TubeNet

The audio file is mostly about the bass player. Steve is interviewed in the print article.

http://www.mprnews.org/story/2013/12/08 ... -grinds-on" target="_blank

audio
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/radio/ ... h_20131209" target="_blank

Everyone on tubenet should read this article, especially those who aspire to play their instrument for a living. The situation in Minnesota can happen anywhere and to anyone. Although I don't make 100% of my income from my orchestra, I do consider myself very fortunate for the job I have with the Oklahoma City Philharmonic. Our orchestra finishes every year in the black, for the past 22 years I've received a raise every single year, I sit next to one of the nicest people on the planet, and perform in a good hall.

I believe every aspiring musician should and must find other passions that they could potentially make a living from. My wife and I own our own business, a yoga studio for the past ten years. I'm as passionate about teaching yoga as I am playing tuba. If my orchestra went away, we would be just fine. I'm about to publish a book on yoga next month that has the potential for me to retire in a few years. I created another source of income that isn't linked to someone else. I control my future, it isn't in the hands of other people. If I didn't own a yoga business and couldn't write, I know I can make money building things like pergolas and fences.

The point is to be as diverse as possible in areas other than music alone. For me, I wanted total control of my future without putting it in the hands of someone else. Orchestras are far too fragile to have them be your primary source of income. If you have a passion about something else you think you could potentially make money from, develop that passion and see where it leads. The field of music is not as big as one might think and there are just so many qualified people wanting too few jobs. Follow your passion for music, but also develop other interests outside of music too, whatever it might be.

Ted Cox