Back in 2021, we chatted with Joe LaRocca while he was playing on the 50th anniversary tour of Jesus Christ Superstar. Since then he has found the niche of actor/musician and talks about how that has changed his perspective before we get into our main topic: his observations for the current state of hiring practices for pit orchestras and what he thinks needs to change.

Joe's SubStack page can be found here: https://joejoethefluteboy.substack.com/

His previous interview with Life in the Pit can be heard here: https://www.davidlanemusic.com/podcast/episode/45fd912c/61-touring-with-the-jcs-50-joe-larocca-reeds

Follow the podcast on Instagram or Facebook @LifeInThePitPod. Feel free to subscribe to our YouTube Channel. Visit www.lifeinthepitpod.com for more info or to send feedback regarding the podcast. Donations are also gratefully accepted. Please leave a rating and a review on your podcast app. Thank you for listening.

In 2021, John Eldridge and I had a 2-part episode series on keyboard programming in musical theatre, and I felt it was time to check in for a 2025 update. Software like MainStage and Q-Lab are becoming more and more expected at even a community theatre and high school level. A mid-end keyboard, even with a ton of sounds, just won't cut it for an average modern musical. If you're a music director and/or a keyboardist, use this episode to make sure you're up to date.

Previous episodes with John Eldridge Programming Keyboards for Theatre Part 1

Programming Keyboards for Theatre Part 2

After spending hours preparing his keyboard for an upcoming show, John Eldridge got the idea to save and rent his work to save future keyboardists the huge opportunity cost that is spent here. He created the company Stage Sounds, a company that specializes in over 200 shows of downloadable preprogrammed keyboard files for MainStage software, with more titles each month, and additional services for other instrumentalists.

Follow the podcast on Instagram or Facebook @LifeInThePitPod. Feel free to subscribe to our YouTube Channel. Visit www.lifeinthepitpod.com for more info or to send feedback regarding the podcast. Donations are also gratefully accepted. Please leave a rating and a review on your podcast app. Thank you for listening.

CORRECTED: Original post was missing the interview, and has been updated.

Sachio Nang chatted with Life in the Pit in 2021 talking about his recent high school experience and getting started with theatre music directing. Since then, he has done professional work including 3 national tours! He played keyboard 2 and was associate music director for Elf and Shrek, and is currently playing bass on the Ain't Too Proud national tour. We talk about his young professional career, his adventures in social media, his hobbies as an arranger, and some of the things he's done to develop his skills to be this marketable at a young age!

Follow the podcast on Instagram or Facebook @LifeInThePitPod. Feel free to subscribe to our YouTube Channel. Visit www.lifeinthepitpod.com for more info or to send feedback regarding the podcast. Donations are also gratefully accepted. Please leave a rating and a review on your podcast app. Thank you for listening.