Posted by MG on September 05, 2000 at 21:28:27:
I've noticed a lot of talk here recently about majoring in performance and
its benefits and disadvantages. I'm just starting out on pursuing a performance degree
now, and I've read some posts that have suggested that it's a good idea to learn other skills so that you have something to fall back on. My question is how practical
is it to shoot for some other MUSICAL pursuits to fill this void (i.e. private
teaching, composition/arranging, etc.). Personally, whether I end up in the CSO or
barely getting by freelancing, I have goals in composition and jazz that are just as
high as my goals for "classical" performance. Is it practical figure that one can
use a diverse range of musical pursuits to make a living (I'm thinking largely of
the time commitment required to each separate area both in school, and in the "real world")?