Going in a New Direction (Any Advice?)

trickg · 08-14-2006, 01:39 PM

As the title says, I am taking steps to move a new direction in my life, and I thought I would share with you, my online friends, a bit about what I’m going to do, my hopes and fears, and maybe get a word or two of advice about what I’m about to do from those who are currently doing it and those who have gone before me.

I came home from vacation about a month ago to the news that our lead DBA on the team was leaving the company, and that a whole department in the company was being “moved” to Atlanta – i.e. many here in Baltimore are getting their walking papers. This was the day that I came to the conclusion that I’m going nuts doing IT and that I simply can’t see myself doing the same thing in another 10 years.

So what is this new direction? I’m going to go back to school to get the degree in Music Education that I should have gotten 10 years ago.

I need to do this. My original life/career goal in high school, and even in my first couple of years of Army band was to eventually get out of the Army, get a degree in music ed, and then become a high school band director. Of course life has an interesting way of intervening, and I stayed in the army for a longer term, and then got out to be a computer jock. My thinking at the time was that going into computers was going to make me more money and give me more time to purse musical pursuits on the side.

The first goal was accomplished – I do make a decent living. The second goal was not, and I have struggled to find time to take care of the necessary every day life tasks and devote as much of my time toward music as I would like. It is a balance I have never been able to achieve and I feel like every day I spend at the office is stealing away from time that could be spent dealing in the realm of music.

Of course there are fears. I’m scared of what this will do to us financially, even though we have planned it out and we will be able to do it. I’m also scared that I will get into this endeavor and I’ll be derailed at some point prior to reaching my goal. Last of all, I’m scared that once I do get through it and get a job as a music educator that I will find that I have made a mistake and that it is much different than I thought it would be.

So, now that I have laid all of that out there, does anyone have comments or advice? I’ll post some more as this thread progresses, but I didn’t want this first post to get too long.

gzent · 08-14-2006, 02:07 PM

Advice? Pray.

Personally, I can look back at various decisions in my life and see that the ones made with divine guidance turned out a whole lot better than the ones where I simply did what I wanted to do.

Greg

trickg · 08-15-2006, 09:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gzent

Advice? Pray.

Personally, I can look back at various decisions in my life and see that the ones made with divine guidance turned out a whole lot better than the ones where I simply did what I wanted to do.

Greg

Greg, that's an interesting observation.

I'm not doing this out of folly or for purely selfish reasons. I believe that I'm currently going down the wrong road, and that taking this step is what I should have been doing for quite a while. Believe me, with the kind of hit in pay that I will wind up taking, I would be a fool to have not "reflected" on this decision in some form or fashion, but I also believe that it is the right thing to do. This decision would not have been possible even 2 years ago, but it is now - the time is right and the signs are before me, and I'm going to jump in and see what comes of it.

Solar Bell · 08-15-2006, 10:16 AM

Hi Patrick,

I would caution you to make sure of the job market in the area that you wish to teach.

Also, there are a few music teachers in the swing band, and a couple have complained that they are not able to secure jobs as HIGH SCHOOL band directors. It is very hard to come into the market and think will be able to get a H.S. gig. You may spend a lot of time in an elementary od middle school program.

Just a couple thoughts.

I hope your career change is successful.

-cw-

gzent · 08-15-2006, 10:16 AM

I wish you luck. Hopefully it will work out better for you than the previous career change.

Greg

trickg · 08-15-2006, 10:27 AM

Chuck, I have no problems with teaching grade school or middle school. Actually, I think I would prefer middle school. As for the job market, it is pretty decent here in general for teachers - not sure about music teachers, but as a fall back I could find myself in a provisional position - teaching something else with the provision that I come up to speed academically.

"Thanks" to the way the county handled salaries over the last 7-10 years, the county went from being one of the best paid in the state to one of the worst, especially considering that this county is also one of the wealthiest in the state. What that translates to is a shortage of teachers for this county. The good news is that the county is finally getting it's act together and have implemented a fairly agressive pay scale hike over the next several years and hopefully by the time I get through this whole thing, my wife, due to time and step, will be doing fairly well, and the entry level teacher's salary will be better too.

