Professional Euphoniumists

[XtremeEuph]

Just curious, seeing the military band topic came up not too long ago : What are the possible career opportunities of an aspiring euphoniumist now-adays anyway?......(mostly full time) Seems to me - Teaching in a college or university (performance wise), or world class soloing all the time (very hard to achieve).... need to get started on a bone I think. Think i should just start on any old bone with no F attachment?

[ufoneum]

Xtreme,

This is just my personal opinion - but I think that the biggest problem with euphonium soloists is that they put all of their eggs in one basket. I find that to make it in this business you need to be so much more than "just a player."

What I mean is that there are many other avenues that you can be successful at besides being a full-time soloist. And, if you look at our favorite full-time soloist, he does a lot besides just solo.

Things you can do in addition to playing your instrument:

- work on your composing/arranging/transcribing chops. This is a great way to really make your mark on the industry and can be beneficial to others as well as your pocketbook.

- record CD's. Once again, playing is involved - but anyone who has done this knows that there is so much work do to that playing is the easy part.

- teach. Whatever you do, you are going to be a teacher. Whether it is at the high school/college/private level - you will always have students. Besides, isn't the continuation of the instrument really the important thing here?

My main point is that you want to explore as many areas as possible to make yourself as diverse (and marketable) as you can. Take the euphonium to new places. Often I think of the most outlandish this I can do with my instrument - and then see if you can get there. The instrument will only grow if you take it to new places. Getting up on stage and ripping through the Cosma or Pantomime is all-well-and-good, but really...

So, I know this sounds a bit soap-boxy - I don't usually do this, but I felt like I had something to say. As for me, I am a student, a performer, an arranger, and a teacher. It is hard sometimes to balance all of these areas, but it is definitely fufilling. Feel free to PM if you have any specific questions.

- Pat Stuckemeyer

[oldbandnerd]

Move to England . At least they know what a euphonium is there .

[Highams]

lol Tommy!

Pat is spot on. I would add that you also need to be bold and venture outside the usual fields of wind/brass band & piano.

I have already performed with a string & chamber orchestras and am currently working on a performance with a Clarinet Choir. In December I will be soloist with a mixed choir and organ in a setting of the Coventry Carol.

To boldly go.....etc.

CB

[SqueakyOnion]

You won't make a living as a euphonium player. Quit now, while you still have time to get into something else.




At least, that's what I've been told by anyone I've talked to about the topic locally. I'm just supposed to go to college, get a 9-5 job, and "play music for fun in a community band."

But really, there aren't a lot of jobs out there for euphers...so we gotta make more!

[tubatooter1940]

Pat Stuckemeyer gave us a realistic view on how to live and play music on any instrument. We have to work with what is really out there for us.
No shame in working in any industry that is hiring while you wait to play for pay. No shame in playing for free if you advance your agenda and make new friends. It's fun to take your horn to a guitar jam. Guitar players, especially those that sing and strum are always looking for help with solos and somebody to sing back-up.
It keeps getting cheaper to crank out C.D.s. If you do your prep outside the studio, you can record 10-12 tracks for $1,500 - $2000. You can burn 1,000 C.D.s for under $1,000 and charge $10 and up per copy. Playing free or for charity can put you playing for audiences of unusual size and C.D. sales can get you more than gas, burgers and beer. We are shooting for six new C.D.s in the next three years to have more product to sell as well as more for our offspring to brag about besides a personal birthday concert.( Way to go , Glen Wells.)

[XtremeEuph]

mmk.....giving me stuff to think about...... Squeaky, ive been told the same.......but I dont want to let the dream die, thats why Im seeing where else I can go. Thanks for the great reply Pat and Btw, I did not mean I want to be a full time soloist...thats why I said other than. I just don't know which way to work towards anymore

[DaTubaKid]

Arranging....what's that??? Shocked

Ken F.

I personally like to have my underwear next to my white socks, with my black socks in back....

[Highams]

Arranging?.................that's when you take an original classical piece and rework it for low brass and feel totally justified in doing it;

http://www.acidplanet.com/artist.asp?PID=392602&t=564

CB

[JTJ]

In the US it is nearly impossible to be a professional euphoniumist, outside of the service bands, which is not a life for everybody. And I suspect one's odds of getting one of the top jobs are about as good as a college basketball player making the NBA, unless you can get into UNT, which functions as a farm team for the top service bands.

