 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: AJ
Date: 2004-03-27 15:41
Im having trouble choosing a major between performance and education. I really like both and enjoy both, does anyone have anything to say? Thank You
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Author: GBK
Date: 2004-03-27 15:58
Each year (just in this country alone), conservatories and universities graduate hundreds of clarinetists whose playing ability borders on the unbelieveable.
The sad fact is that most will never earn a dime by strictly just playing the clarinet.
When you are young, the notion of being a "professional clarinetist" sounds noble and intriguing.
However, after a few years, when your friends have moved on and bought their own homes, have retirement plans in place, have disposable income, medical benefits, and treat themselves to the better things in life, the "professional clarinetist" monicker loses its luster very quickly.
A struggling musician is not a pretty sight...GBK (retired public school music educator and still an active big band and orchestral performer)
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Author: William
Date: 2004-03-27 17:41
Education. You can still take clarinet lessons and participate in all of the performance classes. And then, after college, if performance does not "work out", you will have something to fall back on.
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2004-03-27 21:27
Hi,
GBK and William have it right as usual.
As I have said more than once on this BB, I knew years ago (too many to advertise) when I was a very, very good sax student at Interlochen that I was too late to be another Don Jager, Jack Ratteree, Larry Combs, Gene Zoro, or Roger Bobo who were all at NMC at the same time. These guys were light years ahead as HS students and then became professionals.
I made a decision to go the music education degree route and followed with 40 years of HS and university teaching in two fields. I still play well and play a lot but have done much teaching, had many private students, and worked lots of very cool gigs both legit and jazz.
Guys and gals that hold the symphony chairs and have the great jobs on Broadway like John Moses are the upper level. I consider myself in second tier. I'm a very capable tripler, excellent sight-reader, someone that plays "all styles," a good section player, but also a strong soloist. I have plenty of work; actually more than I want and can handle with a very demanding and well compensated day gig.
So, is that all bad?
HRL (Not a performace major)
PS I still work an occasional job with an 83 year old bari player who is a retired school music teacher and a fine player. He was not a performance major.
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Author: Robyn
Date: 2004-03-28 00:31
I started my college career as a double major...and dropped it within the first year. At least for me, there was no way I could do enough practicing to justify a performance major while doing all the education courses. So I dropped the ed major because, for me, I did not have the desire to teach public school. Now whether I'll get a job or not...that's a different matter (I'm looking to teach college). I'll cross that bridge when I come to it, since I have one more year of undergrad plus a gazillion years of grad school.
YMMV, of course....
Robyn
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Author: Sarah
Date: 2004-03-28 03:36
I know several people who do both. Where I go there are lots of extra edu classes, and a few more performance classes, so it takes people an extra year. I started out as Performance, but decided to make the switch to edu after my first year. I did end up doing an extra junior recital this year, and will do an official recital next fall.
It is up to you though. Don't do something just becuase someone else reccomends it.
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Author: Ed
Date: 2004-03-28 13:28
Think of it this way, when you go for a gig, nobody asks you what your degree was in. If you have the talent and perseverence, you can play. Also keep in mind that you need to look toward how you are going to make a living, especially since very few players out there can make a living by playing exclusively. Most players do some level of teaching, whether out of desire or need. BUT, you have to think about whether you like working with young students or have any desire to work in education. I have known a number of people who have gotten teaching cerification at a later date after years of struggling as freelancers, because of the desire for a regular paycheck and health and retirement benefits. In terms of making a living, keep your options open and always try to have a back up plan. Good luck with your decision.
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2004-03-28 14:15
Hey Robyn,
The only problem with your plan for college teaching is most college professors in music have many years of HS teaching as a backbone. I have many collegaues in that field so I am well aware of their qualitications.
Although I am a professor in a different field, I too have 16 years HS treaching. Those years really were important in helping me develop many, many teaching, inter-personal, and community-based skills (learning to schmooze is one).
Also, remember that a doctorate is the unioncard. Just being able to teach is only one of the three things that get you tenure; the others two are research/writing and service to the school as well as the profession.
Good luck.
HRL
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Author: William
Date: 2004-03-28 15:36
"regular paycheck and health and retirement benefits"
These are two very compelling reasons for choosing a career in Education over that of Performance, however unfortunately, they are often only realized via the perspective of years of experiance (aka, "hindsight"). Been there, done that......and--now that I am retired and still have two fairly respectable monthly paychecks (pension & SS) coming in--I'm glad I did!!!
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Author: GBK
Date: 2004-03-28 16:08
" I've been rich and I've been poor. Rich is better." - Sophie Tucker (or Gertrude Stein) ...GBK
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Author: John J. Moses
Date: 2004-03-28 17:18
HI AJ:
Pursue your desire to be a professional performer, if that's your dream, but get a teaching certificate along the way.
During my college days, long ago, a medical degree was my goal. After music won out in my mind, all those wise advisors agreed that I should shoot for my highest goals...to be a performer, but get the teaching certification. After attending the U of MI, and transferring to Juilliard, and got those degrees, BM, MS, & DMA.
I haven't ever needed to use my college degrees to succeed as a performer these past 40 years, but it sure felt nice to know I had them in my back pocket during the tough times.
Follow your dreams!
JJM
Légère Artist
Clark W. Fobes Artist
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Author: theclarinetist
Date: 2004-03-28 17:50
I decided to trash the whole music major thing all together, so I'm probably not the best person to give advice on following one's dreams, however... with the economy the way it has been lately, you shouldn't rely exclusively on performance to pay the bills (even if you are the best clarinet player in the world).