My last career change...it has sort of worked out - I accomplished many financial goals in the 6 years I have been working IT, but I just want to get back to doing a job that is in line with who I am.

At the very least, even with a poor teachers' job market, I'll have a degree that I didn't have previously, and that will help any future employment endeavors, even if they aren't teaching related, or at least that's how I see it.

rjzeller · 08-15-2006, 12:02 PM

Still struggling with that sort of thing, eh? I guess I can't blame you, I've had the same thought many times myself. I'll probably do the same -- but not at least until either the kids are out of the house or I've gotten to be VERY well off.

I'd consider finances -- make sure you're in good shape financially and that the added cost of shool and a lower salary won't put you in any kind of jeapordy, pray about it a LOT, and then go with whatever answer the Lord gives you.

I personally think you'll be the most successful doing whatever it is you ENJOY doing the most. If that happens to be music education, then by all means, do it. Just make sure you are cabable of it, becuase like it or not, you've still got to put bread on your table.

I remember after I was laid off at IBM talking to a friend who played in a Jazz group with me. I told him I was interested in pursuing music education but was worried about salaries and opportunities. He looked at me and stated, "my father was a band director for thirty years," then smiling coyly, "and he did just fine."

Which was true. So don't obsess about the money, but I would definitely make sure it isn't a real threat to you.

Oh...and most omportantly...make sure the missus is on board with you, too.

trickg · 08-15-2006, 12:24 PM

RJ, believe it or not, my wife is COMPLETELY on board with it, in spite of where it will take us financially, and she has commented that she was surprised that I didn't do it sooner. As it currently stands, when this is all said and done and her raises are factored in, as are the increases in starting salaries for teachers in this area of the state, I'm going to take a hit, but it will be manageable.

It's going to mean watching what we spend a little more closely, but I have to tell you that right now we spend money...well, not foolishly, but we certainly don't need to spend all that we do.

I think that there are several reasons why my wife is on board with it. For one, she is a career educator. She loves what she does and believes that it is a solid career choice. Another major plus for her is that our time off would coincide - especially if I find employment in the same county. And, we would have summers off together with the kids.

I would be lying if I said that the vacation time wasn't a major consideration too. I never feel like I have enough time to do both what needs to get done, and to do a fair amount of what I want to do. Every year I'm scraping the bottom of my leave time barrel, and that frustrates me. I was SO jealous of her when school let out for the summer. For her, it is a time to recharge the batteries and really relax for a while, and she gets to spend much more time with the kids just goofing off and having a good time. I can't tell you the number of days where I came dragging home from work to find that they spent the day swimming and sunning in our friend's backyard pool - the one with the deep end AND a diving board!

The money? As long as I can pay the bills and have a bit left over for me, I'm cool with that. At this point I want to enjoy what I do for a living and I want a higher quality of life.

trpt2345 · 08-15-2006, 09:20 PM

Don't discount teaching in a community music school. They can be pretty hip. We actually pay our teachers better than the Chicago Public school system does and we don't require certification. Check the National Guild of Community Music Schools for ones in your area and look some up, you might get a surprise or even a part-time gig while you're going to school. As for quitting and going to school:go for it!

Michael McLaughlin

One cannot spend one's time in being modern when there are so many more important things to be.
Wallace Stevens

Manny Laureano · 08-15-2006, 11:23 PM

Patrick,

I commend your courage and the conviction of following your heart. We need teachers that want to teach and I'm proud of you, my friend. It sounds like you have it figured out as well as you can. Now, all you need is a little luck and the good wishes of your online friends and all the others with whom you share this news.

