Thunderchicken

Being a "lurker" on this and other trumpet sites the past few years sometimes has me wishing I had done things a little differently 35 years ago. You pros talk about "giging" and "auditions" and "students" and at one time, I was headed down the professional musician path and thought in those terms. Then, as a college freshman music major, I developed this fear that if music were my livelyhood, it would become work and I could lose my passion for trumpet and music, so I got out of music...still play the trumpet (church, a quintet, municipal band, and a civic orchestra as family and job allow...).

Anyone else sometimes second guess their choice not to play full time?

Or the other way around? Is it hard to maintain the zeal day after day?

Just wondering...For discussion's sake...

Regards,
Jon Paschka

trpt2345

I don't regret a second. My job code for years on my tax return has been 4078, theatrical/musical performer. You may have to be nuts, but that has never been an impediment.

Michael McLaughlin

Why, I'd horse-whip you if I had a horse.
Groucho Marx

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Chicago MM

Brekelefuw

I am kinda at that crossroads right now.
I am graduating with my BA in Jazz Studies this year and I have sent in all my applications for teacher's college for next year and the question of whether or not I could cut it as a pro musician is constantly on my mind. I worry alot about whether or not I have used my time in college to its fullest and if I am prepared enough to take the next step.

The future is a very exciting and scary thing to think about sometimes.

Schwab

I wanna be a rally car driver when I grow up.

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Dylan Schwab
Stage 1 New York

bandman

I have loved every second of my career as a teacher/band director, but having it to do all over again I would probably have gone to Orlando and worked for Disney. I love Disney and would have loved to have played for them in any capacity.

If I could have done anything (this is going to sound funny) I would have been the Monorail driver at Disneyworld! My second choice would to be a college softball coach. Quite a change from what I do now, but either would have been dream careers for me.

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timothypierson

I am a comeback player in my second year of school and have been playing for 2 1/2 years after 8 years off the horn. I quit after a messy divorce and having to sell my trumpets to save my house, which I lost anyway. I was unfocussed and burned out on everything.
Now I am remarried and have a wonderful wife and 2 beautiful daughters. I work full time in the Semiconductor industry and go to school 3/4 time to support them. My shifts are 12 hour nights on Thursday Friday, Saturday and every other Wednesdays. So Sundays are my only free days unless I have a gig. It is hard to balance all these things and make time for my family.

Now the question. If I could go back and change anything would I? Not on your life. My family means more to me than anything. My children are my inspiration for me. I want them to feel that they can be anything they want if they put their minds to it. I have a light day on Tuesdays and make it "Family Day". I will be a musician, I may not end up in a Major symphony but I will play and I will also teach. Spending those 8 years of not playing as well as working and family has made me appreciate school and music more than ever. It has also taught me patience. I am playing at a level and literture that I could have never played before.

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Tim Pierson
http://www.myspace.com/timothyepierson

Solar Bell

Hey! What a coincidence! Manny is in the semiconductor business too!

-cw-

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Chuck Willard
The Willard of Oz

"Don't be afraid to see what you see."
Ronald Reagan

cornetguy

i like teaching, but the unstable income is gettting old. and i have a hard time gettting a permenent job (not a lot out there, budget cuts) if i had to do it over again i think i would have gone for an MLS, there are a lot of jobs out there for librarians.

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Per aspera ad astra

B15M

Yes !! I would do it differently.

I didn't have any guidance as a college and high school student.
I relied on other students to guide me in my thinking about my future. I remember a turning point when a really good trumpet player (student) said to me; "Do you know how many lessons you could take for the price of tuition?"

I was accepted at Eastman and didn't go. Instead I went on the road with a band. After I quit the band I got married and bought a house and good-by trumpet. Years later I wanted to play again and I wanted to join the army band but my wife said NO.

You never know what the other path would have brought but I think I would have been happy if it involved playing.

Recently I called the band director from my sophomore year at college and asked if he still had a recording of me playing a solo with the wind ensemble. He did and sent it to me. Listening to it I think I could have made a stab at a career playing.

40cal

Nope

The "what ifs" are a normal part of life.

I have had a blast doing what I have been for the last 10 years.

I have a great family, good benefits, great pension, and I can play the horn when I want, not when I have to.

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

Thomas Paine 1737-1809

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