For old guys and gals only... 8^)

[Toobist]

Practiced. Ever. I don't know that I spend more than 12-20 hours of practice time in an entire semester of college.

RC

I second that. If I practiced half as much as I used to say I practiced, I wouldn't have this day job right now... maybe.

[Todd S. Malicoate]

I would have stayed at Interlochen and attended the IAA for my senior year, then accepted that scholarship to Eastman and put myself in a more effective atmosphere for my career goals than Oklahoma.

I hope that wasn't too negative, but I fail to see how one can be terribly positive when discussing missed opportunities. Hopefully, this thread will be of some use with the new improved attitudes displayed here lately.

[Alex C]

What would I have done differently to make a music career? Stayed in Chicago.

Your window of opportunity to start a career is short. By your late twenties you will be considered a late bloomer, at best. Getting an orchestral job (or any other performing job) is not always about "how well you play," it is also based on other performers having heard you or heard about you.

What degree do you have? Not important at all.
University you attended? Not too important.
Who did you study with? Waaaaay important
"Didn't I hear you play at...?" Even more important.
How well do you play? Most important.


Get on the path, stay on the path.

[sungfw]

Please be positive in your approach.

Ok, here goes: I'm POSITIVE I would have:

Kept playing. I quit after my freshman year in college (1980) and didn't start up again until this time last year.

Practiced. Ever. I don't know that I spend more than 12-20 hours of practice time in an entire semester of college.

Same here: my "practice" time was the 10-15 min. warmup before band started.

Taken private lessons, period.

Sought out lessons/advice from a euph player. Grew up about an hour from DC and was in HS/univ during the period when Dave Werden, Brian Bowman, Lucas Spiros, and Roger Behrend were in the Bands. And, of course, Arthur Lehman was still very much active and teaching throughout that period.

Started attending TUSABTEC much earlier.

[Chuck Jackson]

Nothing. For better or worse, we lived the life we created. Might as well be satisfied with it.

Chuck

[brianggilbert]

- I would have sought out serious private lessons while still in high school.
- I would have never taken the time away from my horn to participate in indoor drumline while in high school - I would have still probably done it, but I would have managed the balance much better.
- I would have taken private applied lessons MUCH more seriously while at WCU.
- I would have never taken the HUGE sabbatical from playing from 1999 to 2007.

But other than that, life is life I guess.

[Dean]

I can't have done anything different. Really, none of us could. Our experience was our experience--those choices were made given what we knew at the time....

Given that, IF I could give my younger self some advice, it would be:

1. Drop euphonium, and switch to almost anything else (tuba, trombone, horn, violin, whatever)
2. Take some freakin lessons (never did till college, and no one told me otherwise)
3. I would have handed myself a stack of recordings
4. Would have taken the GI bill instead of loan repayment...


But really, none of those are major--life is good!

[JohnMCooper]

As a high school student?

As a high school student instead of sitting out at table in the "quad" eating lunch, telling jokes, generally waisting time, I should have been in the large practice room with the other guys from the jazz band. A couple of the trumpet players, a couple sax players, drummer, bass and piano would sit in there and jam all through lunch. All but about 2 or 3 of those guys are pro musicians today. One of them is Grammy Award winner Eric Merienthal. I regret waisting my my time when I could have been learning real music skills with these guys.

[The Big Ben]

1. I would liked to have had some out of school lessons on any one of the brass instruments.

2. In college, as a non-music major, I would like to have found a band to play in that wasn't the marching band or something full of music majors and poseurs. My college had 5000 people living in dorms. There must have been at least enough players who wanted to play high school music and only have to practice about an hour a week outside of band practice and still sound OK. Probably could have found some music eduction major to direct it, too.

[iiipopes]

As originally recommended by my school band director, I would have probably started on low brass instead of on trumpet just because I had inherited my dad's horn at that point and thought I had to play trumpet.

[Dean E]

I would have joined the circus band and taken piano lessons.

[Dean E]

. . . . spend more time playing/practicing at Krannert Center (trying to fill the hall with one tuba) . . . .

