Posted by still cynical - correction on August 06, 2001 at 16:32:44:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Comments from an old tuba player posted by 30K? on August 06, 2001 at 14:46:42:
http://www.louisvilleorchestra.org/general/audition.htm
Permanent position for:
PRINCIPAL TUBA
Salary is $868.36 per week.
The 2000-2001 season is 41 weeks
This is a little over $35,000 - my mistake.
FYI, http://www.wendys.com lists Assistant manager openings at $28,000 and co-manager positions at $32,000. But these positions do not require a master's degree in performance or $25,000 in personal equipment (Uniforms are supplied - free).
My point is not to send aspiring musicians to careers in fast food, but to illustrate how the law of supply and demand works in the case of professional musicians. Many of the wonderfully talented musicians (MUCH more talented than I could ever aspire to) graduate each year with almost no chance of ever landing a fulltime professional gig. I think this is tragic.
My other point is that many of these would be much better served by getting a non-musical education, a decently-paying job and being the best tubist their community band ever dreamed of, enjoying music as a wonderful hobby, being the best amateur they can possibly be.
Instead, they are encouraged to "follow your dream", and to buy more expensive horns and gadgets, and advanced degrees in performance, to try to get a shot at job openings that usually don't exist, and even when they do, don't pay very well. At the end, almost all of them are left with a lot of student loan payments, expensive brass, and not many marketable skills. Then they start over getting their "other" degree in accounting, engineering, computer science, etc.
I'm just getting old and crabby. I'll shut up now.