[TPIN] Big Bank vs. Little Bank

[Allegro69]

SNIPPED
>Message: 5
>Date: Sat, 10 Feb 2007 17:14:10 -0800
>From: "Del Gue" <del.gue.mtnman at gmail.com>
>Subject: [TPIN] Big Bank vs. Little Bank
>To: TPIN at tpin.okcu.edu

>I had a high school student ask me this question today, and I had no way to
>answer it: how much money can a performing trumpet player make in a year?
>Can they support themselves?

>He specifically wanted to know the amount of $$ he might look forward
>immediately and then a few years down the road, after he built up a
>reputation.
>He does NOT want to teach, so lets leave that out of the equation.

While I'd never discourage kids from pursuing a career as a full time
musician, I'd also encourage them to have something to fall back on. I know
this had been said a million times by well meaning "Dutch uncles", but it
bears repeating. Players of all instruments are walking a tightrope,
especially as far as health conditions and injuries. All it takes is one
automobile accident, a fall down the stairs, a simple punch in the mouth, or
a debilitating illness to cause any player's career to go down in flames.
There are 8 million stories in the Naked City that describe what has
happened to great musicians in the span of one second. It's a hard reality,
but the music business is a bunch of hard realities from the time musicians
get up out of the rack in the morning until they climb back in at night. And
then, even in bed, one can fall out and get in trouble (by INJURY <G>).
Eventually they hopefully might learn to see the forest for the trees before
it's too late and they end up flipping burgers at Mickey D's if they blew
away the amassed fortunes earned during better days. Sorry if I'm a gloom
and doom person about it, but nothing in life is etched in stone. I did the
full time thing for a while, but I'm glad I grabbed that day job at the
local post office which I hated for the 31 years I worked there. Even though
I should have planned my own life better, at least I had a well paying job
and retired at the age of 55. I know the kids can do better than working for
the post office (take my word for that), but they've got to plan ahead in
order to do so. Just my two cents plain.
BOB