Some mighty fine tuba players have filled Krannert. That's where I first heard Dan Perantoni. Also, the CSO recorded there for a season or two.

[bearphonium]

In high school, I would have taken some private lessons and practiced with better intent.

In college, pretty much the same. Non-music major, but had the wonderful chance to continue playing through college and beyond as an alum. I recall having to make the decision as a sophomore whether to commit to a concert at the Northwest Music Educator's conference (and play for Dr. Alfred Reed, Ida Gotcofsky and Bertold Hummel) or to commit to a softball tournament. I chose the concert, at the expense of making the softball team. I did not and do not regret that choice. The concert was phenomenal, and I ended up with an extra year of eligibility that I was able to use while on the 5 year plan.

It is after college that I would have made some changes. Not to drop out of music completely, even if my work schedule made joining a group next to impossible. Since restarting my musical carreer, I have taken some private lessons (will take more), play in three bands/groups with the goal of joining some more advanced groups as my skill level improves.

[GC]

I wouldn't have sold my only tuba in 1977, which started my 24-year layoff from the instrument. I also wouldn't have bought the Cerveny 601 I bought in 2001 or the King 2341 I bought in 2002 sight-unseen. I should have made a trip to a major dealer and tried out horns first.

[tofu]

--

[Rick Denney]

As a high school student?

As a university student?

In high school (or earlier), I would have tried to take lessons.

As a college student, I was more constrained by other interests and the lack of owning my own instrument. In that environment, practicing was just not an option, and using the band's facility required a trek all the way to the opposite corner of a very large campus. I can't say that I have any regrets, though, about pursuing those other interests. I don't think I paid too high a price for missing those 8 years of playing tuba, and the things I did do during those times I value just as highly.

But I do regret having learned and ingrained such poor fundamentals through lack of proper instruction. I still am working on overcoming those bad habits after 30-odd years.

Rick "who still balances practice against other interests and responsibilities" Denney

[jmerring]

IF I only knew then, what I know now:

I would have practiced more (obvious point #1)
I would have done a lot more research about the faculty of the school that I attended
(the director of bands turned out to be a snotty, unfriendly DOCTOR of Pedagogy...a self-
fulfilling prophesy)
I would have completed my degree program, despite impending deafness

Despite all of the above; I am totally and utterly responsible for my choices in life. "Regrets; I have a few..."

[Normal]

Three things.

1. I wouldn't have turned down an offer to play with a pro big band just out of high school. I didn't have an instrument of my own, and I wasn't confident of my improvisational skills. What I've learned since is that I could have bought an instrument and played until they told me my skills weren't up to there standards (if that was indeed true).
2. I wouldn't have stopped learning to play piano which I picked up my last two years of high school.
3. I would have taken music theory and other classes in college so I would have that in my head now that I am truly interested. I wish now I could arrange music without just guessing.

Now that I am more connected with music, I wish my brain wasn't full so it was easier to pick up now what I should have learned long ago.

[MileMarkerZero]

For High School students:

*Look for playing opportunities outside your school band program, like community bands or orchestras or jam bands or rock bands.
*Learn how to play by ear. Sit down with your favorite CDs and learn the bass lines. Then learn how to alter the bass line and still make it fit.
*Play stuff not written for tuba. Play stuff written for voice or violin or cello or trumpet. Expand your musical horizons. Now is the time to do it.

For college students:

*It's really easy to get burned out; don't let it happen. Don't play in too many ensembles in a semester. Don't overload your schedule. If it takes you 5 to grad, so be it. It beats getting tired of something you love to do.
*GO TO CLASS - even if you feel like your head has been used as a soccer ball and you feel like you have wool socks on your tongue and teeth. Take two ibuprofen, drink a can of V8, and GO TO CLASS.
*Make sure you have a balance between playing, academics, and fun time.
*Do a quick 10-minute Remington warm-up set 3 times a day. Do this at times not in conjunction with practice time or ensemble time (right around meal times works well). By the end of your first year, you'll be able to take a shovel hit to the mouth and not feel it.

[tubatooter1940]

I wouldn't change a darn thing.