Hi Orpheus - studio musicians and pit musicians would have pretty much a completely opposite existence, musically speaking - they are not at all the same. A top Broadway pit musician, for example, will typically play the same show 8 times a week for sometimes years - over, and over, and over, and over again. A top LA film studio musician will never play the same thing twice. If the music is very easy, sometimes they will turn the recording light on right away before there is even any rehearsal. On a usual session, they would probably read through most of the music just once, and then start recording it. If the music is truly difficult, they may have a couple of readings, and some actual rehearsal, before recording it. But basically, they are incredible sight readers. I just wanted to clarify that there is a huge difference between the two types of work - opposite extremes, in fact. A symphonic musician, like myself, is something in-between. The amount of rehearsals we have depends on the type of program we are playing. For a symphonic concert, there would be typically four or five rehearsals during the week, and three performances on the weekend. For a pops show, there would typically be only one rehearsal, the same day as the first performance of the weekend. An opera orchestra will have several rehearsals before the production opens - the first few just the orchestra alone, then a few with the singers, but not in the pit, then a couple of dress rehearsals.
I will let Frogman answer your questions about the woodwind doublers you see in the pits of theaters.
I will let Frogman answer your questions about the woodwind doublers you see in the pits of theaters.