Re: On wanting to quit the tuba...


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Posted by Daryl on May 03, 2001 at 16:21:17:

In Reply to: On wanting to quit the tuba... posted by Benjamin Schardt on May 02, 2001 at 22:50:50:

Hi Ben,

You've gotten some good advice so far, but I just wanted to add my experience to the pot since I've recently revamped my career goals.

You should quit playing because it's keeping you from doing something you love MORE, not because you feel like you can't.

I made the interesting choice of dropping my tuba career three months after I got my Master's in performance at a highly respectable university because I realized that I was MISERABLE playing the tuba, and no matter what level of success I achieved I would still be completely MISERABLE if that's what I chose to focus my energy and talent on. So instead, I bailed out - now,I write songs for children's television shows and teach elementary music. My worst day of writing and recording beats the BEST day of playing for me. And I also get to have a fun and unusual hobby that I do quite well - win-win situation for me!

In summation, I think everyone has those days where they groan to themselves "Oh, I'll NEVER be as good as so-and-so" - the key to knowing when to get out of it is when you find yourself saying "Man, I wish I didn't have to practice so I could go do THIS". If you can make money at "THIS" - go for it. Otherwise, I will borrow an expression from my old tuba teacher (I know, Dan, you're not OLD) when I was having a case of the grumps - "Buck up, little camper!!!"

Daryl Bean
Howell, MI


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