Posted by Steve Dedman on September 04, 2003 at 09:30:03:
In Reply to: Becoming a professional posted by Curious Parent on September 03, 2003 at 18:04:33:
Let me start by saying that I don't make my living playing, nor have I ever. I have done some paying gigs and some teaching, and I have observed several pros doing what they do. That said...
If your child is intent on becoming a professional tubist, there are some things to do and some things to ponder. This is all assuming a constant 3-4 hours practice 4 days a week and 2-3 hours the "off days."
To Do:
1.Marry into money. Seriously, I have seen this be the only way in a small market to play and enjoy life simultaneously.
2.Start lessons ASAP. Get them from the best pro in the area, even if it means a two-hour drive one-way every week. Take occasional trips to see high-profile pros for a semi-annual lesson. Eg. if you live in Carson City, NV, get thee to LA for the stray lesson with Jim Self, Tommy Johnson, Norm Pearson, etc.
3. Start looking for colleges now. I know what Joe's views on that are, but a good WELL-ROUNDED education has benefits that far outstrip their usefulness in music. Someday your child might have to be at a black-tie mixer with the orchestra donors and need to be able to talk about things other than music on an intelligent level. Don't worry about this conservatory or that school of music. Find a teacher that your child really responds to, and go there. It doesn't matter if it's a little 5,000 student school, as long as the solid instruction is there and the ensembles are first-rate. You might luck out and get in-state tuition and a scholarship.
4. Make sure that your child is prepared mentally for what that college experience will be like. While his friends are partying it up in the dorms, he'll be in the practice room. It takes an enormous amount of self-discipline and commitment to put in the face time on the horn that your child will need to make it into a top tuba grad school.
5. Grad school: not necessary to win an audition. It IS necessary to obtain the university or college teaching position that often accompanies the orchestra position. This position will often pay more than the orchestra, so it makes sense to invest in it.
6. Play, play, play, play, play. Every chance to perform should be taken. Every audition, mock audition, solo competition, chamber ensemble competition, etc.
7. Explore every aspect of music: learn to improvise jazz, learn to play dixieland, learn to lay down a rock bass line, learn arranging, learn how to write a marching band drill (if your child is good at that, it can be a lucrative side gig), in short, be able to do it all on a competent level.
8. Find a tubist - mentor that will be able to be your child's sounding board for many years, giving advice on what to do and what NOT to do. Even if it's someone you don't contact regularly, but whose advice and experience you trust.
To ponder:
1. Is your child willing to make the sacrifice now for rewards that might not be realized for 10, 15, or even 20 years?
2. Will your child be able to strike that difficult balance between getting enough practice time/educational time and getting enough social time? I couldn't, so I didn't. Let's face it, humans are social creatures, and becoming a hermit for your art is generally not a good thing.
3. Are you able to invest all that you will have to (financially as well as emotionally) in order to put your child in a position to succeed?
4. Does your child realize that talent alone won't do it? It is (IMO) harder for the kid that makes 1st chair all-state with 1/2 hour of practice a day to make it professionally than it is for the kid that makes last chair all-state practicing 2 hours a day.
5. Will your child be willing and able to juggle the schedule of a professional tubist? Let's face it, the high-paying gigs don't come around that often. So while your child is paying their dues in the Greater Podunk Philharmonic, there will be students to teach, quintet gigs to play, rehearsals to make, side gigs to play, etc. often all spread over a large geographic area (read: lots of drive time). I realize that the top pros have to do all of those things. But for the pros in the top orchestras, a studio full of private students is icing on the cake. For a small-orchestra pro, they're the difference between ramen noodles and eating well. (Unless you marry into money...)
Not trying to paint a bleak picture, just a realistic one. The road to playing professionally is far from easy. But if your child enjoys the trip while keeping the goal in mind, then it is a lot more palatable. In all of the things that have to happen to get to the point of being able to play professionally, your child will have to enjoy what they're doing. The fun went out of it for me for a long time. It was only after I quit HAVING to play as a music major that I started enjoying it again. So beware the burnout.
Don't get me wrong; it can be done, and I have yet to meet a pro player that regrets it.
All of the above is simply my opinion.
SD