Posted by Sean Chisham on February 08, 2004 at 22:46:02:
In Reply to: serious career question posted by Tracy Bedgood on February 08, 2004 at 15:58:10:
I remember when I was there also. It is a tough place to be. I dropped out of music for a couple of years after finishing my masters. Once I picked it back up I found myself recharged and MUCH better than I ever was while in college. It is a tough decision, but unless you are having some real successes right now, then next year will not lilely get any luckier.
Always keep an eye out for a backup plan in case music does not work out. My backup was the IT industry. I did that for 4 years until I got my job in the band. Don't base your self worth on succeeding in music. I did early on and it is a road to mental torture. Remember that you took on music as a degree field because you loved it in high school. Find that same childlike love of music which inspired you to continue past the 6th grade. As a professional musician one can still enjoy music as a passionate hobby.
If you are serious about wanting to become a professional musician and have not already gotten a job professionally by this time, then you really need to re-evaluate your work ethic and dedication. I honestly believe that ANYONE can win an audition if they dedicate enough time and effort to the task. I lost my audition to someone whose playing I still have much respect for, but I was still able to display enough ability to get hired after him. When I was toddling through college I was not spending nearly enough time nor energy towards the goal. Only until the 18 months or so before my audition did I really buckle down and become a tuba hermit. It took an ALL DAY effort EVERY day until I was hired to reach my goal.
You can't start REALLY hitting the practice room hard when you get the music to the next audition. By then it is way too late. Start NOW. Start cramming. Imagine that tommorrow Alan Baer decides to call you on the phone and say that he needs a sub tommorrow in Milwaukae cause he has a commitment in New York. Only stipulation is that the music director needs a quick 10 minute audition tonight to ensure you are up to the task. Are you up to the task NOW? Your immediate goal is to ALWAYS be in your top form. You never know when an audition may pop up on short notice. Your next goal is to see tangible REAL development EVERYDAY. Something, even if it is just a slighlty more in tune scale or maybe 1 more note on a long 1 breathe phrase. Lastly be prepared to NEVER win a gig. Be prepared to continue a selfless quest to become the absolute best musician the world has ever heard knowing that you will most likely always practice simply as a hobbiest. You have a better chance of becoming a Major League Baseball player than you do of becoming a professional tuba player. As Gene Pokorny mentions is almost every lecture I have heard him give. It is all about the Journey and not necessarily about the destination. Remember that everyone's final destination is death. Enjoy the Journey itself. If your goal is to be a better musician today than yesterday, then you can have a success after everyday of hard work. If your goal is to simply win a gig, then every day that you are not hired will feel like a failure.
Doubleor triple your practice time for 1 year and get back to us. There is NO WAY you can fail if you work harder than EVERY SINGLE person at the audition for an LOMGER, EXTENDED PERIOD of months and years.
sean