Farewell

[Kory101]

Hello,

I'm saying farewell to the tuba forever. New horizons. Next phase. New beginnings. Thanks to the folks on Tubenet for all the advice over the years!

I'll probably still lurk. Who can stay away from you fine folks?

KM

[bort]

Good try...



But really, good luck in whatever you do instead!

[Michael Bush]

Hello,

I'm saying farewell to the tuba forever.

If you are more than 80 years old, then I believe you. Otherwise, we'll see you later, maybe in a few decades, maybe less. Good luck with whatever is next.

[MartyNeilan]

Looking for Kory102...

[Kory101]

I've played tuba for the past 10 years at a pretty high level and have seen what it takes (on more than on continent) and realized I don't have that. The patience or the will-power to spend 8 hours a day pursuing something that may never pay off.

To new beginnings!

[Travelman]

All the best to you. And such a decision is best when done sooner than later. Just curious though, with this type of announcement, are you looking for someone to talk you out of it? (No ill-will intended with that question.)

[MartyNeilan]

I've played tuba for the past 10 years at a pretty high level and have seen what it takes (on more than on continent) and realized I don't have that. The patience or the will-power to spend 8 hours a day pursuing something that may never pay off.

To new beginnings!

I decided long ago not to pursue the full time performer route. But, I still find plenty of opportunities to take the horn out of the house.
Also, if you decide that you don't want to have all that much tied up in horns, a Miraclone copy is a surprisingly capable instrument, especially when paired with a blokepiece.
Best wishes,
Marty

[Kory101]

All the best to you. And such a decision is best when done sooner than later. Just curious though, with this type of announcement, are you looking for someone to talk you out of it? (No ill-will intended with that question.)

Not at all! I've felt this way for some time now. I've been on Tubenet for several years now and have learned a lot from a lot of different people and wouldn't trade that for anything. I just thought certain board members would appreciate this little farewell. If not, that's fine too

I stopped loving tuba several months ago. I used to have the fire in the belly, go-get-em attitude but I haven't felt that in some time. Like I said earlier, I've seen what it takes for tuba to pay my bills and support myself and my family and I'm not willing to make the sacrifice. That coupled with the fact that I just don't enjoy it anymore is the reason for this change.

ONWARD!

[Travelman]

Well thought out. I wonder how many tuba players there are out there who at one point were really hoping/planning to make some sort of career of it, only to finally realize "the dream" would never materialize? That would make a very interesting poll or study. In any event, having a "plan B" is a very good idea indeed! Always keep your options open and again, all the best!

[AHynds]

I've played tuba for the past 10 years at a pretty high level and have seen what it takes (on more than on continent) and realized I don't have that. The patience or the will-power to spend 8 hours a day pursuing something that may never pay off.

To new beginnings!

Since this is such a huge decision, I am perfectly confident that you have thought long and hard about leaving the tuba performance world. However, I'm curious to know what made you believe that the only route to a life as a performer involves "8 hours a day" of concentrated work. If you're talking about the total number of hours involving practice, study, listening to music, working with other musicians, reading scores, etc, etc., then I get what you're saying. But if you're talking about spending 8 hours a day solely on the actual act of performance (i.e., practice), then I would have to respectfully say that I think you might be looking in the wrong directions. There are plenty of musicians out there that have the time and effort to spend upwards of 6-8 hours on playing every day, but there are also a ton of professional and truly musical performers out there who spend no more than 2-4 hours a day on their horn. In fact, I know of several performers (particularly at the professor/music teacher level) that are not only great performers, but have a very limited amount of time each day to spend with their horn. It's all about how you spend your time, and in a lot of cases, more time in the practice room does not equal a better and higher level of ability. As I said above, there are a lot of tuba players out there that will and do spend several hours a day exclusively playing their horn. However, that doesn't mean that you need to the do the same in order to become a good tuba player and (more importantly) a good musician. In my opinion, it can be beneficial to balance your time in the practice room with other musical endeavors; as an example, I'm currently in the process of ramping up my time spent on orchestral excerpts to prepare for a few auditions, but I still take the time to work on solo material, including music that takes a whole different musical mindset than the average excerpt. I also try to listen to and discover music that's new to me, since I want to be more than just an "orchestral tuba player." And finally, I take a little bit of time each day (even if it's only 15 minutes or so at the end of the day) to completely separate myself from music and focus on something else that interests me (like reading good books, sitting on the couch while eating dinner and watching something good, pursuing a hobby completely separated from music, and so on).

