 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Paul Lester
Date: 2000-06-14 00:03
During this past semester I’ve attended quite a few recitals at the local college. There were four clarinet recitals from students completing their masters for a performance major
Consider the total number of schools across the U.S. offering a degree with a performance major. Suppose that every year each school conferred just one masters degree with a clarinet performance major.
Where do all of these graduates perform with their clarinets – and earn a living doing it?
Or, is a performance major similar to the collage jocks being drafted into the pro ranks? The last time I checked less than 1% actually became a pro in the NBA or NFL.
Is there a similar statistic for performance majors?
What do performance majors do after graduation?
How about some input from the students (performance majors) reading this list? Or anyone?
Cheers,
Paul
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Author: col
Date: 2000-06-14 00:50
Its a scary thought, especially for anyone who is studying at a performance major level. Im sure they would all be able to find some type of work in some way associated with music but i don't think performance - especially soloist type performance is a very realistic option for many people
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Author: Mark Charette, Webmaster
Date: 2000-06-14 01:25
I think the 1% is probably close for people who actually make their living primarily playing. Many become teachers at different levels, some change majors. It's a difficult life; even if you love it and work hard there's no guarantee that you'll have a paying job.
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Author: Kim L
Date: 2000-06-14 01:25
Music is a very difficult major. Far more difficult and specialized than something like math or English. I take pride is saying there are only 150 music majors in a college of 9,000 students. Music takes a lot of hard work and it takes heart. Although there are few music students, these students are the most interested and will be the most successful.
Looking at sports, sports is far more accessible to students than music is. In my high school there were only 60 band members in a school of 870. I'm glad. I wouldn't want to see the head cheerleader trying to play the flute. Would you?
I know a performance major who doubled(BS and BM). I think she is going to teach and try to play violin in some famous orchestra. She is phenomenal!
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Author: Jessica
Date: 2000-06-14 08:55
Music is a wonderful and noble profession. But I see no need to promote music at the expense of mathematicians, English majors, jocks and cheerleaders! Is learning Mozart and Beethoven really so superior to studying the works of Shakespeare and Keats? Or Newton and Einstein? Are the accomplishments of Jesse Owens in 1936 insignificant? Is steroetyping a cheerleader as incompetant any better than being called a "band nerd" by other kids?
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Author: Judy
Date: 2000-06-14 11:45
I know of a TV producer and a radio producer who were clarinet performance majors. Also, if you read the bios of classical music radio show hosts, you will find that many of them were performance majors (all instruments).
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Author: Mario
Date: 2000-06-14 11:48
I remember reqading somewhere that there are just about 200 permanent orchestral positions in all of the US for clarinetists. There is probably a similar number of positions for university faculties. As somebody told me recently, "if you are the second best clarinetist in Chicago, you starve".
Let there be no doubt about it, there are very few opportunities for classical clarinetists out there, and only the very bests (in all aspects: musicality, technique, prsence on stage, looks, contacts, marketing skills, etc.) will cut it.
The best set up seems to be a university position to establish the fundation for the career, complemented by a position in the local symphony. From this platform, recitals can be added to round up the package. People who have put together this arrangement have a busy but excellent life style.
Or, you can do like many others, get an exciting career in an other field more in demand, and pursue your love of the clarinet as a serious amateur.
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Author: Ronaldo DiNovella
Date: 2000-06-14 15:56
I live in New York City and during the music season I attend at least two concerts a week; chamber music and orchestral. What is interesting is that at the tender age of 34 I am usually among the youngest members of the audience. The average concertgoer is certainly someone well into their sixties and usually much older. The major exception is when there are FREE outdoor concerts in Central Park. Then the crowd is much younger. But for them the experience is more about getting together with friends eating, answering cell phones and chatting throughout the concert rather than listening to Bethoven's 5th.
I can only wonder what will happen to the fate of classical music and clarinetists in particular as the concert going audience dies off and leaves a handful of 30 somethings. With so very few orchestral positions available now and an ever decreasing audience attendence in the future I am somewhat concerned.
