Sterling

Wonderful thread. In upstate New York, some colleges have a dual bachelor's degree in music education and performance. It is a 4 1/2 year program. The advantage is that one recieves a one hour private lesson instead of a 1/2 hour lesson each week and expected to play at a somewhat higher level than an education major. Having said this, I am firmly against having an education degree as a "back up". If you think that teaching is below you and just want to fall back on teaching, GO DO SOMETHING ELSE! We need teachers who can teach, perform, and inspire.

BFlinch83

A good friend of mine, when addressing this issue recently, said, "look, if you can do something else, trust me, DO SOMETHING ELSE!"

I don't know if we should think so drastically, but this person is embittered by years in the profession.

That brings up another interesting topic...how can a person, earning a (great) living by playing the trumpet in a major orchestra for 20ish hours per week be embittered by ANY part of their professional life??? This is truly frustrating to watch as an aspiring performer!

PS: Thanks TMer's for the thoughtful and thought-provoking comments!

Sterling

People get embittered by trumpet playing, teaching, etc. when they think of it as a "job". I'm sure we've all been on gigs that are a bore or a chore. When they are a chore more often than not it is time to rethink one's place. For example, I make homebrew beer, cider mead, etc. as a hobby. People tell me that I should go into business and sell these products. I won't because then it does become a job and sounds like work!

TrentAustin

B,

Don't listen to that friend.

Remember: If you want something hard enough and are willing to work hard enough to make yourself the best opportunities will open for you.

I don't make a ton of money playing music but there's nothing else in the world I'd rather be doing!
-T

misty.sj

I've only finished reading the first page of this thread. I'm going to go back and read the rest, but I wanted to chime in as a 'failed' music major.

I entered college on a full French horn scholarship, as a music performance major. I don't want to say that I didn't have the chops, but I certainly didn't have the practice ethic down pat at that stage. Being the only horn in a relatively small school with a relatively active music department, and having scholarship pressure, really wore me down. I was in 4-5 groups at a time, taking courses full-time, and working part-time.

I think you have to be a very special sort of individual to make it as a performance major, but as any sort of music major as well. It's such a practical, and yet such a cerebral degree.

I actually ended up with a computer science major and double minor in music and German. I was so burned out on music by the time I graduated that one of the first things I did was to sell my horn, and not to think about music again for at least two years.

And I am fully aware that if school took that kind of a toll on me, I would never have made it as a professional performer. I am in the right career, and I'm finally in a mindset where I can think about music again, for FUN.

I think that before a student accepts the responsibility of merit scholarships in music, one should think long and hard about the pressure it will put you under. Even without the scholarship angle, ask yourself honestly if you actually have the stamina and willpower to put in the hours of practice, piled upon hours of orchestra, wind ensemble, lessons, and extra gigs, above and beyond your normal course-work. You will not have a life, you will be constantly sleep-deprived, and you certainly aren't even remotely guaranteed a job of any kind when you get done.

I'm sorry if this sounds so negative, but it takes a very special sort of person to succeed as a music major. I really think that is the wringer through which you are put to see if you will be able to handle the (even more grueling) life of a jobbing musician after you earn your degree.

Vulgano Brother

Gunther Schuller told us "If you make music your life, it will make you a living."

I know of no one embittered from trumpet playing. Embittered from trumpet players, conductors, orchestral politics, agents, managers, and even violists? Yeah, there are some.

It would be a great job if we didn't have to deal with musicians all the time!

Firestas'1

I think this applies to most jobs. People problems whether it be co-workers or customers are often the hardest to look past when examining your job satisfaction.

I worked as a line technician for several car dealers some time ago and I often said it would be a great line of work if the cars could bring themselves in for repairs and leave their owners home!

Naturally they can't so that's one reason I don't do that anymore!

hubnub

I to am in the same boat. I've been hunting a teaching gig for 4 years now and if the prospects fall through this time around..... I'll probably go sell insurance.

Mr. Carroll makes a very valid point. I think kids need to "tune out" to their ipods/iphones and tune in to some of the great music around. When I was in my teens, I couldn't wait to go see The Cleveland Orchestra or Cleveland Jazz Orchestra play.... it was like a high for me. Now some of the kids I know don't even know Cleveland has a major orchestra.... let alone where they play.

I'm sub-contracted through the high school to teach private lessons and combos and I've noticed a trend over the past few years.... kids play "guitar hero" better than their own horns and it bums me out. . The best we can do is our job and what we feel as educators is the right thing to do. If we reached one student, that's better than none at all.

Sorry, didn't mean to stray to far from the post, but I don't think the music profession is the only one suffering. There are a great deal of educators out there (i.e. Wynton) who are trying to get things back to "how they were". I commend those who are going to school for music, but also agree that they should have something to fall back on.

rowuk

Many times we make long range decisions based on what works at the time. High school students that have a great deal of natural musical talent, study music and perhaps get a job in an orchestra, finding out that the repertory can be very repetitive and the music director or sponsor more interested in keeping the orchestra afloat than giving everybody a killer musical experience.
There is a video of Ed Carroll on the internet (Background on Ed Carroll - ArtistshouseMusic) where he talks about getting away from the 150th Mahler performance, he was lucky, he had a plan B. Reinhold Friedrich also quit his orchestra job to become a touring soloist and clinician.

ecarroll

Robin,

I sooooo wish you hadn't found that. I look like Toad Man.

TMers,

So many of you have taken the time to make truly thoughtful posts on this important subject. I'm humbled and will continue to watch with great, great interest.

Best,
EC