Now, I'm sure you've thought long and hard about this--leaving your instrument behind isn't easy, and it takes a lot of conviction to do so. But I also want to express my opinion on the matter, particularly regarding the idea that being a competent tuba player takes such a strenuous and taxing devotion to the practice room.

Regardless, good luck on your next step!

[pierso20]

What I'm mostly interested in is this "all or nothing" attitude.

You don't want to be a performer so no reason to even engage in the tuba, ever?

I don't intend on being a professional with a lot of things but that doesn't stop it from getting me excited to do it. If you just literally don't enjoy it anymore, then by all means. I just don't think someone who had such a drive would just drop it entirely. You'll be back. Probably sooner than later. Playing ONLY for pleasure is an ENTIRELY different experience than practicing with the intention of trying to make a career out of it.

[TubaRay]

If you make your living in music I think we have all felt this way. This brings up something we as musicians don't talk about a lot which is burn out. We see this as performers and teachers. The rate is very high and the reason is it is very hard doing something you love, work at, and have spent the better part of your life doing and still not reach the success you have worked for.

I always joke that I have an easier time being a professional quarter back than a professional tuba player. I have been where you are, we all have, I was very burned out on playing after my Bachelors so much so I was turning down jobs and free rides for my masters. All I wanted to do was something different, I just wanted to teach, and did and still do. I kept up on my playing for me, but did not perform for years. My career has taken me back to performing as a part of my living and I am enjoying this along teaching full time.

Now you don't know me but if I may offer some advice, keep playing, at some level, with some group, find a group for the enjoyment of playing. I look at my profession, music, like this, some days I am a teacher, some days a musician, and on those special days I get to be a music teacher.

I don't know if you also have another career in music like teaching or business, but your tuba playing is something that balances who you are, realize you are out of balance and adjust that. To stop playing cold turkey feels right but is a reaction to you looking for a new challenge in your professional life, not a need to stop playing.

Best of luck!!

Excellent post!

[Todd S. Malicoate]

Kory101 is, of course, free to do whatever he wants with his life. The things that confuse me are:

1) Why he feels the need to "announce" this to the rest of the forum, and

2) Why that life decision necessarily illustrates some "bigger" point with regards to truths about musicians in general.

In other words...pfffft.

[Heavy_Metal]

If you make your living in music I think we have all felt this way. This brings up something we as musicians don't talk about a lot which is burn out. We see this as performers and teachers. The rate is very high and the reason is it is very hard doing something you love, work at, and have spent the better part of your life doing and still not reach the success you have worked for.

I always joke that I have an easier time being a professional quarter back than a professional tuba player. I have been where you are, we all have, I was very burned out on playing after my Bachelors so much so I was turning down jobs and free rides for my masters. All I wanted to do was something different, I just wanted to teach, and did and still do. I kept up on my playing for me, but did not perform for years. My career has taken me back to performing as a part of my living and I am enjoying this along teaching full time.

Now you don't know me but if I may offer some advice, keep playing, at some level, with some group, find a group for the enjoyment of playing. I look at my profession, music, like this, some days I am a teacher, some days a musician, and on those special days I get to be a music teacher.

I don't know if you also have another career in music like teaching or business, but your tuba playing is something that balances who you are, realize you are out of balance and adjust that. To stop playing cold turkey feels right but is a reaction to you looking for a new challenge in your professional life, not a need to stop playing.

Best of luck!!

Excellent post!

+1. I'll add this- if possible, avoid selling your horns. That way when things change and you're ready to play again, you'll be back in familiar territory- like seeing a long-lost friend.

[Walter Webb]

Surely there are other uses for the tuba, like playing country blues with a guitar player in the street for tips, and much more for fun.

[Kory101]

Hello everyone,

Thanks for all your comments and input. I wasn't expecting a discussion like this but I'll try and clarify.