As a side note, many of my friends are either professional musicans or advanced amateurs. Without a doubt the amateurs with well paying Wall Street Jobs or other such lucrative jobs always have the best instruments while the professional musicians simply don't have that kind of cash. As a serious amateur clarinetist, I also have a Bösendorfer concert grand piano (yes with the extra black notes) which I don't play personally. This is for when I play chamber music I want the pianist to have one of the best pianos available. I can tell the difference and the professional pianists always say "wow this is wonderful piano. My professional musician friends often use if for professional recordings; and not the ones in their houses.
How can anyone but the very best musicians afford these instruments? We clarinetists are rather fortunate that our instruments are not nearly as expensive as the other instruments of the orchestra, but they are still expensive.
Anyway, I've gone on for too long.
Cheers
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Author: Larry
Date: 2000-06-14 18:43
Sounds tough to make a living with the clarinet!
My daughter is looking at colleges right now with a view to taking performance as a major.
We have discussed this in depth and she realises that she probably will not make much of a living relying on performance only.
We agreed that she should take the major and get a basic college education as we hear that many employers like music majors for all the reasons discussed on this site in the past.
She should enjoy the next 4 years, make the most of all the time she will get playing and see how things look at the end of it.
Maybe she will look at teaching? I think it is worth going for it anyway, Music is a great major especially if it something you truly love to do!
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Author: Mario
Date: 2000-06-14 19:46
I fully agree with Ronaldo. I am also an amateur clarinetist with a pair of Rossi and a fine Heintzman piano to entice my pianist friends to come over in order to play my favorite music in my own house, etc. To say the least, my set-up is first rate, yet I spend much less money on my passion than my golfer or skier friends for instance. It is not difficult for a person with a decent career to nourish his/her passion for music.
As to the future of classical music, the reality is actually quite different from the one described by Ronaldo. In fact, more people are going to classical concerts, theatre, ballet more than at any point in the past. The same holds for art galeries, antique shops, etc. What is happening is that middle-age/golden age people are richer than ever. Theses boomers finally grew out out their teen years culturally, realize that they missed a lot, and take up the classical arts (including music) with a vengence. It is a lifestyle issue, almost a fad, especially amongst those who like to believe that they are "sophisticated" (popular jobs, wine, cheese, expensive food, fine art, latest fashion, the works!) . The "female" better half is a key driver of this trends, since we all know that women determine to cultural orientations of a household and drag guys with them.
There is no reduction is opportunities for classical musicians. In fact, there are plentiful. It is the supply that is the problem. 2000 clarinetists graduate every year in the US alone. There should only be 200, like 50 years ago.
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Author: Allen Cole
Date: 2000-06-16 10:14
Let me aquaint you with a few that I'm aware of from my old college:
A: Graduated in the mid-70's. Works in a print shop, performs regularly with a woodwind quintet. Still a fine player, just has a day job.
B: Did stints with the army and the Knoxville Symphony. Did stints as a bartender and in computer training. Now back home running a bowling alley. Occasionally does some concert stuff up in NYC.
C: Plays regularly as a recitalist in NYC and is a consultant for this website. Teaches clarinet and sax, and studies with Gervase De Peyer.
D: Has shifted his emphasis to playing keyboards and writing songs. Still a fine player. Works as a waiter, I think.
E: Got interested in jazz before graduating and took up saxophone. Finally entered the Navy with an MOS in a medical field--possibly respiratory therapy.
One caveat...most of these guys don't have MM's. Even so, I think that the pattern is typical. They do what they have to in order to keep body and soul together and they keep playing and teaching.
Scary? Sure. Only one of them has really made it as a living. But the great thing is that most of them have persevered as fine players.
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Author: Mark Charette, Webmaster
Date: 2000-06-16 11:18
Allen Cole wrote:
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C: Plays regularly as a recitalist in NYC and is a consultant for this website. Teaches clarinet and sax, and studies with Gervase De Peyer.
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Hmmm - I don't have any "consultants" for the Website. I do have articles by many different people, but none act as consultants.
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Author: Allen Cole
Date: 2000-06-17 07:46
A poor choice of words on my part. "C" is Thomas Piercy, one of your email volunteers on the Help pages.
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