In the News (“A renowned orchestra proves that companies can thrive without a boss”): “A curious game of musical chairs happens every time the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra gets together. After every piece, the musicians shuffle positions, where a violinist in the front might move to the back so another violinist can take center stage. Unlike other classical music ensembles, the maverick New York City-based orchestra doesn’t believe in hierarchies, set seating positions, or roles. And it never performs with a conductor.

Switching seats several times during a single concert reveals Orpheus’s unique perspective on leadership. Instead of relying on a solitary leader wielding a baton or shining a spotlight on a handful of standout performers, Orpheus’s musicians seamlessly go from leadership to supporting roles at every turn.

Per its founding philosophy, Orpheus’s 34 core members resist the usual “corporate path” of symphony orchestras and consider each other equals. Except for the musician who does some advanced work to adapt a composition for the orchestra, each player—no matter their age, tenure or résumé—earns the same pay for every concert and has a voice in all creative decisions. The fellow musicians debate and fine-tune each piece as a collective. …

“Indeed, with many world tours, over 70 albums, and dozens of accolades throughout its 50 year history, Orpheus flourishes because authority and decision-making are shared among all members.”

Question: What do you think about this?

Answer: This is really unique, and goes against nature. In principle, the conductor is the upper force, the upper thought, the head of the orchestra. He connects them and unites them; he implements his will into them.

How they do it all without him, I don’t know, not even at rehearsals, not anywhere. They do not just want to show that they are playing the notes without a conductor. Probably they sit and sort out everything that is happening between them, and dig into the orchestral score.

Comment: But a person, by nature, has his “I,” has his leadership, has his suppression of others. Human egoism is the basis.

My Response: Yes, this is also egoism, but it is still unclear how they can do it without a conductor.

After all, they look at him all the time. He encapsulates them all, unites them, and coordinates them. How can they work without this?

Question: Tell me, please, are you saying that ideally, the performance of music is possible only with this force, so to speak, with a conductor who organizes all this business? What if he is nevertheless removed?

Answer: I cannot imagine. It is impossible to imagine any collective assembled from individual little egoists who would not have a conductor, a boss, or a leader, that is, an upper will that would guide them.

How do they feel this? Of course, they feel each other and themselves more and make some internal corrections and movements, but of course this is very difficult. It would be interesting to talk to them.

Comment: If so, what unites them? Could you please say what it would be, ideally?

My Response: It is the fact that each of them should be a conductor in some way. Through their inner desires, their inner heartbeats, they want to connect and thus manage themselves together. This is a very big job, very difficult. There must be a contact of hearts!

I cannot even figure it out. Musicians? They are each, in general, within themselves.

Even if they want to combine themselves, how do they do it? How do they work in unison? What kind of metronome?

Question: Are you saying they have to look at some single point all the time?

Answer: The conductor is everything.

Question: Suppose this is the way they are; where are they looking?

Answer: Only at their inner feelings of each other. This is what I think.
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From KabTV’s “News with Dr. Michael Laitman” 7/18/22

Related Material:
“An Orchestra Conducted ‘through Innovative Collaboration’” (Linkedin)
All Desires Come From The Creator
Spiritual Electrical Conductors

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