Good luck to you and all the best,

ML

08-14-2006, 01:39 PM	#1 (permalink)
trickg Forte User Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Glen Burnie, Maryland Posts: 2,054	Going in a New Direction (Any Advice?) As the title says, I am taking steps to move a new direction in my life, and I thought I would share with you, my online friends, a bit about what I’m going to do, my hopes and fears, and maybe get a word or two of advice about what I’m about to do from those who are currently doing it and those who have gone before me. I came home from vacation about a month ago to the news that our lead DBA on the team was leaving the company, and that a whole department in the company was being “moved” to Atlanta – i.e. many here in Baltimore are getting their walking papers. This was the day that I came to the conclusion that I’m going nuts doing IT and that I simply can’t see myself doing the same thing in another 10 years. So what is this new direction? I’m going to go back to school to get the degree in Music Education that I should have gotten 10 years ago. I need to do this. My original life/career goal in high school, and even in my first couple of years of Army band was to eventually get out of the Army, get a degree in music ed, and then become a high school band director. Of course life has an interesting way of intervening, and I stayed in the army for a longer term, and then got out to be a computer jock. My thinking at the time was that going into computers was going to make me more money and give me more time to purse musical pursuits on the side. The first goal was accomplished – I do make a decent living. The second goal was not, and I have struggled to find time to take care of the necessary every day life tasks and devote as much of my time toward music as I would like. It is a balance I have never been able to achieve and I feel like every day I spend at the office is stealing away from time that could be spent dealing in the realm of music. Of course there are fears. I’m scared of what this will do to us financially, even though we have planned it out and we will be able to do it. I’m also scared that I will get into this endeavor and I’ll be derailed at some point prior to reaching my goal. Last of all, I’m scared that once I do get through it and get a job as a music educator that I will find that I have made a mistake and that it is much different than I thought it would be. So, now that I have laid all of that out there, does anyone have comments or advice? I’ll post some more as this thread progresses, but I didn’t want this first post to get too long. __________________ Patrick Gleason email me at: trickg1@hotmail.com "What we do in life echoes in eternity" "At my signal, unleash hell." - Maximus Decimus Meridius

08-14-2006, 02:07 PM	#2 (permalink)
gzent Forte User Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Rochester, MN Posts: 1,515	Advice? Pray. Personally, I can look back at various decisions in my life and see that the ones made with divine guidance turned out a whole lot better than the ones where I simply did what I wanted to do. Greg __________________ Harmony and understanding Sympathy and trust abounding No more falsehoods or derisions Golden living dreams of visions Mystic crystal revalation And the mind's true liberation

08-15-2006, 10:16 AM	#4 (permalink)
Solar Bell Moderator Fortissimo User Join Date: May 2005 Location: Metro Detroit Posts: 3,998	Hi Patrick, I would caution you to make sure of the job market in the area that you wish to teach. Also, there are a few music teachers in the swing band, and a couple have complained that they are not able to secure jobs as HIGH SCHOOL band directors. It is very hard to come into the market and think will be able to get a H.S. gig. You may spend a lot of time in an elementary od middle school program. Just a couple thoughts. I hope your career change is successful. -cw- __________________ Chuck Willard *The Willard of Oz* "Don't be afraid to see what you see." Ronald Reagan

08-15-2006, 10:16 AM	#5 (permalink)
gzent Forte User Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Rochester, MN Posts: 1,515	I wish you luck. Hopefully it will work out better for you than the previous career change. Greg __________________ Harmony and understanding Sympathy and trust abounding No more falsehoods or derisions Golden living dreams of visions Mystic crystal revalation And the mind's true liberation

08-15-2006, 10:27 AM	#6 (permalink)
trickg Forte User Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Glen Burnie, Maryland Posts: 2,054	Chuck, I have no problems with teaching grade school or middle school. Actually, I think I would prefer middle school. As for the job market, it is pretty decent here in general for teachers - not sure about music teachers, but as a fall back I could find myself in a provisional position - teaching something else with the provision that I come up to speed academically. "Thanks" to the way the county handled salaries over the last 7-10 years, the county went from being one of the best paid in the state to one of the worst, especially considering that this county is also one of the wealthiest in the state. What that translates to is a shortage of teachers for this county. The good news is that the county is finally getting it's act together and have implemented a fairly agressive pay scale hike over the next several years and hopefully by the time I get through this whole thing, my wife, due to time and step, will be doing fairly well, and the entry level teacher's salary will be better too. My last career change...it has sort of worked out - I accomplished many financial goals in the 6 years I have been working IT, but I just want to get back to doing a job that is in line with who I am. At the very least, even with a poor teachers' job market, I'll have a degree that I didn't have previously, and that will help any future employment endeavors, even if they aren't teaching related, or at least that's how I see it. __________________ Patrick Gleason email me at: trickg1@hotmail.com "What we do in life echoes in eternity" "At my signal, unleash hell." - Maximus Decimus Meridius