I haven't enjoyed playing the tuba in several months. I started my Master's degree at The New England Conservatory this fall with Mike Roylance. Mike is one of the greatest tuba players on this planet and the studio at NEC is easily one of the hardest working and best group of guys you'll find. When I came to NEC, I came from another conservatory where I was the only tuba player. The Glenn Gould School of Music at The Royal Conservatory in Toronto. When you're the only tuba player kickin' around, it's easy to become lazy. You get all the orchestra parts, quintet, lots of face to face lesson time. But it was around the middle of my 1st year of my diploma there where I started to like tuba less and less.

My mother passed away very suddenly at age 51. We found out about her illness in August 2011 and she passed away 3 months later. It was devesiating to my family but I trucked on. Not really having the appropriate time to grieve and distracted myself with tuba. I don't think I was actually playing tuba for the love of music. I was doing it to get away from other things. I auditioned for 3 grad schools and ended up in Boston. I wouldn't trade the 3 months I was with the guys at NEC or Mike for anything. It was there, however, I realized how much prep and time (not just practicing, I'll clarify that) that's needed to really give it a go as a professional musician. It's a lot of money and time a hell of a lot of effort to put in to a career that has such a low chance of actual steady income that can support me and my family. That coupled with the fact that I just don't enjoy playing tuba anymore made me come to this decision.

Thanks,
Kory

[tofu]

Hey - good luck to you. Only you know what's best for you and what you need to do. There is no shame in pulling the plug early. Better to refocus your efforts on something you want to do rather than spend a whole lot of time and effort on something you ultimately don't want. That happened to me while in law school at NU. While I was doing really well I realized I was doing it because it was what my father wanted and not what I wanted. It was the best thing I could ever have done and I've never looked back. Life ultimately is a journey and you might as well enjoy the journey while you're doing it. Truly sorry to hear about your mom. Much too young to go and something like that is especially hard for a family to deal with as it happened so quickly you really don't get a chance to prepare for it as it is happening.

As far as the tuba goes here is my experience. After undergrad school I put both music and sports aside. Sometimes you just need to take a complete break when you have been so heavily involved with something. It's funny because after a couple of years it's like a light goes off and I came back to both music and sports with more appreciation for both than I had before and that has stayed with me for the three decades since.

You're way to good of player if you were in Mike Roylance's studio to not come back to music and the tuba. There will be plenty of tubas available to buy when you come back and the TubeNet community will still be here *bickering* with each other! So all the best to you in whatever direction you head. I know you will have success - enjoy the journey!

[MackBrass]

Been there myself. In 1998 i started to lose my interest in playing because I was not achieving my goals of winning an orchestral job. Although I did well as far as advancing, my biggest issue was controlling my nerves. Perfect example was at the Milwaukee audition where after playing each excerpt, the committee would ask me to play it a second time. When I got to the last piece, Mahler 1, the solo went well but when I had to hold the D for the whole time, a uncontrolled vibrato over-took me. This was typical of how most of my auditions went. When Dallas and LA accepted my tape for the frist round, being invited to to me validated that I really could play. I did not go to those auditions because I knew I was not on the same level of many others that were invited, I still thought that I had a chance to win something.

For me, I was adjunct at three different universities, subbed with the Virginia Symphony and Richmond Symphony, had over 200 students while teaching at the Armed Forces School of Music, played the VW with the Virginia beach Symphony, played in recital the at ARMY tuba-euph conference three different times and felt that I achieved a level that was satisfactory.

When I came to the realization in 2000 that I no longer enjoyed playing and stopped al-together till 2006, the decision was an easy one.

In 2006 when I saw an Alex on ebay. I thought it would be nice to have and I bought it. 6 months later I took the Dayton audition just to see what I had lost and got the bug again when I advance to the semi round. After that audition I found I had no patience with music, and practicing tuba so I sold everything again 2007 and did not play until I started MACK Brass two dn a half years ago.

From 2000 to current, I have been in the IT field and currently hold a position as the progam manger for Asset management for the state of Virginia, a position I will never give up as this was a choice I had to make so I would be able to support my growing family. The decision for me was family ease to make as I did not enjoy playing, practicing and knowing that my nerve control issue at auditions probably would not change. I have found that applying myself in my new career the way i did in music allowed me to advance in the IT field fairly quickly.

