Easiest and Hardest Jobs in Music

Just like in the rest of life, music has its very easy tasks and its very difficult ones. Here are two lists. I hasten to say that these are not to be taken very seriously! So if you are a rhythm guitarist in a reggae group, don't get upset.

Easy Jobs in Music

• Rhythm guitar in a reggae group
• Piano-tuner in a monastery
• Bob Dylan's vocal coach
• Eric Clapton's fashion consultant
• Psychotherapist for the brass section

Difficult Jobs in Music

• Conductor for a Charles Ives symphony
• Stage manager for The Who
• Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau's accompanist
• Lady Gaga's fashion consultant
• Psychotherapist for the violin section

I suppose a lot of these are "in" jokes. For example, the rhythm guitarist in a reggae group does pretty much the same sort of thing in every song. Monasteries sing a capella so they don't need pianos. The brass section is known for its happy extroverts (except perhaps for the French horns). Charles Ives's symphonies are known for their extremely complex rhythmic textures. The Who used to destroy everything on stage as a bang-up finale and so on.

Here are some clips of conductors conducting Ives' symphonies and a little interview with Gary Call, who devised some techniques to help them.