Say you are playing in an acompaniament orchestra, like with a choir, what do you tend to do when you are not playing??? do most people read a book

Just wondering

Nick

When i`m not playing, for example whena choir sings or something I just sit there and look at my music or if i dont have music sheet in front of me, i would look at the audience or look at the conductor.

If you`re the main singer-look at the audience( but not into their eyes, sort of just into the distant),
If you`re the solo violinist-look at the conductor.
If you`re the principal violinist-look at the conductor and at the solo violinist.
If you`re the pianist-look at the conductor and at the principal violinist.
Never, never look at the audience if you`re part of the orchestra...Trust me, the audience doesn`t like that. It distracts them from watching the thing as a whole. And the conductor doesn`t like it also.
And u yrself will look silly if u have to split yr attention towards the audience and the conductor.
Thank you.

Then who would i look at then???or what?

DONT READ A BOOK. lol. I dont play any strings but i was in a couple pit orchestras and concert bands for sax and one of the clarinets started reading andd all the trumpets yelled at her that it was "disrespectful" to the conductor. :| When im not playing i usually just sit there and stare at the conductor or ill focus in on one person and listen for mistakes(i know its ehem childish... but it keeps me entertained) lol
jen
nova

Quoted:`
Then who would i look at then???or what?`
So that depends what role you`re playing.
U mean as a concert pianist with an orchestra/ choir members?
Look at the conductor. I believe he will make important eye contacts with u, or simply look at the lead singer if u want. If it`s just a short break(say a few seconds... then just look at the piano). If any longer ( say a few systems of the orchestral score... then look at somebody who`ll give u the cue in-usually the conductor in this case.)
And the eye contact and chemistry between the conductor and the pianist is very important. I`ll consider it part of the `showmanship` in an indirect way.

well i have to disagree with one thing that was said (i don`t remember who) but soloists don`t look at the conductor. i guess he/she means to say look when you need to move the tempo and all but the conductor is supposed to follow the soloist. eye contact is important for starts and ends. so...i guess you`re right but i kind of got an image of a staring kind of looking

during rehearsal i tend to stick pictures on the pit walls (for pit orchestra playing and stuff) otherwise i`m looking over my music or doing hw for school.

I meant look when you have a huge section break.
Not to look for directions.
But the eye contact is important during tempo shifts.

I play the violin(first row) in my school orchestra. who should I look at? Usually i would wait for the conductor when it is not our turn to play yet so we would know when to start playing our part.

If u`re in the orchestra pit, then definately the conductor only or look at the soloist when u have huge sections break and nothing to do.

i look for my parents and see if they wave =)

lol. umm. i play clarinet and bassoon. i look at my music to get ready and i keep the conductor in view (kinda in the corner of my vision) so i can see him cue me in. if that makes sense.

its not a big deal for me. i sit trying to screw screws back into my flute with my nails (my flutes old) until my nail breaks then i probably count the ceiling tiles