Tuba/Music Burnout

[bigboom]

I am a senior right now and had a very similar feeling last year. I started taking lessons and that helped a lot because there was someone expecting more. The other thing I have done is I joined the local community orchestra. They aren't the greatest but it gets you around other players and at least mine has some fairly challenging stuff. If you live a larger city look for one in a neihboring community. I think it's a lot of fun. For lessons try talking to a local university and see if there is a tuba prof. or see if you can find an upper level graduate student. Good luck.

Ben

[JayW]

SHS,
Believe me when i say I know exactly what you are going through. I had almost the same feelings when I was a senior in HS.... and only a few months after my parents had purchased me my "first horn". I cannot tell you what will get you out of this "funk" but will promise you that you will figure it out for yourself. It took me an entire year of college at a school that did not even offer a music class to come to terms with what i wanted to do with my life. Yes, I spent an entire year without playing my horn once....and then one day it all just came to me. Now, several years later with a Music Education degree I find myself teaching music, playing constantly, and teaching a number of fine private students....And I love it. I am convinced I did the right thing by putting my horn aside for a little while but stress that it was right for ME.....and that may not be the path you take....but don't worry about it too much. If you give yourself some time.... you'll end up in the right place. Good luck... If you ever want to chat about it just e-mail or IM me.

[WoodSheddin]

those who can continue to practice hard and grow through those periods of burnout are the ones who really make it. it is tough. for the shorter burnout periods, such as a couple of days to a week or two, I like to fall back on the thought that i am practicing today so that when the funk ends and i am again excited to pick up the horn i will be ready. i am practicing for myself in two weeks.

trailing off the practice when the heart is not in it causes my chops to decay. when i am again into playing my heart is ready but my face is not.

if the burnout lasts for longer periods like a few months shaking things up is in order. the quick fix is to buy a new something. examples are new mouthpiece, music, horn, recording equipment, etc. other things to try are to buy some tickets to a local performance of some sort. i like to catch a play or vocal groups. something besides Mahler, Bruckner, and Wagner. something different. another is to task yourself with a difficult mission such as working up a solo which you believe is well beyond your grasp. still another is begin practicing in places you have never practiced before such as an auditorium, or outside, or in a basement. my goal when this happens is to replace the tedius task which i am burntout on with something else which is new to me.

if the burnout goes for longer still then some soul searching may be in order. music is a journey many times without a final destination. you might make 1st chair all-state, but then you want to make it into the University of Superduperia, then you need to make the top orchestra at university, then you need that summer festival, then you need to win that solo competition, then you need to advance at some big audition, then you win one, then you need the bigger one, then you win it, then you need to teach the best students, then your students win jobs, then then then

the journey really never ends and someone, like yourself, who strives to always better his abilities could spend much of his life distraught at his current position/situation seeking the greener fields.

bask in the moment and stay true to improving yourself and things around you will evolve for the better over time. it is these most challenging moments which separate the simply outstanding players from the winning best players.

[JayW]

outstanding advice Sean.... seriously wish I had that printed and posted in front of me when i was in that position. I dont think you could have made better points

[hurricane_harry]

im a junior right now and am just getting out of one of those ruts, a good thing to do is get out and play anything and everything you can, for example i took some of my favite ska songs a transcibed them for tuba (still playing 241 by reel big fish) but the biggest thing to get me out of my rut was trying out for western regionals and now all state band. these audition pieces were beyond what i believed i could do as a horn player but right now i am watching myself tackle these pieces and seeing myself grow as a horn player and in fact many times posting on the board for help. my advice get some solo pieces that are beyond your skill and play them, you'de be surprised what you can belt out of that garbage can they priovide you with

[Tom B.]

Find two good trumpets, a good horn, and a good trombone player, and form a brass quintet. You'll find plenty of challenge there. Alternatively, find two euphoniums and another tuba, and form a tuba quartet. Orchestra professionals often form groups like this to keep themselves fresh. No reason it shouldn't work for a high school student too. In my opinion, nothing beats chamber music.

