[TPIN] Which school of Music?

[Michael Anderson]

This is the most agonizing thing for me as a college trumpet professor and I
have swung both ways on this subject. The thing is, you can't always tell
when someone is in college whether they will eventually be able to make a
living as a performer or not. College professors are not fortune tellers.

There are many stories of people showed very little promise early on who
"flower" later and become great players. For some, it takes DECADES to reach
their highest potential... I'm 48 and still working on it. :-)

Again, if my student has a great passion for playing and wants nothing other
than to practice and play in ensembles, I try to encourage them and guide
them to overcome their weaknesses. Discouraging them at the age of 18-21 or
even 25 is playing God. I have one now who's goal is not just to make a
living playing but he strives to be a concert soloist. We all know that the
chances of this happening are slim to none... But he's doing exactly what
makes him happy. I wonder if all those kids sitting through accounting
classes can say that?

One thing I would say on this subject to the other side is that I feel
colleges and universities should have stricter standards for performance
majors than they do currently. I would like to see a detailed series of
gateways that a performance major should have to clear to be able to move
on. Yes, everyone has juries, but most schools - even conservatories - pass
through students with significant weaknesses in ear training and with
fundamental playing problems. If these gateways were properly administered
and followed, then a student who has no business pursuing a performing
career would be washed out by the system. I can tell you that this is VERY
difficult to administer and again, the potential is to wash someone out who,
given more time and training, could eventually be a viable performer.

MA

> My professors
> and teachers encouraged me, continued scholarships to be in performance
> organizations, but never led me to believe that I probably wasn't good
> enough, nor getting there to make a living playing the trumpet.
> 
> Music is still my passion.  I only wish that someone would have given me the
> straight scoop when I was younger.
> 
> _______________
> Dwight Bird
> Kaysville, UT