| I got my master's at NT. Of course that was 22 years ago. Things might have changed a little. I remember being blown away when I first got there. I thought everybody was better than me. Everybody there that I knew worked their butt off. There was a layer of players at the top who were amazing professional caliber players. Many of them were just off the road with big name performers. I was studying with guys who were on some of the best recordings that I owned. After a semester of getting into the groove, I discovered that I was among the top of the group of players that was just below that very top bunch of incredible players. It was an incredible experience that I would love to do again. Take advantage of every opportunity you have. If you are a jazzer play in the big bands AND the small groups. Take arranging classes. Learn everything you can squeeze into your brain.
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"Music is a fire in your belly that has to come out of your mouth, so you'd better put a horn in the way before someone gets hurt" (paraphrase of Bleeding Gums Murphy) |