Playing tuba professionally

[Rick Denney]

I've been thinking about going into playing/teaching tuba professionally, even though I'm only a junior in high school, I would like to think i could make it. My main problem is I don't quite know if there would be enough money in it for me. Does anyone play tuba professionally and have a side job or something? Or is there enough money in it that you don't need it?

The decision to be a musician is like most decisions to be an artist: It's a decision you make because you are compelled to make it without regard to the money. If money is important to you now, it will be important to you later to an even greater extent (i.e., when you actually need it). Furthermore, only the best of the best get the rare professional tuba-playing gig. Are you prepared to do what it takes to be that good? Nothing less will do.

If you aren't sure, then the best thing you can do is get a broad education, right through college. It's okay if you major in music, as long as you don't use that as an excuse to ignore the other things educated people study, like math, science, language, history, and so on. The broader the better, at least at the undergraduate level. I've never known anyone with a good education and a modicum of motivation who could not make a decent living for themselves, whether or not they were doing what they studied in school. The folks who do not make a decent living either avoided the challenge of getting a good, rounded education or they don't have that modicum of motivation.

Rick "who recommends education as the basis for good living, not merely the basis for a good job" Denney

[Adam C.]

Rick's first couple of sentences sums up everything I had planned to say, really.

Only pursue music as a career if you can't *not* do it.

[WoodSheddin]

I've been thinking about going into playing/teaching tuba professionally, even though I'm only a junior in high school, I would like to think i could make it.

Practice 3 hours/day for 6 months, including all weekends, holidays, spring breaks, and summer "break". Keep a log/journal of every minute you practice. Review it at the end of the 6 months and then decide.

[kontrabass]

Yes, it is a good sign, just as a sign that says "This road will not go to Iraq" is a good sign. Generally all practising is done out of pure enjoyment on some scale or another - if not the actual enjoyment of the hard slogging when the going gets tough, then for the enjoyment of improvement and eventual mastery of the instrument.

BUT - If you are playing three hours a day for 'pure enjoyment', I would make sure that you are actually getting work done and not just putting on concerts for yourself, which is something we're all guilty of at some point (myself included). Do you have a specific plan for improving your technique? Have you decided what your weakest areas are, and how you will attack them? Can you stick to a monotonous drill or exercise out of the knowledge that it will be beneficial in the long run?

These factors are just as important - or more important - than actual hours logged. And if you're having fun all the time, that's great! But make sure that you're doing what you need to do.

[WoodSheddin]

These factors are just as important - or more important - than actual hours logged.

Disagree. Nothing beats displacement.

Start piling on the hours and the rest will begin to follow. Just try it. I am yet to meet someone whose playing got worse from putting in an extra couple of hours each day behind the horn, besides the extremely rare individual with a medical condition.

When I hear those "smart practice" arguments to discredit spending hours woodshedding it reminds me of this stuff

[Rick Denney]

Generally all practising is done out of pure enjoyment on some scale or another - if not the actual enjoyment of the hard slogging when the going gets tough, then for the enjoyment of improvement and eventual mastery of the instrument.

Yup. If you hate playing scales, find another line of work--it would be like wanting to become a marathon runner but hating intervals, or wanting to swim competitively without enjoying all those laps. There's too much journey and too little destination to be able to tolerate hating the journey.

Most activities require hours and years of loving devotion to the rudiments of craft before reaching those rare and elusive moments of supreme experience. You know, it's a little like foreplay.

Rick "who doesn't like playing scales and therefore must be content with mediocrity" Denney

[Dean]

I am not a tubist, I play euphonium, but I will chime in here...

If you are willing to teach lessons, and you are willing to move anywhere, then yes, I can guarantee you can make a living as a tubist--even if you are only a moderately good player. If you can get attain a music degree, you can move to Texas, and LITERALLY teach as many low brass students than you could possibly imagine. Perhaps there are other places like this, but Texas is a guarantee. (Just to let you know, I lived in Texas for 8 months, and I taught lessons at one high school--ONE, and I had 12 euphonium students) I know people that taught 60+ lessons per week.

As far as making your living purely from performing--its simple. If you are a great player, you'll get a gig. There are various levels of tuba playing, and varying levels of gigs out there. Do not think a major symphony is the only place you can play. There are military bands (tons of em!), regional symphonies (where you can perhaps support your income teaching lessons or at a small college), opera companies, musical pits, etc etc etc....

The number one objective though? Be a beast on your horn. If you are, the choices will grow, and life will be truly easy!

Good luck!

[Rick Denney]

You will come to a point in your degree track that will start going more towards music pedagogy. Patience, young grasshopper...

And you will spend lots of time learning basic proficiency on all the other instruments, too.

Also, don't neglect other subjects. A broad education is more valuable in a teacher than one steeped only in pedagogy--you have to know something before you can teach it, however good your teaching methods.