Today, although I have a new career in something else that can support my family, I find myself only playing once a week or so at best but it is for pure enjoyment of the sound and making music. If it were not for MACk Brass and making YouTube videos (83 in the past two years) I probably would not even be playing as much as I do now but I would own a horn just to have.

I can say, you will never loose the bug for playing totally and those who have been playing since the age of 11 or so, it is part of your life. Taking time off for some could be a great decision. Currently I have no ambition to audition for orchestras, playing in community bands or even playing with the local community orchestras, been there done that.

All I can say is, where ever you are with your degree, please finish it as you may not get another chance to do so. Educations is extremely important and although I finished two degrees in music performance back in "89, I went back to school for IT back in 2000, trying to support a family while in school full time was more difficult at an older age with more responsibilities on my shoulders then if I were younger with no responsibilities, or very little responsibilities.

Good luck, finish you education, then decide to sell your horns as you can alway buy them again when your ready. Find yourself and apply yourself the way you have in music and you will be very successful.

Best of luck to you,

Tom

[Steve Marcus]

Kory101 is, of course, free to do whatever he wants with his life. The things that confuse me are:

1) Why he feels the need to "announce" this to the rest of the forum, and

2) Why that life decision necessarily illustrates some "bigger" point with regards to truths about musicians in general.

In other words...pfffft.

Todd,

Kory has had a presence on TubeNet for a number of years, asking meaningful questions, providing substantive suggestions to others...never "trolling."

20 years ago and more, the only outlets that people had for sharing difficult life decisions and experiences in the hope of mitigating their inner pain were an immediate circle of family, friends, and perhaps professional counselors.

Today, instant outlets for emotional outpouring are immediately available with a few keystrokes on any one or more of the online social networks.

TubeNet is, of course, populated with people who are much more focused on the tuba and euphonium. Their level of interest in tuba as listener, player, collector, etc. ranges from casual curiosity all the way to passionate life-steering engulfment.

Therefore, when one feels the need to share something joyful or, in this case, heartrending that relates to the tuba, there is no better channel to people who truly understand the experience, occasional frustration/challenge, and the love of playing tuba than the sincere participants on TubeNet. In many cases, TubeNet members are more sensitive and understanding of tuba-related situations than one's closest family members or real-life (not online) friends.

Thus, since Kory invested years of time, money, and heart into playing tuba, there is no better source of solace, commiseration, and support of his decision than the caring people on TubeNet.

It is noteworthy that some of the greatest and most successful tuba performers have made difficult decisions in the opposite direction of Kory's. In choosing to immerse themselves in so many hours each day with the tuba for their entire professional life, they've had to sacrifice things that others treasure--such as parenthood. Certainly the gentleman with whom I've studied tuba would have made a fantastic father. We could all think of several others whose warm, caring personality might have led to excellence in any other life pursuit, parenthood being just one of them. These life priorities are not always mutually exclusive (for instance, there certainly are many top-flight full-time tubists who are also parents). But many times, an individual may have come to the realization that investing so much time, effort, emotional fortitude, and yes, money into pushing through the multitude of auditions and competition to make tuba playing a career was just not going to work for them.

Perhaps something that Gene Pokorny stated on his Orchestral Excerpts CD could be, for some, the dividing line between those who choose to dedicate themselves to the tuba and those who decide to focus on other things (this is not an exact quote): The first requirement of being successful at playing the tuba is that you must LOVE THE SOUND of the tuba. That LOVE must be constant through the trials and tribulations of toiling to be professionally successful with the horn, or one really must question, as Kory has, if playing the tuba is the correct professional pursuit. If making that sound with complete musicianship and technique isn't paramount in your dreams, that could be the sign that you might want to follow another life path. That may be the realization to which Kory has come for himself.

In any event, it was brave of Kory to share his decision and its accompanying emotional baggage with an online, public community of people who understand better than anyone else what it means to love playing the tuba.

[Todd S. Malicoate]

I can't disagree with any of that, Steve, and certainly didn't mean to imply that I thought Kory was "trolling."

I'll stand behind my point #2, though.