Re: Re: A couple of euphonium questions.....


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Posted by danny on March 09, 2003 at 23:21:02:

In Reply to: Re: A couple of euphonium questions..... posted by Rick on March 09, 2003 at 14:59:32:

Wow, lots of great advice throughout all of this. This feedback is far enough down the list that it might not even get read, but I'll throw in my two cents cause I have some opinions about this. Whoever said that going into college undecided is probably the best move, is more correct than many realize. In the ten years of college that I've had, I've watched many friends change majors with the changing of the winds. Eventually, you'll need to figure out which direction you want to move in, but maybe not right away. I started as an ed major, after two years I wanted to switch to performance because that's what I love doing. After much discussion with my instructor, advisor, director of bands, and my parents I decided to keep on with the ed degree. It gave me some sort of stability in an otherwise unstable world. but I also made the decision to stretch out the degree to six years, so that I could take one or two classes and spend the rest of my time practicing and playing. (Incidentally, I had a GREAT summer job and a job during school to keep the student loans to a minimum) When I graduated, I decided to go to Grad school for a euphonium performance degree, this one was for me. It is important to carefully balance things. Dream big, and shoot for those big dreams...it's the only way big things will happen for you. Know what it's going to take for you to get there, and be willing to make the sacrifices to get there. BUT, you have to have a dose of reality sprinkled in there as well. Know that if you take out student loans, they need to be paid back. Moving back in with Mom and Dad is a popular option for college grads, but not one that I wanted. So what are you going to do at the end of those four years (or six...) when you finish college. Go to grad school, great. What then? It's a scary feeling not to know, but take that and run with it. It's a rush. You can have an ed degree and perform, I've seen some absolutely amazing ed majors do amazing things as performers. And you may find that getting a degree outside of music opens up options even more. I know some engineers and bankers that are BURNING players. Be open, be willing to take some risks, and the most important thing....Don't expect success to happen overnight. Doug Elliot said that the average age of new D.C. band members is 28 and it's true. That's ten years after high school. In ten years, you may find that playing the euphonium is a great hobby and that's it. No shame in that. Whatever you do, be true to your dreams but be realistic. It's possible to do both. There are a ton of examples out there. Ie: all of Emory Remmington's students--he wouldn't let his students major in performance at Eastman, they had to choose Ed or composition. Don't stress, we're all young with years ahead of us. I'll stop babbling, and let you get on with life. Good luck with whatever you do, and if you end up at UNT, you'll be in for a great experience. Well, you'll be in for a great experience wherever, I'm just a proud alum. cheers...Danny Helseth


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