a greater appreciation for what we do. I Hope other orchestras will use it as publicity.

I’d like to see more about our plight—how little we make, and the lack of benefits, but that may not necessarily make a good movie.”

Karla Ekholm
“I have had a uniformly positive reaction from colleagues.  My reaction to the film was, of course, to cringe at seeing myself onscreen. It was interesting to watch the film with my brother’s family.  Their reaction to the film was one of revelation; they said they had no idea that that was what my life was like and that that was what it meant to be a freelance classical musician. I really think all the praise should go to the filmmakers, who did such a good job allowing us to be ourselves.

I think they could have included an even broader age range. I was brought into the movie at the age of 47 as some sort of elder statesman.  I think perhaps if they dug around they could have maybe found someone even older than me.
As far as a sequel, I can’t think of what it would be other than to do something along the lines of Michael Apsted’s ‘7 Up’ series; where are they in 7 years...14 years,etc.”

Kale Cumings
“The film is very popular. People are happy to have their story told. A musician just starting out saw the movie and told me he became excited about what he was doing.

A sequel? Follow peoples’ lives out even further. The idea that we do it for the passion of the music—all musicians
know that but it doesn’t tell the whole picture. Some musicians feel stuck, just barely making enough to make ends meet—no health insurance, no safety net, no options. If musicians knew it would be like this going in, would they do it? How many people working would do something else if they could?”

Eugene Sor
“It’s been positive for colleagues. They did a really nice job. One of my student’s parents wanted to see more on how we prepare. All the practice hours, the training—it would show more of the determination. Non-musicians say you can’t put a price on doing what you love for a living. You have to consider yourself fortunate.

A sequel would include: where are they now? A follow-up of people taking auditions. How content are they?”

Bruce Chrisp
“It made me appreciate what I do, and what we all do, more than ever before. I thought it was really well made and made us look really good (especially considering some of the footage they got!). My colleagues—everyone is very positive. They appreciate that the filmmakers were able to put across our position so people can understand better what we do. When it was shown at the Cerrito Theater there was a line out the door. It was interesting to see the film with an audience. The Q & A afterwards was inspiring.

I wish something had been said about healthcare. No one has health insurance paid for by employers. We either pay for it ourselves or some can’t afford it. The film made me realize we need a support system. A sequel? In 20 years see where people are at. Maybe call it ‘70 Years Of Driving’.”

New web site for freelance classical musicians
in Northern California

• Profiles of over 25 symphony and chamber orchestras, including google maps, gas stations, food recommendations, dress codes, parking,
  and contact info.
• News and Audition announcements.
• Public Forum for discussion of topics including food recommendations, carpooling, healthcare, and classifieds.
• Online musician directory in PDF form for whom ever wants to be included
• Downloadable CBAs from all union orchestras & pay scale chart of all orchestras. (password protected - email Bruce@freewayphil.org for password).
• Master schedule of all regional orchestras.
• Links to classical reviews, union locals and online orchestra organizations
• Online Store – T-shirts, hats, mugs, bumper stickers and more.

We Need Your Input to Make This Site Great!

Published in March/April 2008 Musical News

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