When the final note has been played, the audience is on their feet with loud applause, I then exit the stage with a smile and blow a kiss good night to all. Cue house lights and exit music. I immediately head to my dressing room and seek out the coldest bottle of water I can find. You can’t drink cold water before you sing, but you must keep your vocal chords properly moistened. It is so refreshing after a show to find an ice-cold bottle of water buried in the slush of the cooler. Ahhhh, just what I needed. Pack away violin safely. Touch up the makeup, blot the perspiration from my brow. Now I’m ready to face the world again.
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What exactly happens backstage before a show? Ask 100 musicians, and you will get 100 different answers. Almost all mention mental preparation and the actual getting dressed for a show. Every performer I know admits that he/she gets somewhat nervous or excited just before going onstage. Backstage is the priming before the ignition. I can only speak from personal experiences, so I think I’ll share a few other things that have happened.
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Many times stage managers and some meeting planners are obviously not used to dealing with professional musicians who have been doing the job longer then they have been born. Nor are they used to dealing with musicians who actually have business sense with a knack for planning ahead. There is a reason things are in writing in a contract or on a rider.
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Many times I am asked by other musicians and/or managers “Why is ‘leader pay’ more than ‘sideman pay?'” The short answer is quite simple: The leader has more responsibility in preparation for the gig. The long answer goes into more detail about actually leading the group by setting the tempos, dealing with contracts, communication, booking other musicians, confirming rider and stage plot and other technical information, music selections/requests, clothing requests, directions, transportation, menu selections (including dietary restrictions), location requirements, insurance requirements, etc.
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If you are a musician, one thing you must always have: black clothes. But what types? Types include: pit black, dress black, rock black, stage black, formal black, and backup black. You might say, “But isn’t black all the same?” And that is where you would be completely wrong.

Pit black is what musicians wear in the orchestra pit. Depending on the show, and how much of you can actually be seen, it can be anything from a black T-shirt with black jeans to a full formal tux. Sometimes, it’s tux top with black jeans on bottom. Most of the time, it’s whatever black you happen to put on that night. Shoes and socks don’t matter since no one sees them anyway; many musicians wear sandals or sneakers. Makeup and hair in a comfortable style for the musician.
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