TubeNet

I'm asking for advice on behalf of my grandson. He's a very much above average euphonium and trombone player (not just my opinion) who wants to follow his dream of becoming a professional musician. As a high school senior, he's deep into the college search process including preparation for college auditions as a performance major. I've tried to get him to thinking about college music programs other than performance major that might have a better chance of leading to regular employment after college but he seems to be committed to following the performance major route. Lately he's also begun to talk about the option of going into the military, taking advantage of their music training and playing in a military band, mainly because of the high cost of college. But based on what I've been reading about military music budget cutbacks I'm not sure that's a viable option. With the wide range of expertise and experience in the tubenet community I'm hoping that some of you might have some insight and advice that might be of value to my grandson, particularly from those who have been in a similar situation. Thanks in advance for any comments or suggestions. Van

Hi!

This is a GREAT thing. My own personal opinion is that going to school for Music Education is a great plan. Talk to your grandson about the value of having an education degree. In my experience teaching jazz and euph/tuba at the university level, I've found that a lot of the lessons I learned in my undergrad. music ed. degree still remain true even into the post-public education world. And as far as performing to the standards of music performance majors, that is something that is up to the individual student and their teacher. I believe if you tell most professors, "I am getting an education degree, but I want to be as good as a performance major." They will say that's a great idea and push just as hard for those results.

Also, military isn't a terrible idea either..... but wait until after college and see if things have gotten better in terms of budgets and whatnot... For what it's worth..

Hope this helps! Good luck to you!

If he's thinking military, ROTC could be option that might be worth it for him to pay his way through college. However, I don't know of any with experience of ROTC for being a musician.

If he can get a music degree without taking out student loans, go to school. If he can't (and isn't opposed to going into the military, even if it's not for music), join the service. I my playing was ready for college, I wasn't and did a five-year stretch in the navy to mature a little. I can tell you the new GI Bill rocks. It varies from state to state, but in Pennsylvania as of 2010 when I graduated, it covered up to $8,800/year in tuition, $1,000/year for books, and $1,700/month for housing in suburban Philly (and the VA Home Loan stuff is a big non-music plus too). Some states offer free tuition for vets as well.

If he decides to go the military route, he should contact a university VA rep at a university in the states he's interested in and they can tell him what the Post 9/11 GI Bill looks like in that state. In my limited experience, state schools are very amenable to granting vets in-state resident status, especially if the vet is recently discharged.

Kind Regards,
Frank

Van,

I sent you a PM (private message).

Rick

It seems to me that there's a kind of ladder of risk here, with performance at the top of the ladder. Extraordinarily talented performance majors making a living at something other than performing is the norm rather than the exception, apparently. There certainly are plenty of them in my community band, including a Curtis graduate (so it's not even a question of the quality — perceived or real — of the musical training).

In the neck of the woods I live in, even music education is high on the ladder of risk. There is a serious chance of getting out and having no job, or of having only a job where you have to cover so many schools you are required by the job description to be in two or more places at the same time (the actual situation of one band director I know) and the chance of an early burnout is high. More positions get cut and combined every year around here. This is a practical issue for me as one of my sons started college this fall and is thinking of majoring in music education. I'm pushing hard for a second major in something more secure. He's thinking biology (with a goal of teaching that if there are no available music positions when he's ready).

On the other hand, the one way your grandson can guarantee he won't get a job performing is not to go for it. Anything he can do to hedge the bet has got to be a good idea, though, IMO.

If he want's to be a performance major it must be on trombone and not euphonium. Obviously the professional opportunities are much greater if he becomes a very talented bone player. The service bands are the only route for a talented euphonium player and it looks as if that will be limited to the DC bands in the future. These are the 1%'ers on the horn.

I was in a similar position as a high school senior except I didn't double on trombone. I went to a fine college with a great euphonium teacher as a performance major and the first thing the teacher did was discourage me from being a euphonium performance major. Ultimately I received a degree in Marketing as I had little interest in teaching. However I played in the top bands at the school and the Marching Band and took lessons from this wonderful teacher. Your grandson is in a better position due to his talent on the trombone.