Grad School Woes

[Tlawson]

Hello fellow tubists.

I need some advice on something that ha been troubling me for some time. I am currently a middle school band director. I love my job, I really do. However, I have always wanted to keep pursuing my playing. My undergrad is in instrumental music education and my major instrument is tuba (secondary is bass clarinet, please don't shoot!).

I'm currently in the early stages of returning to grad school. I want to peruse a MM in Tuba Performance. I know I want a MM and I know I want more performance opportunities. However, is it worth going to get my MM is performance instead of education? My goal is to teach at the collegiate level and to have a performance gig and I already have my teachers certification to fall back on(for lack of a better statement).

Was/is anyone out there in the same situation as me? Thoughts? My family is non-musical and is offering no support either way. My friends think its a great idea. It's what I've worked toward for the past 10 years. Am I crazy?

[Kory101]

Am I crazy?

Yes. Keep your day job. Work on your playing away from "grad school."

Don't go back to school. You have a job that you love. That's more than a lot of people can say.

[Tlawson]

I love my job.... It is not what I want to do forever not is it in an area I plan to stay in forever.

[b.williams]

Do not quit your teaching job. Practice on your own time and perhaps take lessons with an area pro or at the local college. Earn a masters in education and get more money. I have been teaching high school and improving my playing at the same time for many years.

[ppalan]

However, is it worth going to get my MM is performance instead of education?

I have a degree in Music Ed and taught for 33 years. My school district had a pay scale that provided a higher salary for a Master's degree. It did not have to be in the exact are of your current teaching position. So, having the degree was financially worth it. At some point you may have to make a choice between teaching and playing. Many of the gigs in my area, outside of a major symphony, require being available during the day. (theatre gigs or other types of "show" music for example) You can't do them if you're in a classroom teaching. Just some thoughts that came to mind quickly. Think about what you really want and then pursue it. Like the line from "South Pacific"...ya gotta have a dream if you want a dream to come true." (or something like that anyway)
Good Luck,
Pete

[Jayhawker]

I think it is a great idea, especially if you are located in an area that has a university that will offer the MM. If your goals are to get a college job or a performance gig, then getting a MM is the best route. Working on your playing is not the ONLY thing that you do in a MM program. You will learn how to research effectively, think critically, and most of all, teach other tuba/euphonium people! I understand everyone's opinion on the matter, I do. It is really difficult to land a good gig nowadays... but if your dream is to do what you say, then a MM is ideal. Plus, you may just end up getting paid more in the end! There are a lot of great programs out there with a lot of great teachers, and if you do it right, you could get an assistantship teaching tuba, theory, history, aural skills, marching band... any number of things! All of those things help lead to a job, and help to make you a well-rounded musician. Universities are always wanting someone that has public school teaching experience, and you have that. That is a leg up on most incoming folks.... don't be discouraged by others and go for it!

[J Stowe]

I'm gonna go against the grain here.. I think you should go to grad school in performance if: 1) your teaching salary will increase at the state you currently teach in with another music degree (outside of education), 2) you can get an assistantship and don't have to take out loans, 3) the teachers you audition for are very optimistic about your potential. The tuba world is satiated with great players. If you aren't playing every day and don't want to play every day, just keep it as a small freelance with the big bread coming from public teaching.

What hasn't been said is the great connections you can make while going to school. Sure, being a great player is very helpful, but having great recommendations, making lasting relationships, developing connections for future employment are all things you can't get by just staying in the practice room.

There are many paths to being successful; if playing is what you want to do, go for it!

[Jay Bertolet]

Lots of great advice so far, not all of which I agree with. You seem pretty clear about the economic realities of your choices so I won't pursue that point any further. I would offer two thoughts that might help you to define your situation better for you:

1) You say you don't want to stay in your current field in the long term. If you are seeking a performing career, why would you even consider another Music Ed. degree? The focus of such a degree is not performing. That degree is designed you help you teach, which you say you don't want to do in the long term. It seems illogical to me for you to pursue a secondary (and optional) degree in a field that you don't really want to work in. By the way, if you truly want to end up teaching at the college level and performing on the side, you'll need a DMA to have any realistic chance of landing a full time college teaching job. That or serious time in a high level orchestra such that it gives you enough reputation for a school to consider you a viable studio teacher.

2) The really important question for you comes down to how much do you really want the type of job situation you're seeking. Nowadays, I tell students that the only reason to go into a performance based career is because they will not be fulfilled with their life if they don't. I firmly believe in chasing your dreams and further, I think that can be a worthwhile endeavor but only if you sell out and give it your all. Having any chance for success as a performer requires such hard work and dedication that I think you really hurt your chances if you play it safe and try to leave yourself a fallback position. Your current position is somewhat enviable for what you're proposing. You have the luxury to work, save money, and put yourself financially in a position to really immerse yourself at school. Why not take the added step of selecting a degree which focuses and prepares you for exactly what you wish to be doing? As hard as all this gets, I would think you'd wish to take every advantage you can grab.

Good luck in your choices and efforts. It's a very rewarding career if you can get all the pieces in place and find that the performance life is your true calling.

