Re: College costs and beyond


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Posted by Joe S. on February 26, 2000 at 22:59:22:

In Reply to: College costs and beyond posted by Gary Press on February 26, 2000 at 18:46:44:

I have had one or two students that have presented me with that goal.

I have had those particular students reflect on this:

About 15 years ago, after playing a symphony Christmas concert and being directed afterward to a "musicians'" room with pimento cheese spread, peanut butter, bagged loaves of white bread, ice bags, 2-liter Cokes, and plastic china...while the concert attendees (Symphony League members) sat down to a fine Christmas feast in a grand ballroom,

I decided, on-the-spot, that I had taken my last orchestra audition.

Up until that point, even though I never had the time nor motivation to put my "heart and soul" into auditions, I always made the "finals", when I showed up at orchestra auditions. (Believe me, I well understand that "making the finals" counts for nothing, but I honestly believe that I never wanted an orchestra job enough to "sacrifice all" to win one. I would typically put off looking at the material until four or five days prior to the auditions, and THAT is NOT a formula for "success".) However, I figured that it was just a matter of time until an audition would come up in the late winter (slowest time for my business, if I didn't particularly want to try to "get ahead" at work) that I was able to really prepare for, and I was also continuously upgrading my instruments, which (indeed) made playing audition material easier and easier.

Anyway, I believe that I play as well now (or better) as I ever did, but am not particularly confident at all (Is anyone?) that I could walk in to an audition for a mid-level orchestra and win the job, even if I DID put my "heart and soul" into it.

I reviewed my history to those students and suggested to those students that as soon as they (and I) were quite convinced that they could come close to "cutting my head", I would refer them to ANOTHER teacher that could escort them the REST of the way towards winning a living-wage orchestra job. I presented this to them as a challenge, and not as a "kick sand in your face" jesture. Only one stepped up to the plate and accepted my challenge. That gentleman is now a tubaist in a service band, and still practicin' and improvin'.

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The "pimento cheese" story, I feel, is an important one to tell to that type of student. They hear over and over that if you perform for a living, that you MUST do it "for the love of it". I'm not sure that they really understand what that means until I graphically explain it in that "pimento cheese" way to them. In our society, musicians enter the same door in hotels as the room maids, cocktail waitresses, and restroom attendants. THIS INDEED is what MUCH of society thinks of people in the performing arts industry.

Some in the industry struggle with this issue and carry chips on their shoulders for their entire lives, because they never, as young adults, faced this issue. Very mediocre assistant professors/studio teachers at very mediocre universities are - let's face it - much higher on the "food chain" (in the eyes of many) - than working professional performers in symphony orchestras who make just as much (or perhaps more) money. (Over and over again, I have seen kids, once they got a bit older, quit their "symphony" studio teachers and move (ahem) "up" to the local university's studio teachers. After all, they were now more "serious" about their playing. I believe that this is a perfect example of the societal attitude that I am bringing to light, here. {:^/)

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Summary: There are three huge issues to present to this type of student: CAN you do it? WILL you do it? If you MAKE it, can you TAKE it?

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