 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: Tim
Date: 2000-07-11 17:57
I am sixteen and am one of those people who still have no idea what they are going to do in life. Anyone know what it would take to do a sort of Frank Zappa/Captain Beefheart thing? That is, a Free Jazz/Rock/Blues/Classic/Just-about-anything-else-I-can-think-of avant-garde Musician/Composer. I do not prize myself as a particularly good Clarinetist, although I think I'm quite a good musician; I'm quite a good pianist and also have experience playing the Organ and Saxophone. I won't be too disappointed - I haven't got my heart set on it yet - so you can be frank about your advice.
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Author: S.Koumas
Date: 2000-07-11 20:17
Hi Mate,
My suggestion to you is keep your options open what ever the situation! if you think that you have got the talent to be a pro Musician then by all means go for it, but make sure you have a back up, e.g. computer skills or do a combined Degree when u go Uni!
I am 17 and am planning to go Uni next year. i am hopefully gonna study either Music with media or IT!
Just don't restrict yourself to one course! OK!
Good Luck Mate!
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Author: Allen Cole
Date: 2000-07-12 04:38
If you have something creative to say, then find the means and the skills to say it. There are few jobs in music performance where you get hired like an employee with security and benefits. But you can carve out a niche for yourself. Go for it!
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Author: col
Date: 2000-07-12 05:35
My advice would be don't do it unless you are sure or at least seriously commited to it. I know this sounds a bit negative but performance requires an execptional amount of work and the time you will have to spend practicing is extremly high. If you have other interest try to keep them going until the time you have to make a decision about what you want to study at uni. On the other hand if you do want to study music serious but have other areas you also want to study make sure you do music first because you will not have the time later in life to persue it at a major performance level.
Best of Luck
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Author: Graham Elliott
Date: 2000-07-12 09:25
How good are you at making friends and influencing people? Do you think you could follow the "fixers" around, drink with them in bars, keep phoning them up for no very good reason, and lavish praise on people you may think don't deserve it?
If this sort of thing revolts you, and you are an earnest serious musician, then think twice about a professional career. The world is flooded with wonderful players. Most of those who are successful have to be good at networking too.
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Author: Bob the Composer
Date: 2000-07-12 14:07
If you wish to be a Composer, I would be glad help. However, I feel must warn you about a few things.
First of all, if you truly have the creative bug within you, it will become all-consuming. You will find yourself spending almost all your time on it if you don't dicipline yourself. That is a problem I am still trying to fix.
Second, you cannot always just write notes within the range of an instrument and expect performers to be able to play it. You must learn the instrument's technique, and what is and isn't playable.
Third, although you said you wanted to be an avant-garde composer, you must still take the time to learn and master the basics; Rythym, HarmonyTonality, and OrchestrationInstrumentation.
Fourth, though you may already know this, it will not come to you overnight. You must work to obtain perfection in all these areas and learn how to manipulate them in a way that is unique to you; otherwise, you will be nothing but a mere note-scribbler.
If you feel you can do all that, than perhaps you have a future in this venue. Also, mind what everyone else has said or will say. Their advice may be important too.
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Author: Bob the Composer
Date: 2000-07-12 14:07
If you wish to be a Composer, I would be glad help. However, I feel must warn you about a few things.
First of all, if you truly have the creative bug within you, it will become all-consuming. You will find yourself spending almost all your time on it if you don't dicipline yourself. That is a problem I am still trying to fix.
Second, you cannot always just write notes within the range of an instrument and expect performers to be able to play it. You must learn the instrument's technique, and what is and isn't playable.
Third, although you said you wanted to be an avant-garde composer, you must still take the time to learn and master the basics; Rythym, HarmonyTonality, and OrchestrationInstrumentation.
Fourth, though you may already know this, it will not come to you overnight. You must work to obtain perfection in all these areas and learn how to manipulate them in a way that is unique to you; otherwise, you will be nothing but a mere note-scribbler.
If you feel you can do all that, than perhaps you have a future in this venue. Also, mind what everyone else has said or will say. Their advice may be important too.
Bob
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Author: Lelia
Date: 2000-07-12 15:22
Your experience on a variety of instruments that are very different from each other sounds promising to me. It means you're flexible and you're gaining broad knowledge of music instead of fixating on just one thing. Flexibility is a useful personality trait in a musician, especially if you're interested in composing or leading a band. Be ready for *unexpected* opportunities if they turn up!
Even if you don't decide to become a pro musician, or if it doesn't work out for some reason, I'll bet you never regret your music studies. Music makes a most satisfying recreation later, even if you earn a living by doing something totally different. Good luck!
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Author: Tim
Date: 2000-07-15 12:04
Thanks everyone for all your support and advice.
I think Lelia said that music was a satisfying recreation. The thing is, it is the most satisfying recreation; to me it is the most fun a person can have on their own. I was once told that every person’s ideal job means getting someone to pay you for what you like doing the most, and this is it.
However, I have decided not to commit myself to any career at the moment. I think I’ll just study music theory, orchestration, etc., and if I don’t do music then these are still really useful things to have. I definitely want to do something creative, though, and music is second to none when it comes to this.
Thanks particularly to Bob; I’ll make sure that if I do go into this I’ll do it properly, that is, discipline myself and get properly trained.
I like Allen’s idea of ‘carving a niche’ out for myself, it appeals to me greatly. This is why I admire Frank Zappa (although I have to stress that I only like some of his music); he managed to do something completely different, and was not your average 1960’s rock musician either – he happened to be a serious composer, but was annoyed that he was never properly trained. However, I do not really want to copy or imitate FZ, I would just like to do something just as original.
Personally, I think that as I am only sixteen I should be trying to keep as many doors open to me as possible, despite the government’s and my school’s urgency to sort out my ‘academic direction’. Thanks again for all your help.
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