Young Trumpeter

As a sophmore in high school taking trumpet more and more seriously i often find myself wondering how far i'm going to take it. i think i want to major in music education and be a band teacher one day. i know i'm young and have more time to think about it but i like having a goal and knowing what i'm aiming for. i love to play and when i think about my options in music i end up with music ed. but then there are other questions like am i really going to live my whole life in a school?

for those of you reading who are music teachers, how did you know this was the right field for you?

-Aaron

Fluffy615

Aaron,
I wish I could say that I wanted to teach from day one, but I made the decision when I had to declare my major at the start of my freshman year of school. I really wanted to play more than teach. But I did like working with younger players, and I was pretty good at it. I realized that I would have my summers off and the school day does end early. Unfortunately my school district pays us on a ten month year, so I've worked many summers in various jobs. I also realized that if I became a teacher I would be around music and musicians all the time. After a short time as a high school band director I was having fun. I still keep in touch with many students. Some have told me how I touched their lives and what being one of my students meant to them. It's very gratifying to know that I've had something to do with so many lives.
I hope this helps.

Vulgano Brother

I was going to be a Music Ed. major until I learned they made people sing, so I switched to Performance and got a Masters in Brass Pedagogy. In teaching lessons I discovered that I sang a lot.

I taught because I wanted to teach, to pass down some values along with all the information required to become an excellent trumpeter. Those who taught as a "fall back" kind of job to make a living usually ended up frustrated and going into something else to make a living.

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www.letsbuildhope.org

ptynan

Some of us do it because we had no other choice. What I mean by that is music picked us, not the other way around.

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Paul Tynan
"Now Available in California!!"

trpt2345

I'm with Paul, by the time I began to have doubts about the whole thing I was too far into it to back out. There simply was no alternative.
As for teaching it happened by accident. But it was a happy accident and I found I sort of had a knack for it and a wonderful situation and enviornment for me in which to do it.
If you're thinking about music as a career, the most important thing is the intensity of your desire for it. Desire and perseverance will conquer all.

Michael McLaughlin

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Chicago MM

DL TPT

I came into teaching by accident. My wife was laid off from her job and was given federal funds to return to school for retraining. She did not want to go to college alone so I went with her. The only academic area that I enjoyed was music because of my participation in band during high school.

After working 8 years as a police officer (and college part time) I left the department and began teaching. Now I am completing my 7th year teaching and enjoy summers, holidays, and weekends off with my family. As a police officer I was never off these times. I also enjoy passing on my love for music to students that are interested in it. This year I have 2 seniors graduating that plan on being music majors in college.

Additionally, I do not make as much money as I would if I had stayed a police officer. But money is not everything. I really enjoy being off the same times as my kids are from school.

Dan

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Bb: Bach 37 Raw Brass
C: Bach 239 Lacquer
Eb/D: Yamaha 9610 Silver
Flugelhorn: Yamaha YFH 731 Silver

40cal

But now you can't drive someone else's car really fast


In all seriousness, music like other professions can be a "calling". Do what feels right. Pretty generic and cheesy but as I get older so true for my circumstances.

__________________


“If there must be trouble, let it be in my day so that my child may have peace.”

Thomas Paine 1737-1809

“That’s all the bullets we had, or we would have shot him more,” Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd

DL TPT

40cal,

Your right...I miss driving someone else's car really fast! Your posts on the "what I learned at work" thread has brought back a lot of funny memories. I thought about adding a couple of them - who knows I might add some.

Dan

__________________
Bb: Bach 37 Raw Brass
C: Bach 239 Lacquer
Eb/D: Yamaha 9610 Silver
Flugelhorn: Yamaha YFH 731 Silver

Tom Mac

Aaron,

I am not currently teaching music but I have taught at both the public school level and as a private trpt teacher. I found out that every person that you get interested in music, especially trumpet, becomes a friend for life. Your students give you a forum to talk and learn about trumpet and music in general. This is something that is much more valuable than gold.

__________________
T. Mac

"Music is a funny thing when you really come to think about it." M. Davis

Annie

I'm a senior music ed major - so, I guess this is close to being applicable. I pretty much really love music - and I love even more to talk and teach about what I love! In all honesty, I love to teach almost as much as I love to play - and teaching has health benefits. If I wanted to, I could have gotten a performance degree too...but...you don't need a degree to perform. You just gotta play.

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~Annie

*I may not be great yet, but I'm working hard on it and one day I'm gonna be there.*