to grad school or not to grad school?

[adam0408]

Where to start? Well thanks to everyone who helps out on this forum. I can't say enough about how much things people here write inspire me.

I must say first of all that I am a 5th year senior at a small midwestern university. My primary teacher is not a tuba player. I am a tuba performance major. You may notice a discrepancy there, but the reasons I went to this college are many, and when I started here, and even throughout my time here playing the tuba has not been of primary importance to me. But now I am beginning to realize it is. And SHOULD BE. I have access to a lot of great players in the twin cities area (minneapolis/St. Paul MN) and just had a great lesson with Steve Campbell (thanks by the way) So I have the means to excel.

Enough Back story!

I just wonder to myself if grad school and a career in tuba performance are right for me? I know its tough for anyone to guide me without hearing me play, but I want advice of some sort.... to make me feel better you know? At this stage I have no idea how I compare to my peers in ability, but I really want to play music...... I have been told that graduate school is probably what I need to succeed in the tuba world....

What I really want is advice from someone who has been through all of this. I have no idea what to expect, and quite frankly I am scared.

Thanks!

[Lew]

...

I have been told that graduate school is probably what I need to succeed in the tuba world....

I am not a professional tuba player, but I don't agree with whoever told you that graduate school is what you need. What you need to succeed is to be the best player you can possibly be. How many auditions have you done? Of those how many have you won? When you hear other tuba players do you say to yourself, "I'm much better than they are, or I can do that at least as well." If not, maybe you should consider a different career.

Graduate school might be a way to give yourself more time to develop as a player to the point where you can succeed as a pro, if you're not there already, but I see nothing inherent in graduate school in performance that will help you succeed as a player. Listen to Carol Jantsch (spelling?). She is a few years younger than I assume you to be, and she has been winning almost every competition in which she competes. If you can't match what she can do, or don't think that you will be able to, you are already behind the eight ball.

[PS I am not against graduate school in general. I am currently in graduate school, although in business, and have 2 masters degrees. I was trying to make the point that whether you succeed or not has more to do with your motivation and dedication to your craft than your education. Another degree won't help you win an audition, but lessons from a great teacher and dedicated practicing to improve your playing that the time spent in graduate school might allow you achieve might. ]

[brattom]

Graduate school might be a way to give yourself more time to develop as a player to the point where you can succeed as a pro, if you're not there already, but I see nothing inherent in graduate school in performance that will help you succeed as a player. Listen to Carol Jantsch (spelling?). She is a few years younger than I assume you to be, and she has been winning almost every competition in which she competes. If you can't match what she can do, or don't think that you will be able to, you are already behind the eight ball.

This post sounded a little familiar.

I attended a small school for undergrad and didn't have my first tuba lesson until I was 20. I didn't start studying with a tuba player until grad school (Univ. of Kentucky). Grad school was a great opportunity to focus on practicing without having to take 17-18 credit hours/week. It also put me in a "culture" of tuba players that I had not been around before. It was beneficial to be around a lot of tuba playing in my particular situation. I auditioned below two undergrads (both great players - hi tony ) my first semester. To say that you need to be keeping up with every other tuba player on the planet is not necessarily accurate, in my opinion, but you probably have a lot of work to do.

Ask yourself what you want to accomplish in grad school, and determine what types of playing jobs you would ultimately be happy with. If you would only be happy playing in a premier orchestra, you should probably re-evaluate. If you would be happy with playing the horn and pulling in a steady paycheck, you might consider a military career (although there is a lot more to it than that.) If you would be happy doing gigs and teaching 30 students a week, make sure you pay attention to how your teacher teaches. Just make sure you go in with your eyes open. Ask your teacher for a realistic evaluation of your potential, and then determine what you are willing to do to accomplish your goals. The great thing is that it is all up to you.

Tom "Shameless plug for the Army Band Conference Jan 25-28" Bratten

[David Zerkel]

"Listen to Carol Jantsch (spelling?). She is a few years younger than I assume you to be, and she has been winning almost every competition in which she competes. If you can't match what she can do, or don't think that you will be able to, you are already behind the eight ball."


Boy, this eight ball sure is black from the behind!

DZ

[windshieldbug]

If you intend to make a living as a tuba player, then you also need to know the business side of being a pro. How to hustle jobs, what to expect, how to act at each kind, how to cultivate your "big break". The most usual path for an orchestral player (if that's what you want to be), how to get the regional / small / big gigs.

How to find out the stuff they don't teach you in a school. They generally don't have "tuba" interns.

Oh, and how to play your *** off, anyway.

[adam0408]

Thanks people, that helps quite a bit.

I am at the point now where I just want to play my tuba, and quite frankly I don't really care all that much about five or ten years down the road. I just want to take my life one day at a time and make sure I am doing what I want to do. Which, right now, is play my tuba. I just want to be the best that I can be, and if that leads me down the road to a major orchestral position, great. But if it doesnt, I can make money to eat and live some other way.

If this doesn't paint the picture of someone who is overly driven and competitive for you, then you're probably right. I just wanna play some music, and be the best that I possibly can.