Michael Missiras

first of all there are no rules in academe. sure their written down-but the only rule i:ve ever seen is called negotiation.

I*ve seen Artists in Residence who did not finish HS, but were luminaries in their field(s)

I*ve seen, and attended school with 14yr old undergrads.

I was accepted in a masters program at Eastman without an undergrad degree as I thought it a waste of time not getting to the *source* and i won the audition although somewhere along the line i managed to acumulate 180 undergrad credits at an early age--just never got the degree--I think.

i have gotton accepted to multiple doctoral programs and leveraged the best finacial package playing one school off the other.

I got another job--threatened to quit my u. unless they gave me instant tenure--they did...at the end of the year.

i am not unique--by a long shot. in fact, by any measure of academe, all of the above is pretty much common. Conservative even.

now at a young age--i realized that the wonderment of the trumpet business was going to change forever. The world of Bernie Glow was over. Even Alan Vizzuti was chased out of LA (or so folks in LA say.)

and of course--the synth.

but now--at all the major schools, the people holding those jazz trumpet gigs are not freshly minted DMAs, for the most part.

Those jobs are now held by what popular culture in jazz deems a `popular` artist who has the potential to draw students into programs.

And I will say--many of those so-called `artists` have little ability other than holding down a small select studio and maybe running a select big band/combo.

but academe is a fickle business--let me repete business. it`s even worse in cultural studies.

so you may have slaved over a DMA--but in the end, yr no match for the cat who lived in NYC for a minute--played with a few name ppl--got a touch of press--and THAT is the cat who they are going to hire.

Look at the faculty today..look whose teaching *jazz.* at U.

So I got in while the getting was good--but you know what...if I were to apply for my same job today...and with the same credentials as well as the ones I built up over the years: I doubt I would get my gig.

All boils down to survival, food, house, kids, cars, and everything else.

So where is the jazz trumpet now? In the hands of dubious *stars* the administrations have banked on pulling in students.

And I*ve also seen some of these *stars* get fired when things went a little south.

So--all hope is not lost-completely. Just make sure you can sight sing.


Best,

Mike

Dr. Michael A. Missiras
Professor of Music Emeritus
Minnesota State University
Teaching Fellow: Jazz Studies
Eastman School of Music
Visiting Professor of Media Studies
Utsunomiya University, Japan
Google
Google

Markie

Hi Mike,
Don't lose hope. Effect what YOU can effect. Don't fall victim to the kind of thinking that sometimes hits professors and eventually makes them bitter and pissy. Your arms are too short to box with the machine.
Dr. Mark

Michael Missiras

Saluet Doctore,

Sage words my friend. As you well know, that `effecting` (quote attributed a vois) can take years off ones life if even successful.

As I just wrote in another post, that machine you mention almost became me and I didn`t like what I was seeing in the mirror (lots and lots of mirrors--and some that aren*t quite good at reflection.)

In the end, I was able to leave lasting positive changes for my department--but the fighting factions of the sort who do attempt to box with the diety you mention (and was a good piece of Broadway too) would allow not much more change as they had longer arms than I when in fact the arm length was in inverse proportion to brain size/powers of reason/ego.

Great post!! You`ve said a volume in 4 sentences!!

Best regards,
ole` doc mike

HoosierDaddy

Classy

Love the way you spread rumors about people. I feel for anyone who has been your student. They must hate music. I am sure you will say otherwise but you are a real energy sucker.

Michael Missiras

Well hope yr having a nice day too!! Actually, that bit of info regarde AV came to me in Paris, about 2 weeks ago, from a trpt player from LA.

Notice I said *folks in LA said*

Notice you have made a number of posts on this thread completey off-topic; just would really like to get your read on my post--the real post--not a negative tangential spin-off.

I know you have responded to my posts in the past, and I value yours, or anyone else who takes the time to read my threads.

So, whenever you get a chance, please consider the points in my thread and I would appreciate your opionion, thoughts, disagreements, et al.

Warmly,
m