Playing in a classical guitar orchestra: pros (and a few cons)...

I really have no business playing in a classical guitar orchestra, even an amateur one.  My sight reading skills are rudimentary and I spend a lot of time staring at the fretboard, which, by the way, doesn't help with the sight reading problem.  However our local classical guitar society orchestra has a relaxed attitude to new members -- if you have classical guitar and you're prepared to show up and practice, you can join.  Even I can meet those requirements.  Why bother?  Well first it makes a big change from my normal guitar activity, which still consists largely of playing for myself in a room with a closed door,  alleviated by regular visits to my guitar teacher.  And how often do we get out to meet new people struggling   working on a shared project?   Inwardly I was also hoping it would be a way to get experience performing while being sheltered behind more able players, given my almost paralyzing fear of having to play in public.  I've written more about this in a previous post...

Did it meet my expectations?  Well yes.   Here are the things I was hoping for that actually materialized...

• Rehearsals are fun!  Well mostly - admittedly there were a few stressful evenings right before a performance when things just weren't going right - but mostly we have a really enjoyable time - our conductor has a great personality: he is passionate about guitar orchestra and it rubs off on us!  He enlivens practices with anecdotes  and mini-lessons and is unfailing optimistic and supportive (well, except perhaps in aforementioned circumstances when things might have got just a little bit testy).
• The parts are relatively easy compared with solo pieces, and I started with the easiest (bass) part, so it wasn't outside my ability.
• For the first semester anyway, there were a number of strong players playing the same part as me only louder, so I could make my mistakes anonymously ;) 
• I met lots of new people, some of whom I now consider to be really good friends
• I have managed to play in at least half a dozen public performances, without completely embarrassing myself.

Here are additional benefits that I didn't predict:

My sight reading has improved from non-existent to "remedial" and I can mostly play the      orchestra pieces without staring continuously at the fretboard

I got comfortable with techniques that I had not been exposed to as a beginner - from tasto to ponticello, how to count Indian (and other weird) rhythms and various percussive sounds including one epic section with the strings crossed.  And we did so much playing of pizzicato in the bass parts that I even got moderately OK with the odd hand position. 

•  I learned much better tempo control.  I hadn't consistently used a metronome before starting orchestra, but if you're practicing alone and you want a fighting chance to sync up with the other parts come rehearsals, then a metronome becomes your best friend.
•  I learned to play much louder - for which I can earnestly thank my friend who shielded me by playing the same part as me very loudly for the first semester - leaving me to do my best to emulate her when she moved onto another part.
• I also learned to play all over the fretboard, even above the 12th fret....  yikes
• We have travelled to guitar festivals around the area. Not only do we get to play, we get to do fun weekend trips, meet people from other guitar orchestras, and take the workshops and classes...
• I got familiar with some new apps.  To work out crazy rhythms, or keep on track if you are playing different rhythms than other parts (don't you just love 3 against 2?) I found it helpful to put notation into one of those programs that plays the music for you - I personally use Musescore https://musescore.org/ but there are several other free ones.    And I practice with an app that plays the music from your music collection but will slow it down, change the key or loop it.  I use Anytune, http://anytune.us/ but again there are a number of options. 

Downsides, they are few, but ...

• For me at any rate, it's a lot of work.  So I have less time to learn pieces I want to play or practice technique.  We do 2 semesters a year, and at the end of each semester I really need the break.
• Rehearsals aren't local, so I spend a lot of time driving in rush hour traffic.
• After all the work and the performances are over, I don't have a piece I can play as a result...  a part is after all, only good if played with the other parts.  Though I do have some nice arpeggio warm-ups from playing G3...

• So would I recommend it?  Absolutely!  But be prepared to put in some effort :)