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Doublereed Archive - Posting 000095.txt from 2003/08

From: Dan Carno <dcarno1@-----.com>
Subj: Re: [DR-L] Student needs advice from professionals
Date: Thu, 14 Aug 2003 16:24:07 -0400

Hello Jacqui!

The answer is surprisingly simple. First let me say that nothing is
forever. Feel free to make a few wrong decisions along the way.

Your best course is to get that teaching job (you may not land a HS job
right off the bat) and practice your bassoon as much as possible. Play in
local small or grass-roots orchestras in your community. If you come home
from teaching every day saying "That's enough music for one day, I can't
face practicing" you know you have found your place. On the other hand, if
you come home saying, "That wasn't music, I need to play my bassoon", then
it's time to spend every spare minute practicing and start taking
auditions. In the meantime, you will have an income that will pay for
cane, food, music, etc. until you land a playing job.

Of course there are all the other possibilities in between: play part-time,
teach part-time, etc.

Good luck!

Dan Carno

At 10:49 AM 8/14/2003 -0400, you wrote:

>I am in my second year of school, receiving my bachelors in music
>education and bassoon performance. I went into college thinking that I
>wanted to be a high school music teacher and no one could tell me any
>different. Now, having done camps, and lessons and what not, I'm starting
>to see the other end. It was a lot of fun being a high school music
>STUDENT, but being the teacher isn't what I thought it would be, and I
>haven't even gotten the full expierience yet. I am wondering if I'll be
>able to go from practicing as much as I do, and playing the awesome music
>my college orchestra plays, and being surrounded by people with such a
>high musical understanding, back to high school. I've been back to visit
>my high school several times and I see the way that some students treat my
>director, and just don't know if I could do it. Also, it's so frusterating
>musically. Sometimes the kids just don't understand things that I find so
>simple.
>
>On the other hand, my high school music teacher changed my life, and the
>oppertunity to do that for kids and have music really effect them, is what
>made me want to teach music in the first place. I'm just wondering, if the
>frusteration, time away from your family, and putting up with students who
>just don't care about what you're trying to do for them, is worth the
>gratification of seeing a students who truely loves what they're doing,
>and appriciates you.
>
>Also, I am a pretty serious bassoonist. I don't want to give up playing. I
>don't see the point in putting SO much effort into playing well and
>learning so much about my instrument in college, just to turn around and
>have no time to play because I'm doing marching band, and jazz band and
>going on trips every weekend. I've considered two things, and this is the
>purpose of the e-mail, to get professional opinions on my ideas.
>
>1.) Apply to graduate schools, go through my masters and doctorate degrees
>and find a university to teach bassoon at.
>
>2.) Go directly to teaching HS and then, when it's time to get my masters
>(schools require you to after a period of time) just get my masters and my
>docterate and then teach at a university and see which I prefer. The
>problem with this is that teaching for the I believe 4 years that it is
>before I'd have to get my masters would mean 4 years of a lot less time to
>practice, and the type of grad schools I want to go to (I want to study
>with Frank Morelli) require a very high level of musicality. That would be
>4 years out of playing with an orchestra, and without the constant help of
>an instructor (I actually live with her right now). When I graduate
>undergrad school, I will be at the peak level of musicianship and I just
>don't have the money to audition to the schools I want to go to multiple
>times.
>
>The reason I am asking now for advice is, I need to decide by next year
>what I am going to do, because I will obviousy need to start preparing for
>auditions, but also you have to apply to graduate schools earlier then I
>am allowed to do my student teaching. Otherwise, I would just student
>teach, see how I liked it, and then decide, but I'll have to decide before
>I get that expierience.
>
>Overall, I have a very strong love for music, and love for my instrument,
>but most of all, a very strong love for the power of music education, and
>I'm very confused about what I want my life to be (I suppose just like any
>other 19 year old) and any advice that could be offered by someone who's
>already been through this is greatly appriciated. My apologies about the
>length.
>
>Sincerly,
>Jacqui Gorski
>Eastern Washington University

Daniel Carno
Music Engraving Services
Quality work in Sibelius, Finale, Score and Igor
4514 Makyes Road
Syracuse, New York 13215
(315) 492-2987
dcarno1@-----.com