Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Manhattan School of Music ?


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Posted by Joe S. on October 05, 2000 at 00:55:22:

In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Manhattan School of Music ? posted by Jay Bertolet on October 03, 2000 at 22:11:48:

speaking of "superhero", whose name is mentioned here more than anyone else's?

Sammy Pilafian? Roger Bobo? Gene Pokorny? Jim Self?

Heck NO !!! Its

...........MATT WALTERS...........

The skills that he has developed (forgive me from speaking from some experience) have taken him DECADES to perfect, and people STAND IN LINE to ask him to do work for them.

Does this give any of you a hint about a possible career?

YES INDEED, there IS a teacher shortage (no tuba player shortage, unfortunately), but teachers are NOT their own bosses, are in line for lawsuits and other less "life ruining" troubles brought on by kooky parents and unfortunately quite often the teachers are not "stood up for" by their "bossy now" and "wormy later" principals.

In addition, high school teachers can ONLY work about 1/2 a year (185 days + "band camp"-YUK) and can ONLY earn $XX,XXX amount per year with some sorry summer job to suppliment, if they are lucky.

Consider investing several years in developing the rare skills and the high craft of musical instrument repair. Even if you work for a music store, you won't be "bossed". If you are VERY VERY good (and "nice" helps, too) your boss will be so afraid that you might quit that he will virtually NEVER cross you.

In addition, my experience in the field (candidly) is that no matter HOW high of a price you quote (to try to get someone with an undesirable job to "go away") once you quote that sky-high price, the NEXT thing the customer says is (You already know this, don't you?) "How soon can you have it done?"

Look, I'm not trying to take all of you who are working on ed. degrees and convince you that a "life change" is in order. MANY of you are "CALLED" to teaching, but one or two of you could hear the "call" of being a high craftsman and developing rare skills.

I have a (summa cum laude, if you don't mind) music ed. degree, and have taught high school band AND tuba at two Universities (Kansas and Mississippi). I REALLY enjoy teaching (I'm sure that most of you can imagine that as a studio teacher, I am pretty tough to b.s.), but one sure has a lot more control over musical instrument repair/restoration work than a middle school band full of so-called "A.D.D." (yeah, right) kids or a university tuba major with a drinking problem PLUS two night jobs that he doesn't need. (As a teacher, this type of stuff it TOUGH !!! and d--n FRUSTRATING!!!) The POSITIVE rewards of teaching are obvious, too. Those of you with extraordinary teachers have already witnessed them, and those rewards need not be expounded upon here.

Some final warnings about instrument repair work:

* If you cannot see spending 5-8 years (about the same amount of time as an M.D.) to become REALLY competent and then a LIFETIME to try to learn "all" of the "tricks" this is NOT for you.

* If you are NOT good with spacial relationships or if you are NOT good with your hands, this is NOT for you.

* If you are easily frustrated, this is NOT for you.

* If getting quite dirty or sweaty bothers you, this is NOT for you.

* If you are not good working with people or if you have difficulty owning up to your own mistakes, this is NOT for you.

* If you lack "ATTENTION TO DETAIL" (My own children are SICK TO DEATH of hearing that phrase uttered from my lips.), musical instrument repair work is NOT for you.

Anyway, this post got W-A-A-Y out of hand, but still one or two of you might consider this path if you enjoy music, just don't see yourself a band director or pro tuba player, and if you can meet the challenges outlined above.




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