On the flip-side, there is nothing worse than a band director who is bitter and hates their job because they 'settled on education'.
If you would be happy teaching band for the rest of your life, major in music education (with or without a performance double). If you are only interested in performance, get a non-music degree that will pay the bills and pursue performance on the side. My clarinet teacher plays in the Houston Ballet and he told me that the ballet's trumpet player is (or was, not sure if it's the current one) an auto-mechanic. Charles Ives was an insurance-exec... It can be done. Like others have said, it's all about how good you are...
DH
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Author: GBK
Date: 2004-03-28 18:04
theclarinetist wrote:
> Charles Ives
> was an insurance-exec... It can be done.
Probably not a good example... Ives had 2 serious heart attacks, a mental breakdown and associated depression all before his 44th birthday...GBK
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Author: Robyn
Date: 2004-03-28 20:56
Hank,
Thanks for the advice. To give a little more detail about my plans, I am actually planning to find a secondary focus in grad school, besides performing. Whether that's history, theory or musicology, I'm not sure yet, but if I diversify my abilities, it should increase my marketability. I also have significant experience teaching private lessons and will continue to teach through grad school. At this point, if I can't find a job teaching college level students with those qualifications, then I will teach private lessons to get by until I can become qualified in some other career. From my experience with my parents who are both public school teachers, I know that I am not willing to deal with the politics of the public school system in its current state. (please, nobody start a debate about public schools...my comment was only meant to explain my personal view) I already know I would burn out within the first couple years, and that is not something I want to deal with.
I realize my plan is somewhat tenuous, but I'm willing to accept the consequences and I do have some plans to fall back on. Public school is just not one of them.
Robyn
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Author: Hank Lehrer
Date: 2004-03-29 03:33
Hi Robyn,
Sounds like you have a plan. However, with your intereting comment of "I am not willing to deal with the politics of the public school system in its current state" wait until you experience the politics on a university campus. Man oh man, wait until your colleagues in Arts & Sciences get on a rampage about elitist academic matters. I've seen some really great knockdown scraps at Faculty Senate.
Don't look too deeply into your parent's careers as public school teachers and assume that is what your experience would be like; you might miss some wonderful years (I still hear from many of my former HS students even today). Those were some pretty great years.
Best wishes to you though.
HRL
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Author: JMcAulay
Date: 2004-03-29 05:23
If you plan a career in music education and get all the necessary tickets punched (i. e., a teaching credential), that does not stop you from performing. Teaching and performing DO mix. However, if you plan a career in performing and don't get a credential, being a full-time teacher in public schools is not an available option for you.
You will never regret having a teaching credential, but you might someday regret not having one. You figure it out from there.
Of course, in some jurisdictions (California, for one) it is quite possible for performance majors to do the necessary graduate-level coursework to earn a teaching credential. Unfortunately, one who does that might not have the background to support many of the activities required of a public school music teacher.
Aside from all that, no one should teach without a real desire to do it. Otherwise, it is a real waste, IMO.
Regards,
John
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Author: n_hanson12
Date: 2004-03-29 21:37
So, here I am reading this post and seeing all my own questions being asked. I am a high school junior wrestling with the "college issue". I feel like I have 3 options:
1. Go for the performance degree. I want to perform, though I know I could do this without the degree. My current teacher has been encouraging me to go for it; he feels I could get a full-ride at the University of Illinois and thinks I should pursue the performance degree.
2. Get an education degree. A good friend of mine who has been teaching music for many years feels that I would do very well with this and though its not my "dream", I feel like it would be more stable than a performance degree. I like that measure of security.
3. Get a totally unrelated degree and continue to play. I will never stop playing, I love it too much, but I enjoy many other things as well, and it could be that I would be better off to go in another direction and continue to play through college and beyond without the music degree. I am very good at math, I could pursue a mathematics degree.
I guess what I am saying with all of this is that I want to feel secure in what I decide to do, but I don't want to "settle" for something when I could have made it professionally. I suppose we all get to this stage at some point. Perhaps I could go to college with a performance degree in pursuit and then change my mind if I felt it was too risky. At any rate, I have advice from everyone and its all different. I have no idea how to sort it out and really pick something. The questions just keep on coming.....
~Nicki
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Author: msloss
Date: 2004-03-30 13:15
The two are not necessarily mutually exclusive. A lot of the union locals are populated by band and orchestra directors that do much of the freelance, wedding band, etc. gigs. In college, the distinction is even less, unless they deny the ed majors access to the top ensembles and instructors.
A degree in performance may be just about the most useless document imaginable, unless you plan on going all the way to the Doctorate and taking a university post. It is about your talent, your musicianship, your experience, and your teachers. How do you major in performance? You take lessons, you practice, you play in ensembles, and you perform -- a lot. Again, unless the university restricts your access to those resources based on your major, you can do ed and you have a shot at a steady paycheck after you graduate. If you've got what it takes to be a symphonic artist, you'll make it regardless of what your bachelor's degree says.
Good luck with your choice.
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Author: AJ
Date: 2004-03-31 19:19
Hi everyone,
I just want to say, thank you all for all the advice that you have given me. I have made a decision, I chose education. I didnt base my decision only on this forum but many of you helped me, thank you. I can perform while educate, but not the other way around, and I am interested in education more, but of coarse I still want to perform. Thank you all again.
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