Posted by real answers on September 03, 2003 at 19:21:06:
In Reply to: Becoming a professional posted by Curious Parent on September 03, 2003 at 18:04:33:
A music degree from a university (Bachelor of Music / Bachelor of Music Education, etc.) will not provide a person with any sort of proper foundation as far as preparing to be a professional tuba player.
One needs to locate a generous and highly capable studio teacher who
- has "made" it*...at least a living-wage [$45K+] job PLAYING the tuba [teaching $$ not included in the $45K]
- who currently STILL plays as well as they did when they WERE playing [full time] for a living. Most learn by example, and studying with a "has been" - who can not offer good performance models - is challenging, if not limiting.
A "liberal arts" education (assuming a fairly bright and energetic person who wants to keep all of their grades up) will probably limit daily practice time to a maximum of only 2-3 hours, and this is not adequate practice time to obtain enough mastery of the instrument to prevail at an audition.
________________________
Everything above is assuming that you were referring to a full-time job in a military band or symphony orchestra...
________________________
...if you just meant "playing tuba for a living"...one should hook up with two or three free-lance brass quintets, a couple of polka bands, three or four jazz bands, the local guy who hires musicians for the touring Broadway shows (although this will only define perhaps two weeks per year - though lucrative), and six or seven booking agencies or individuals that always seem to be hiring musicians for church orchestra engagements. All of this put together will probably total around $20K-$25K per year in a city with a population of 2,000,000 or more...assuming your child is "first call".
The final factor is a reputation for "BEING NICE"...just like in any other industry.
_____________________________
*defined as prevailing at a well-attended audition for a full-time symphony orchestra or military band job playing the tuba