08-15-2006, 12:02 PM	#7 (permalink)
rjzeller Forte User Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Rochester, MN Posts: 1,212	Still struggling with that sort of thing, eh? I guess I can't blame you, I've had the same thought many times myself. I'll probably do the same -- but not at least until either the kids are out of the house or I've gotten to be VERY well off. I'd consider finances -- make sure you're in good shape financially and that the added cost of shool and a lower salary won't put you in any kind of jeapordy, pray about it a LOT, and then go with whatever answer the Lord gives you. I personally think you'll be the most successful doing whatever it is you ENJOY doing the most. If that happens to be music education, then by all means, do it. Just make sure you are cabable of it, becuase like it or not, you've still got to put bread on your table. I remember after I was laid off at IBM talking to a friend who played in a Jazz group with me. I told him I was interested in pursuing music education but was worried about salaries and opportunities. He looked at me and stated, "my father was a band director for thirty years," then smiling coyly, "and he did just fine." Which was true. So don't obsess about the money, but I would definitely make sure it isn't a real threat to you. Oh...and most omportantly...make sure the missus is on board with you, too. __________________ There are 10 kinds of people in the world: Those who understand binary and those who do not.

08-15-2006, 12:24 PM	#8 (permalink)
trickg Forte User Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Glen Burnie, Maryland Posts: 2,054	RJ, believe it or not, my wife is COMPLETELY on board with it, in spite of where it will take us financially, and she has commented that she was surprised that I didn't do it sooner. As it currently stands, when this is all said and done and her raises are factored in, as are the increases in starting salaries for teachers in this area of the state, I'm going to take a hit, but it will be manageable. It's going to mean watching what we spend a little more closely, but I have to tell you that right now we spend money...well, not foolishly, but we certainly don't need to spend all that we do. I think that there are several reasons why my wife is on board with it. For one, she is a career educator. She loves what she does and believes that it is a solid career choice. Another major plus for her is that our time off would coincide - especially if I find employment in the same county. And, we would have summers off together with the kids. I would be lying if I said that the vacation time wasn't a major consideration too. I never feel like I have enough time to do both what needs to get done, and to do a fair amount of what I want to do. Every year I'm scraping the bottom of my leave time barrel, and that frustrates me. I was SO jealous of her when school let out for the summer. For her, it is a time to recharge the batteries and really relax for a while, and she gets to spend much more time with the kids just goofing off and having a good time. I can't tell you the number of days where I came dragging home from work to find that they spent the day swimming and sunning in our friend's backyard pool - the one with the deep end AND a diving board! The money? As long as I can pay the bills and have a bit left over for me, I'm cool with that. At this point I want to enjoy what I do for a living and I want a higher quality of life. __________________ Patrick Gleason email me at: trickg1@hotmail.com "What we do in life echoes in eternity" "At my signal, unleash hell." - Maximus Decimus Meridius

08-15-2006, 09:20 PM	#9 (permalink)
trpt2345 Mezzo Forte User Join Date: May 2006 Location: Chicago Posts: 747	Don't discount teaching in a community music school. They can be pretty hip. We actually pay our teachers better than the Chicago Public school system does and we don't require certification. Check the National Guild of Community Music Schools for ones in your area and look some up, you might get a surprise or even a part-time gig while you're going to school. As for quitting and going to school:go for it! Michael McLaughlin One cannot spend one's time in being modern when there are so many more important things to be. Wallace Stevens __________________ Chicago MM Last edited by trpt2345; 08-15-2006 at 09:24 PM.

08-15-2006, 11:23 PM	#10 (permalink)
Manny Laureano Utimate User Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: USA Posts: 5,989	Patrick, I commend your courage and the conviction of following your heart. We need teachers that want to teach and I'm proud of you, my friend. It sounds like you have it figured out as well as you can. Now, all you need is a little luck and the good wishes of your online friends and all the others with whom you share this news. Good luck to you and all the best, ML

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