[winston]

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[MaryAnn]

Really good replies so far. Just a few days ago I heard about a tuba player in Texas who started some kind of program for school kids and has made a successful business out of it; wish I could remember her name. So you could think about doing music demos for grade school kids, maybe get some other people involved and do a show-and-tell with a "petting zoo" where the kids get to try the instruments. That can make you pretty enthusiastic and remind you how much you love music.

MA, who realized her burnout was permanent and who made music a fabulous hobby instead of a rotten career.

[Rick Denney]

There is no activity in life that, if pursued to excellence, does not cause burnout from time to time. You can't always be excited about something even if you love doing it. We notice excitement because it's different from normal, and it's easy to become an excitement junkie. The problem is that if we demand excitement all the time we end up moving from activity to activity, dropping one and picking up another as the novelty wears off. This is not a formula for excellence at anything, as I can attest from personal experience.

Sean's point about letting a funk turn into a downward spiral is one of the most important things we will learn about anything that we do. During the down times, we have to keep the skills sharp, because losing the skills contributes to the down feeling, and adds momentum to the downward trend.

He is also right about the journey versus the destination. Tuba music is what it is. I think you'll find that as you grow older the bands in which you play will include more ochestral transcriptions and more complicated works for band that make more demands on the tuba players. Music written for schools generally doesn't expect much from the tuba section, but many of the orchestral transcriptions I play in my current band are harder and more interesting than the orchestra music from which they are derived. But even if it were not so, practicing the tuba has to bring fundamental satisfaction (even if not always excitement), because the ratio of practice to performance is huge. If performance is all that drives you, you'll always be disappointed, because there just isn't enough performance to make up for all that practice.

When asked what kept him motivated to train when he was on top of professional cycling, Greg Lemond said, "It never hurts any less, you just go faster." Going faster was more important than not hurting, for him. But the reward of going faster is delayed--the pain comes first and cyclists learn how to relish it.

Tuba players who succeed (not necessarily professionals, but rather those who are still playing tuba in their later years) usually identify more with the sound of the tuba than with the complexity of the music. Our band may play a piece that has only footballs for me to play, but if I get the sound I want on those footballs, I get as excited as if I execute a fast run. For example, when I played in the Barnum pit orchestra for a local school production, I had a solo going into the second act, after the intermission. It was tuneful and jazzy, and a lot of fun. But I had MORE fun playing the FFF "Jumbo the Elephant" theme during one of the other numbers, which was not technically challenging, just because of the opportunity to make that kind of sound.

The only time the tuba part bores me is when the music bores me. But I have still endured many playings of musical schlock, and found solace in making my best sounds.

That sound is what makes the tuba different from other instruments. As you get older and meet more tuba players, you'll find that even the top pros obsessively pursue that sound in their heads, never quite reaching it. So, even if you are playing whole notes all the time, there is a challenge to playing those whole notes with a better sound and better musicality than before, and tuba players really must decide to enjoy that challenge.

Rick "not an excellent tuba player by any measure, but still challenged by playing the tuba after 35 years" Denney

[Tabor]

As a musician/music teacher I can give you some good advice. Music IS for everyone, but not as a career. It may or may not be for you, but it doesn't have to be. Do take the good advice of the other people posting here and change up your routine, play a fun solo, (do all of the above) but also remember that at this point (and even later, whether you realize it or not) don't let there be any pressure for you to do something as a career you really don't HAVE to do, and if you're feeling burnt out now it might not be your path. (just something to consider, not to take as gospel)

Try all of the helpful things that everyone else posted, but remember that one can still be an excellent musician without making it their life. Success comes in many forms. good luck and keep doing music!

-Tabor

[ThomasDodd]

If anyone else has experienced this, what was your solution to it? Any suggestions?

I guess you could say I took a break, before the burnout hit. I went from May one year untill August 2 years later without playing. Most of that time was in traing (Boot cam, MCT, and MOS schools) with the Marine Corps. Once I got to college, I was really looking forward to playing again. I didn't own a tuba so I couldn't play. In hindsight I wish I had bought one, instead of blowing my cash on crap.