But you can make a living, although not usually a lucrative one, being a professional musician who plays euphonium as their main instrument. I think this is Pat's point.

And even in the UK, which has the largest proportion of world class players per capita, aren't most top players technically amateurs who make their living doing something else?

For most, I would say become the passionate amateur, who makes a living doing something else, anything else. Then dedicate your free time into getting as good as possible on the horn. With dedication and practice, you can fulfill your potential, which is a great reward in itself.

John

[Posaune2]

If you have any affinity at all for the trombone, put the euphonium on the back burner for awhile, and focus on becoming as good a trombone player as possible.

I took up the trombone at the beginning of my sophomore year of high school, made it my primary focus from that point on, (although I still played euph in the HS band and did all my solo competitions and all state concerts on the euph), and by the end of my freshman year of college, I landed my first professional orchestra job.

The teacher that suggested I switch to trombone, Dwight Decker, took up the trombone in college. Two years out of college, he landed a job in a Florida orchestra, where he still is to this day. (I think)

The point is, there are more opportunities out there for trombonists than for euphonium players, and if you have good tone production on the euph already, transferring it to the trombone and learning the slide and the repertoire isn't necessarily a project that takes more than four or five years. (If that)

Working on the trombone will not hurt your euphonium playing in the least, and it will open up all kinds of musical possibilities, including playing euphonium in an orchestra whenever the parts come around.

Eric Carlson, trombone, bass trumpet & euphonium, Philadelphia Orchestra

[windshieldbug]

I took the tuba route. Not as many jobs as trombone, but air use and embrochure are very similar. If you love the euphonium sound, a decent tuba in the upper register is very much the same. (and yes, while my studio-cohorts were working on their UPPER range, for me, that was no problem. I was working on my lower... )

[Brassworks 4]

I went through similar questions several years ago trying to decide how/where/when/etc. to play euph professionally.

I was fortunate, very fortunate, to meet up with three others who wanted to form a group and make the most of it. And if your group is an "odd" instrumentation mix, you write the music to fit your group.

For nearly 10 years we performed together, on the road, in the recording studio, etc. It worked for us. We'd still be going strong if health allowed.

Opportunities are there - it may take some creativity and compromises along the way but playing euphonium is not limited to what you might think.

Our quartet consisted of 2 cornets, trombone and euphonium. It created a beautiful, lush sound. At first we had trouble finding literature to fit us so we wrote our own. Now there is plenty out there! We wrote to share the "meat" - mainly because I refused to always be the "tuba" in the group playing the base line.

It was a wonderful 10 years - the euphonium can be a very versatile instrument.

Good luck.

[XtremeEuph]

Thanks a lot guys! Good to hear from you Eric, the trombone route was/is what I have in mind, just need a trombone heh. 1 question, Ive been doing Euph for about 5 years; If i get profficient on trombone AND euphonium, what would I major in, in university? If you get a performance degree, do you have to do both in classes? how does that work.

Thanks

Kevin

[DaTubaKid]

I'm sure that how the programs are set up for majoring on two instruments is different per university. I'd recommend (when you get your list together), to call the trombone/euph/low brass professor and you're favorite universities and ask how they run the program. Likely they'll have you focus on one and have you spend just a little less time on ther other instrument.

There's one guy at my school who doubles on euph and tuba, and another guy who doubles on trombone and tuba. I don't know how they work it out, or whether it goes on the transcript or not, but they actively play both regularly.

[Tubadork]

Sorry had to, Pat's got some good info. Usually most places will let you take lessons on your double. If you can get into ensembles on tbn. I would highly recommend it. Just as if you study a forgein language, you don't really get proficient until you go to that country and use it everyday, you can practice all you want on your double , but until you are in a group performing on it, progress is kinda slow. Most of my doubles have gotten so much better just by sitting in groups with it day in and day out. Good luck

Bill

[XtremeEuph]

Yeah, thats why im planning to play tbone in Jazz Band, and Euph in wind ensemble, the Euph just isnt typically a jiver with trumpets, sax's and trombones, unless its a jazz solo of course.