Klarinet Archive - Posting 000718.txt from 2001/11

From: Bill Page <bill.page@-----.com>
Subj: [kl] Sundry items
Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2001 17:41:00 -0500

A couple of comments on posts in the most recent digest:

Walter wrote:
> I was also willing to go for broke.
> That's how you get the 25 years experience.

I would posit that it's the 25 years' experience that enables you to "go for
broke." You realize that even if you ruin the mouthpiece, it ain't the end
of the world.

----------------------

Alisa asked:

> Anyone have any ideas on how how to go about getting
> into the Church orchestra?

If the question is, "how do you start and maintain a church orchestra?" the
answer is "with prayer, persistence, and patience." Write me privately for
more details.

If the question is, "how do I get accepted into an existing church
orchestra?" the answer is "with prayer, patience, and practice."

I've never been part of/directed a church orchestra that had enough players
to keep anyone out of it!

---------------------

Ed Lacy and others wrote of the lack of employment security in the business
world. Part of MY "25 years' experience" includes four separate incidents
of employment termination (three in industry, one from a church). On all but
one of those occasions, the termination was effective immediately...no
warning, no time to tell my subordinates goodbye, no severance pay.

Unfortunately, as a manager I've also had to tell people that they were
being let go. It's almost as hard to be the one giving the bad news as it is
to receive it...well, not really, but it does hurt.

---------------------

Christina asked:

> What kind of jobs could someone with a music business degree find?

I know one Music Ed major who is a hospital administrator, another who
teaches history, a third who runs a restaurant, and still another who is a
court reporter (for the US Supreme Court). Indeed, of the 12 Music Ed majors
who graduated on the same day I did from my alma mater, only one is
currently earning a living in the music field.

Of the six folks with music business degrees who graduated that same day,
one runs a music instrument repair business, another manages a symphony (as
a side job), and the rest are in other pursuits.

I am a quality assurance manager for a branch of a Fortune 100 company (with
B.Mu.Ed and a M.Ed. ... and an MBA).

My point here is that more of us are not working in the music field than
are.
Having said that, though, I might point out that many of us have remained
active in music. I have directed church choirs and orchestras, and
played/sung in semi-professional groups for thirty years, as have many of
those others who do not make a career of music.

Follow your dream, keep focusing on your music.

Bill Page
Kenosha WI

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