Rick "who loves San Antonio but who thinks Houston might be more fertile ground for teaching private lessons" Denney

[MaryAnn]

Well. im in junoir high

Now a lot of things make more sense.

There's too much journey and too little destination to be able to tolerate hating the journey.

Rick, this is one of the best things you've ever said on the BBS!!!

Ah, the exact question my parents have been asking me for the past 3 years. I'm a high school senior. I went to a pre-conservatory thing at Eastman this summer and what they told all of us was that "if you're worried about the money do not got into music."

My solution is to double major with a completly different degree. There are more and more schools realizing the qualms of young musicians and start offering programs for students to get another major with music.
I personally am looking at Engineering or Business. However, you have to be really in tune (pun fully intended) with your academics to pursue such an endeavor. With engineering I'm looking at at least 5 years of 18 hour semesters. On the other hand, there are easier majors you can pursue. Also, a business degree is very helpful in the music field. Dan Perantoni at Indiana told me, now that he looks back, that the one thing he wishes he had going into a music field was a business degree. Some schools offer "the business of music" but, to me, this doesnt offer as much of a backup as a full Bachelors degree in business.

A double major is a pretty large commitment, but I feel it will be worth it in my future. Other options could include a music minor or a music major with a minor in another field (I have a friend doing Computer Science).

I've been researching music programs, colleges, and double major programs for the past 3 years, so if you want anthing more specific (i.e. exact colleges/program details) just let me know.

I think you have the best idea here. I'm one of the ones who did a performance degree, found out I was not compatible with being a pro musician (after a few years I found giving lessons emotionally rewarding but intellectually lacking) and am much happier using my 2nd degree to make a living and using my extensive musical background as a playground, in which I can have incredible amounts of fun, use my creativity without worrying about getting paid, and practice my instruments as a form of meditation.

MA

[Dylan King]

Get into computer music, songwriting, and scoring to picture. It's tough these days to make good dough buzzing lips.

Save the tuba for the day the computers do not function and the juice is all gone.

[Lee Stofer]

Lots of good advice has been offered. Having a love of playing is a good prerequisite, but there is lot involved in going from loving to play, to an ultimate goal of playing professionally.

And, virtually everyone in the business has non-playing work that is part of making a living. More than one of the top trumpet freelancers here in Atlanta are junior high band directors. One of the more successful bandleaders here is an accountant by day. One of the finest euphonium players I know lives in this city, and probably has not played one in 10 years, as his gigs are playing electric bass with jazz and salsa bands. Most working musicians I know of are doublers. There are several fine tuba players in Atlanta, and not many paying jobs. If I did not double on bass and trombone I would not have much professional playing income. The tubist of the Grammy-Award-winning Atlanta Symphony teaches lessons at more than one university, heads up the Atlanta Brass Society, and is a board member for negotiations between the Musician's Union and the Orchestra, as well as directing the Emory University Brass Ensemble. He doesn't "just play tuba", either. Many professional positions many be a bit different job than what you may think they are.

In the Army as a bandsman, I found that I had the opportunity to overall spend nearly the same percentage of time actually playing the instrument as my civilian counterparts. The main difference was that when we were not playing our instruments, such as an occasional field training exercise, we were doing something so vastly different. No job, even playing tuba, is perfect, and there will be irritants and stressors in anything you do, even if you are a professional ice cream taster. While stationed at the Army Band in San Antonio, Texas, I longed for the orchestral gig there, instead of my gig that started very early some mornings, until the orchestra was locked out on a strike, and the tubist was working at a hardware store part-time to eat until the strike was settled. At that time, I felt grateful to know I had a job that was so secure, and could professionally play my horn daily without worry.

If you love to play the tuba - great - play it with all your heart. Study music and study it well, but also get some business courses, and work on your language and spelling skills. To get the good job, you have to start with expressing yourself well and being able to submit an impressively-written resume. I like the passage in the Bible that says to work not as if you are doing it for men, but work as if you are doing if for God Himself. If you approach life with an attitude that nothing but your best effort is good enough, you will very likely be quite successful.

[ArnoldGottlieb]

I couldn't agree more. Peace. ASG

[Roger Lewis]

You are so right. Great post.

Happy New Year to you .

[FarahShazam]

You want to know the Chishams' secret to success?

We got married while still in college and went from working one crappy job to another. We both finally graduated college and both of us had office jobs. We were completely miserable working 9-5.

So, we started looking at jobs in a DC military band. We practiced every single chance we got. At 6am, at noon (no eating lunch) and after work from 6pm-9pm. On the weekends, we would try to put in 5 hours a day and "relax" the rest of the time.

After a YEAR of working our butts off, I found a spot and we moved to DC.

The ONLY reason we are making enough money in music is because we both have jobs. You can make it as a single person, but it is more of a challenge.

If you are dedicated (and sometimes luck comes in to play), you will find a way to eat and pay bills. If you want to make money, music is typically not the place to do it. Even teaching privately is HARD WORK.
farah