Barney has worked as an instrumentalist on West End musicals such as Never Forget, Cats and Blood Brothers, and as a Musical Director on 13, West End Live, West End Eurovision and Drat the Cat!....
Full name/age/job title:
Barney Ashworth/28/Musical Director/Composer/Arranger.
Please give us an overview of your average day.
Probably the most exciting and scary side of being a professional musician is that there really isn't an "average day".
If you have a chair [job] on a show, then obviously you will generally be playing eight shows a week and have some job stability, but if you don't have one, then you have to find work where you can. I may be at home arranging/composing, depping [covering for other musicians] on a show or teaching. Sometimes all three in the same day!
What is the most common misconception about your job?
That it's easy to find work!
What is the hardest thing about your role?
When the show is running, essentially you are in control of it alongside the Deputy Stage Manager. If you get things wrong with your cues, conducting or playing, then it will become very apparent to the audience very quickly! The Deputy Stage Manager is not only following the Musical Director's cues but is also responsible for relaying all of that information in real-time to the lights, sound and fly tower as well. So there is a lot of pressure to get things absolutely spot on. Bizarrely, I really enjoy the pressure!
When did you decide what you wanted to do with your life and how did you set out to achieve it?
I started playing when I was two. I always knew that I wanted to be a musician as it's always been something I've been incredibly passionate about. I took my Grade 5 when I was seven and was fortunate enough to study at The Purcell School of Music, which is an outstanding place to learn from some of the finest musicians in the country. I couldn't really have asked for a better education in that respect. As for specifically being a Musical Director, I absolutely love working directly with casts and the whole rehearsal process.
What can you do to get a head start?
Obviously, you have to have the musical abilities with which to do the job. There are very few jobs and a lot of extremely talented musicians that are competing for them. It's a massive cliché, but being in the right place at the right time is essential. It's very chicken and egg a lot of the time – if you look back through the jobs that I've done so far, there tends to be a link from the previous one. It's getting that first opportunity and doing it well that is most important.
Could you describe the creative element to your job?
I really enjoy composing and arranging, which are both absolutely creative by their very definition. But as a Musical Director on a show, it would depend on the show as to how creative you can be. Long-running, successful shows are how they are and aren't about to change just because a new Musical Director thinks they should! Generally those shows have a Musical Supervisor who keeps their MDs in check. As for new works – or if you are given some reign to be more creative – then it really is down to having a good relationship with the Director and Choreographer to really try to put the best possible production on the stage. Personally, I love harmonies and will add them at any given opportunity.
What one thing do you wish you had known at the start of your career that you know now?
Not to appear to be so keen! I've discovered that there is a very fine line between being keen and hassling people. There are very few "fixers" (people who decide who is going to play in the band on each show) – probably only six main ones – and they get literally hundreds of CVs a week from musicians wanting to play in the West End and on tours. They are never going to book you unless they have heard you play and generally won't come to watch you play as they get so many requests to.
I'm very lucky that I invited one of them to see a show I was MD-ing and he actually did come! From that I got a lot of dep work on his shows in town and have been working for him since. However, that doesn't mean that I'm now his first choice, far from it. I just need to take every opportunity as it comes and do the best possible job that I can.
Which organisations/websites/resources do you think would be useful for people entering your industry?
The Musician's Union has been very helpful and has always been on hand to give advice. Stage Jobs Pro has some opportunities for Musical Directors, but they are generally Fringe or Profit Share, which won't pay your rent! Most jobs are found, unfortunately, by word-of-mouth and are not advertised at all.
It's a ridiculously tough industry but I'm absolutely determined to get to the very top level and will keep working as hard as I can to achieve that. I have just been awarded a Scholarship to take the new Masters in Creative Practice (Musical Direction) at the Arts Educational Schools London and am hoping to learn a great deal from some of the top Musical Directors in the country.
For more information about Barney's work, go to www.barneyashworth.com.