The Page Turner.(the unappreciated )

As we begin another year of collaborative music concerts and recitals, I would like to offer a few thoughts and observations about that essential person on stage who will not be listed in the program, who will need years of musical training in order to read complex musical scores, who will frequently be called into service on a moment's notice, and who will be expected to perform his/her duties without compensation. The subservient page turner will only be noticed if a turn is missed, if music falls on the floor, if she wears a bright orange dress with pink flowers, or if he does an awkward slapstick fall while entering or exiting the stage. At the conclusion of the performance, the page turner will be lucky to receive a perfunctory "thank you" as the performers prepare to receive backstage superlatives and accolades from their adoring audience.

Is there any other profession where a highly trained, highly visible professional consistently works for gratis? Maybe the relationship between the professional caddie and golfer has a few shared traits. An old saying about a caddie states, "they should show up, keep up, and shut up." Some might say this is good advice for page turners as well. But the caddie has evolved. Today, the well-paid caddie is part player, part coach and part psychologist: roles totally foreign to the page turner, whose professional status has remained historically stagnant. Is it time for an annual "Page Turner Appreciation Day?"

Here are a few basic guidelines that all good page turners should follow. The page turner should participate in at least one rehearsal before the performance. The choice of clothes for the page turner is critical. Don't out dress the performers. Predominately black attire is usually safe. If you wear a tie, be sure to have a tic tack.

Ties swinging randomly above and on the keys and brushing against the hands of the performer during the turn can be quite distracting. A free-flowing, plunging neckline, that becomes the main attraction as the young female turner leans forward toward the audience executing the turn, should also be avoided. As much as possible, one should stay out of the way of the performer. Casually leaning on the piano between turns is a major faux pas. The basic technique of the turn, from the traditional left side of the piano, is to anticipate the time needed for performing the turn, then stand, reach over the music with the left hand, and secure the top corner of the right ...