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MSO musicians need better pay to offset downsides Elizabeth Volpé, North Vancouver The Montreal Gazette [letter] May 17, 2005 I would like to provide some insight into the Montreal Symphony Orchestra musicians’strike. Though the musicians are paid for a 20-hour week, that only provides for the hours they are on stage. In fact, there are many more hours spent in the practice studio. It is much more like 40 hours and up. Playing an instrument is a very physically taxing profession and many musicians get overuse injuries. That is why they get « string relief» which is so-called paid vacation time. Musicians cannot just go to a resort and leave their instruments at home. These weeks are usually not contiguous, so the musicians have to keep practising to be ready for the week after. The Montreal Symphony has one of the most exhausting schedules in Canada. In order for it to be able to attract the finest musicians to its auditions, it must be able to offer good salaries to offset the harsh winters and huge workload associated with the job. Otherwise, this jewel in the crown will lose its lustre and Montreal will lose its reputation as a world-class city.