Music
is Life
At least it should
be, anyways...
(You are listening
to "Protecting My Devotion")
Well, here I am,
Mister Senior at Rogers High School, and college is mere months away. So
what am I planning to do with my god-forsaken life after the "life"
known as High School?
Simple.
It's called
music. More specifically, I'm into Musical Performance and Technical
Composition. My love for music is strong, ever since I started playing my
trumpet in the fourth grade. Eight long years later, here I am, still
playing the trumpet, and also playing the piano, the french horn, and a bit on
the xylophone (I still kinda suck at it, but hey, it's fun!)
So, where do I
go? What do I do? How much will I get paid? It's all relative
and simple.
The school I plan on
attending is a little known place called Eastern Washington University.
Pretty cool campus, and the professors there are really cool, especially the
music ones! (Gee, I couldn't imagine why... *L*) Check this link out
to view the school. Eagles, forever!
Ok, so you found the
school you want to go to for music. (And hopefully, you chose a good
one.) Now, you go through the course, and six years later, you've earned
your Masters Degree. Congratulations, you're ready for a job in the real
world with music! Well, to get you on your feet, you'll need job
info. Hey, this is what I'll be doing, so I might as well share it with
you!
Now... where do you want
to go?
Performing
Arts
Education
Technical
Composition
Choose One Now!
For
A Performing Arts and Decent Living:
 |
Find a professional
group. How hard can that be? Well, that all depends on the
group you're after... Spokane Symphonic will not be as competitive as the
premier Boston Symphonic. You COULD go overseas... but expect that
to be even HARDER... can you imagine joining the Tokyo Symphonic? |
|
Chances are, your
group isn't going to be the most well known ensemble. Which means a
supplementary income will be necessary. But with music skills, you
could do a lot in the world of teaching. Classes, lessons, and
critiques are always paid, and worth the time. |
...the
end?
For
an Educational Musicianship and Decent Living:
 |
First, you MUST
figure out where you want to teach. Do you want to be the spark at
an elementary school, or the mentor that watches his successful students
get jobs in college? The feelings one wants to get is what drives
them on. |
|
Now that you have
grade/ability level figured out, it's time to find a school or campus that
is offering a job. You might not start out as the teacher, but
rather an assistant, but be patient. Usually, assistants are offered
a job at head of something within two-three years. The extra
experience of working under a head is also beneficial; you WILL learn
valuable teaching technique. |
|
Get ready to devote
your time. The demand is highest on High School teachers. Hey,
what else can you do when you must teach normal classes, then add in
Marching Band, Pep Band, Musical Symphonic, and fund raisers? |
...the
end?
For
Technical Composition:
 |
Music Theory is a
MUST. You better know all your instruments, how they fit, key
signatures, and chords, be it major or minor. Music Theory is your
god in this field, and you can NOT survive without worshipping him. |
|
Find how you want
to get into it. Do you want to write music for people, or do you
want to write for a company? Writing music is limitless, the
question is how you apply it. |
|
If you're a
composer for bands worldwide, you must also figure out how to get it
published and to the market. Make sure to find a good one. |
|
Writing music for a
company via technology, or laying out the soundtracks for a movie could be
the best paying job out of all the jobs listed. It is the most
demanding. Deadlines MUST be met. There is little to no room
for error. Be prepared to be Mr./Mrs. Perfect. |
...the
end?
WORK
HARD, AND PREPARE TO ENJOY A LIFE OF ENRICHMENT!
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