Author: oboecat
Date: 2006-10-20 23:18
I don't want to sound negative, but let me offer you a reality check. I was graduated from Peabody on oboe, so I know what I'm talking about. It is very competitive to get in (in my day only two oboists were accepted per year, although that may have changed in the 20 odd years since I got out.) Each of the other big schools has similar numbers, and then there are literaly hoards of players at places like Bloomington. When they graduate with that degree in music performance, only a small percentage of them get jobs in orchestras. My husband plays in one of the 15 full time orchestras in this country (and still has to work two other jobs along with my teaching to support a family.) So, as Joseph Turner told me at my audition "If there is something else you can do, do it. Only go into this if it is the only thing you can do."
Secondly, if you decide to go ahead with this, DON"T do a recorded aution if there is ANY way to avoid it. At a live audition the teacher can ask you to do things differently, and can often tell from your response how "teachable" you are and whether you have a realistic chance of making it in this competitive field. They can't do that with a recorded audition. He or she can also see your reed and your instrument, so they really know what conditions you are working under. PLUS, you get a chance to see how well you would work with a particular teacher. I auditioned at Northwestern also, and could never have been comfortable working with Ray Still, so I chose Peabody.
Third, if your only concern about clarinet is that it no longer is fun, try a music camp, or some other new musical experience to see if you can recapture what it is that made you love it in the first place. But be aware that, if you get an orchestra job, it becomes very repetitive in time. Brahms 2 may be exciting now, but the 25th time you play it, when you don't even have to count the rests anymore, you may find yourself wondering why on earth you thought this was the way to make a living. There are other ways to keep music in your life (even to earn your living with it) than by playing professionally. Why not investigate some of these options?
Good luck, whatever your decision.
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