Klarinet Archive - Posting 000195.txt from 1999/04

From: Neil Leupold <nleupold@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: [kl] Masters Degree soon
Date: Sun, 4 Apr 1999 06:04:29 -0400

On Sat, 3 Apr 1999, robert shaw wrote:

> I will be finishing up my Masters Degree in Clarinet Performance in just
> a few weeks. There are no job openings in my area at this time, and I
> am unable to move for another year and a half (my husband is working on
> a degree). My plans are to continue playing part time in our local
> symphony (I am the second clarinetist) and continue to build my studio,
> which has been strong for the last five years. What I need are
> suggestions on how to persue other playing opportunities that would be
> good to include on my resume and that pay something. There are lots of
> opportunities to play for free around here. I am close to Tulsa, Kansas
> City and fairly close to Little Rock. Any suggestions on how to find
> out about sub positions, etc.?

I don't know if this is at all helpful, but selling yourself as
an artist (or as a businessman, or in any line of work really)
is best undertaken with a pro-active attitude. For the sake of
argumentation, assume that every paying group within driving
distance has a sub list with room for one more clarinet player
-- you. Make contact with the orchestra manager for every one
of those groups, and ask if they will take a look at your resume
and allow you to audition for their sub list. Even if the oppor-
tunity to join a particular group's sub list is not immediately
offered, the effort was not wasted. A by-product of the canvass-
ing, whether fruitful or not, is that you are putting your name
out there, letting these groups know that you exist. The act
of networking is an art all by itself, and an important one at
which to become skilled. In your particular situation, become
intimately familiar with every regular paid gig in your geograph-
ical area, and view each one as a potential employer to be won
over with time and persistence. If you don't have one already,
get a subscription to International Musician (you don't have to
be a union member to get the rag) and keep your ear to the ground
on the music scene all over. After your skill as a musician and
clarinetist, some of the most important qualities to develop re-
volve around exposure, connections, and salesmanship.

Neil

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