[ralphbsz]

Am I crazy?

Don't know, can't tell. Does it matter? Maybe you'll fit in better if you are.

I am currently a middle school band director. I love my job, I really do.

My educated guess is that you are probably good at being a band director. Why? Because you say that you love doing it. And in general, that enthusiasm transmits to the students. Do your students and their parents love band? Are you able to take little kids with no music experience, get them to enjoy practicing, and to work with each other, and turn them into a band that sounds good? Are you teaching them how to make music?

Good school band directors are hard to find. My son (now a high school freshman) got very lucky, and played under a very fine middle school director. It doesn't hurt that his band director is also a serious musician, who on the side plays in various groups (and leads his own band). Looking around at other schools, it is clear that good school band teachers are rare, in particular at the middle school level.

Where do musicians (both amateurs and professionals) come from? Let's not find dirty jokes about making babies. I think there are two overlapping sources of musicians. First, from families with musical traditions, where parents make the kids learn an instrument. Second, from school music programs (which to a large extent means middle and high school band). Good school band directors are probably responsible for a good fraction of all musicians and music lovers in our society.

I'm not going to pretend that I know how you should run your life, whether you should get a master's degree, and if yes in what. But consider this: You have a job you love, and it is a job that is of great importance for society. Maybe having a masters degree in performance might make you into an even better band director? Maybe you would love your job even more if you had the chops to do gigs on the side? Maybe you want to also study conducting, and work with local bands or orchestras?

[Biggs]

I am of the opinion that you should acquire as many degrees as possible for as little money as possible - and not just 'tuba' degrees. Every sort of degree has a price point where it becomes attractive, especially if (like me) you love learning.

Getting smarter is good. Student debt is bad. If you have a very fine, very broad, very deep education, no one can take it away from you. But if you overpaid, good luck getting your money back.

[molly28205]

As an undergrad, I double-majored in education and performance, then went on to get my M.M. in tuba performance. I'm really proud of what I accomplished, playing wise, in grad school. It definitely helped me reach a new level and grad school was (overall) more stimulating/rewarding than my undergrad experience. I know I would have regretted not going the next step in my education.

Professionally, my grad degree in performance hasn't opened too many doors for me. But I know the experience I gained has helped me a lot. That being said, getting an M.M. in education probably would have been the smarter route. You'll still get more than enough solo/chamber/ensemble work but the degree is more valuable, especially if you plan to continue as an educator. I've toyed with the idea of going back for a Doctorate but if I did, I would get it in Music Ed for that reason.

Either way, though, you should continue your education... even if you decide to wait a few years. There are a lot of grad assistantship programs that cut down on tuition. You'll gain a valuable degree, grow as a performer/educator and feel good about what you've accomplished!

[royjohn]

Just as in any other career, you would want to do some research and see what kind of salary you could expect and what your chances are of being employed in your chosen position after graduation. I don't have any idea what your chances are of landing a playing position after getting an MM or a DMA from XYZ University, but the faculty of said programs should be able to tell you. They should also be able to assess your playing skills and potential and tell you how likely you are to be successful. I would seek out some of them who would be honest with me and decide what to do after getting some feedback.

You might also want to spend some time getting your playing into A-1 shape and then take some auditions, just to see how that feels to you and to get some feedback, if possible, on your current playing level/skills.

I also agree with those who highlighted the cost of the degrees. If they cost too much to get, you could be saddled with student debt that impeded your ability to have a family and buy a home, etc., for years. If you can get assistantships, scholarships, etc. that help with the cost, that might work. If you have the fortitude to save first and then spend that money on the education, that is another viable route. Ending up with high five to six figures worth of debt is not a great idea in the present economy.

Good luck!

[MartyNeilan]

A lot of it depends on the state and the school district. In many areas, you will only be financially compensated for a masters in education, or masters in music education. Other areas are more flexible and may allow you to get a masters in performance or a masters in conducting. You will have to check with your state and local administrators and find out if that master degree will get you a sizable pay bump or count for nothing in the eyes of the school system.
(Now, about all those full time tuba performance jobs available...)

[Steve Oberheu]

Tim,

I got my undergrad degree in music education. After that, I got a performance diploma and a master's degree in tuba performance. Those degrees bumped me up on the pay scale in my school division, regardless that they were in performance.

The key to truly pursuing playing is not just to practice and take lessons, but to play in as many different ensembles as possible. That's where going back to school will help you out...you want to be in position to play in as many groups as possible, and that's frankly just not possible while working a full-time teaching gig.

Worst-case scenario -- you practice your butt off, get a lot better, play in lots of groups, maybe go to summer festivals, get a master's degree and no full-time playing job; so you go back to teaching and have a higher salary. Best case scenario -- you practice your butt off, get a lot better, play in lots of groups, and end up with a full-time playing gig and/or it takes you somewhere you never imagined. The truth is...you'll never know what would/wouldn't happen until you go for it.

There are lots of grad schools that offer good scholarships for good players (if you have the grades to match). At the worst, you incur some student loan debt. If you don't have a house/wife/kids/etc., there's really nothing to lose, IMHO.

All the best to you!