 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: janlynn
Date: 2008-02-15 14:11
Just curious how many Performance majors actually end up as a professional clarinet player?
is that the intention of a performance major?
do you have to go to college and earn a degree to be a professional clarinetist?
what do they do if they dont end up a professional clarinetist?
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Author: Iacuras
Date: 2008-02-15 16:23
As for your first question, I don't know. The intention of a performance major is to prepare for becoming a professional clarinetist. You do not have to have a degree to become a professional clarinetist. A great example is Bil Jackson, he went to college or two years, then dropped out when he won an audition with the Honolulu Symphony. If they don't end up being a professional clarinet player, there are several options, they can teach private lessons, they can go into other musical careers, they can go back to school, etc.
Steve
"If a pretty poster and a cute saying are all it takes to motivate you, you probably have a very easy job. The kind robots will be doing soon."
"If you can't learn to do something well, learn to enjoy doing it poorly."
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2008-02-15 16:30
Janlynn,
1. Not many make it with music as their sole income. Professionals who win symphony gigs? The overwhelming majority do not.
2. Yes
3. No...but the overwhelming majority have more than one degree in music (I think that's a fair estimation, but someone else can qualify that...)
4. Some drop music entirely, some perform in some capacity, some teach, some do a combination of the above. Many find a day job that allows them as much of the musical life as they can create for themselves.
James
Gnothi Seauton
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Author: Ed Palanker
Date: 2008-02-15 20:14
I agree with the above answers but the reason that most players go to college today and get a degree is two fold. The first is that for most students that's where you get the music instruction you need to become a good musician. Lessons, theory, ear training etc. It's also where you get the ensemble training you need to learn to play with others, whether it's in an orchestra setting, wind ensemble or chamber music, hopefully at some time all the above. If you do it right you volunteer to perform all types of music as well when the opportunities arise. You get to learn from listening to others and picking up tips about playing and the music business in general. The second is that even if you don't make it as a professional player and end of doing it either part time or as an amateur you end up with a degree and lessons in life. You will be surprised how a degree opens doors if you’re good in other fields as opposed to not having a college degree at all. Many branch out into the music management field, music business field, recording, though that takes a special degree, University teaching, forming chamber groups and other fields related to music. And don't forget, there's always the service bands, many which are good paying jobs and very good ensembles, some enjoy it, some don't but that's the same with every job, even symphony jobs, not clarinet players of course, we all love our work. Bottom line, it's a very competitive field with not enough good playing jobs to go around. ESP
www.peabody.jhu.edu/457
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Author: Sylvain
Date: 2008-02-15 21:04
I think there was a fairly recent article in the NY times about Julliard graduates. The numbers given were that about 50% of Julliard graduates end up in the music business. That is a fairly small number for one of the top (if not the top) music school in the US.
--
Sylvain Bouix <sbouix@gmail.com>
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Author: Tobin
Date: 2008-02-15 21:59
Offset by the factoid (the validity of which I'm uncertain) which says that only 20% of those who begin music degrees finish them.
Obviously that would be a national stat. The better the school you attend, I think the better you chances of continuing.
James
Gnothi Seauton
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