After college, I really missed playing, and was glad when an open comunity band started last year. Enough so I bought a horn. Now I'll never have a reason not to play. (finding time is another story)

I don't remember, do you have professional playing as a goal? That might affect you best course of action.

[ThomasDodd]

Maybe it's finals next week, or the "standardized testing" coming up in April, no thanks to some recent legislation .

Finals perhaps. But I doubt the new tests will bother you. They aren't difficult. Now the new written portion of the SAT would worry me. Glad I don't need to take that

[dtemp]

I was in high school once too, and I know how you feel. I don't know if you plan on going to college, but trust me, it gets worse. Finals and SATs in HS are cakes and pies compared to the constant hectic schedule a college student has. Trying to balance practicing with classes, band tours, homework, organizations, and a job all while trying to maintain what little social life you have is tough. Really tough. As a college student, when I find myself in a rut, I go and grab a CD by one of the tuba greats. Then, I listen. REALLY listen. I listen for things and say "I wish I could do that" or "how does he / she do tose things?". These questions get me motivated to go and practice, to be the best player I can be. I'm not trying to be the next Jacobs, Sheridan, Baadsvik, etc., I'm trying to make myself a better musician. I play solos and concertos that are really hard. I don't nail every note, but at least I'm pushing myself. I hope that you can get something from these pointers. I practiced like a fiend in high school, and didn't hit my rut until college and that lasted a lot longer than I would've liked. These are things I did, but you have to come up with your own unique way to get out of this. Good luck.

[TubaRay]

There is no activity in life that, if pursued to excellence, does not cause burnout from time to time. You can't always be excited about something even if you love doing it. We notice excitement because it's different from normal, and it's easy to become an excitement junkie.

The only time the tuba part bores me is when the music bores me. But I have still endured many playings of musical schlock, and found solace in making my best sounds.

That sound is what makes the tuba different from other instruments. As you get older and meet more tuba players, you'll find that even the top pros obsessively pursue that sound in their heads, never quite reaching it. So, even if you are playing whole notes all the time, there is a challenge to playing those whole notes with a better sound and better musicality than before, and tuba players really must decide to enjoy that challenge.

I have thoroughly edited Rick's post in an effort to zero in on the principal thoughts with which I agree. The above, in my opinion, contains a good deal of wisdom pertaining to the subject of this thread, and to life in general.

[Leland]

Tuba players who succeed (not necessarily professionals, but rather those who are still playing tuba in their later years) usually identify more with the sound of the tuba than with the complexity of the music. Our band may play a piece that has only footballs for me to play, but if I get the sound I want on those footballs, I get as excited as if I execute a fast run.

I think that applies to me as well -- thank goodness!

If I wanted to play more notes, I'd play a different instrument -- like rudimental snare drum. They play more notes than anybody. But it's the sound, man, that keeps me coming back.

I don't really know where it came from (maybe that summertime nasty musical habit.. lol), or maybe it's just part of my addictive/compulsive personality -- but I often get so involved with the sound that I don't care what notes I'm playing or how fast they keep coming. As long as I get to play SOMEthing, I'm happy.

When I lose motivation, it's almost always because I'm not finding the sound that I enjoy. But, it always comes back, and I start having fun again.

[rascaljim]

SHS -
Might I recommed find a local college group with a shortage of tuba players? I spent a few years playing with the local community college when I was in highschool, and while it wasn't too taxing, at least it was fun. The other option is community bands usually vary in ability level. If you look around, you'll probably find one that's decent. THese were the things I did in highschool to keep from quitting. Also you might consider just playing for local conductors and finding out what they recommend, there's a ton of free gigs out there (and not so many paying ones I've come to realize) so go take advantage of it and enjoy yourself.
Jim

[ken k]

If this was mentioned before I apologize. I did not read all the posts.

Get 4 of your fellow brass players together from your school or youth orchestra and form a brass quintet. The Canadian Brass has some great student level pieces that HS students can put together. You can also get a few gigs on the side if you get good enough.

For me quintet playing is one of the most enjoyable forms of playing since you are on your own part and you can play soloistically within the small ensemble.

ken k