Jazz Studies or Performance Degree

[JakeTrumpet]

Hello all,
I'm in high school and am beginning to look into colleges, and I definitely know that I want to major in music, I'm just not sure whether I want to major in trumpet performance or jazz studies (performance). I enjoy playing and listening to all different kinds of music and also I enjoy taking both classical and jazz lessons. Some of my favorite players are Maynard (50s/60s especially), Dave Stahl, Wynton Marsalis, Wayne Bergeron, Patrick Hession, Philip Smith, David Bilger and Jens Lindemann. I also enjoy many brass groups (Boston Brass, Canadian Brass, Tromba Mundi, and Empire Brass) and orchestras (Hollywood Bowl, Philly Orch, NY Phil, and Boston Pops). I know versatility is a key factor to becoming a successful musician, so I'd like to be as "well-versed" in both areas as possible. Any words of wisdom or advice anyone would have would be greatly appreciated!
Thank you,
Jacob[/img]
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"Don't stop where I have, but go further."- Claude Gordon

[cornet74]

Can you improvise?

From your list of supposed jazz players there are few examples that would rate as jazz players--more lead players and symphonic/chamber players.

What about KD, Hub, Woods, Lee, Clifford, et el.?

Speaking as a former U. prof. I'd advise the trumpet major.

Becoming a lead player is not jazz--its called commercial work.

Good luck.

Best,
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Now:
Yamaha 203 Tenor Horn
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[jiarby]

Both are "pre-unemployment". You may want to join a college or high school faculty some day to augment your pro playing career and will find an ed degree more useful.

With what college costs these days it would be insane to accumulate student loan debt for a degree that has zero job prospects. If you can play at the pro level you don't need a performance degree. If you can't play at a pro level it won't help you.

Marry a nursing major... That is the only hope for a jazz performance major.. better yet, join the air force and hope Brian MacDonald retires someday.

[Shaft]

Cruise ships down sized, the big band era of touring bands is near extinct, and symphonies are what they are. Before going into music and spending thousands ask your self how you want to fill a 40 hour work week when you are older.

Focus can get you what you want and you have time to figure it out but I'll tell you what. Professors need a degree and symphonies like to see them as well.

On stage the only thing that matters is if you are good. (Aside from other desireable professional qualities, stage presence and anything else you can think of.)
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[Crazy Finn]

[PW-Factor]

Pre-unemployment is right...

I worked for my first year out of school as an adjunct professor at my alma-mater. I figured, if worse comes to worse, I can just work at Best Buy or something.

Well, it turns out I have now been turned down for jobs at Best Buy, Dick's Sporting Goods, a local pizza shop, and as a dock worker at UPS. Even trying to find "side-work" is flooded with unemployed 30-somethings.

The job market, regardless of field, is borderline hopeless unless you go the the oil fields in Alaska or something.
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[JakeTrumpet]

I do listen to jazz players like Lee, Freddie, Clifford, Andy Gravish (great friend of mine), and Roy Eldridge. I'd like to be in a military band one day, and I know if I work hard enough, I can do it. I've talked to many guys (some conductors) who have told me to "Go for it!" I love Sinatra recordings and Tutti Camarata's recordings, too. Yes I do improvise, & as I play more, the more musical and creative my ideas become. I know it's tough, but when there's a will there's a way. I am determined to play my horn professionally. I wouldn't mind teaching one day (privately or academically), but I'd like to play full time.

[Mike Sailors]

[TrumpetMD]

[JakeTrumpet]

Thank you all for your advice! I definitely have some options to consider, so I think I might just go straight performance and just shed some more! I hope my hard work will pay off one day. Hopefully I can teach one day too, so music Ed is another option. Once again thank you all for your input!
Cheers,
Jake

[JakeTrumpet]

@MikeSailors thanks for the words of encouragement! I find investments interesting actually, so I could always do that on the side! Lol
@TrumpetMD thanks for your advice! I'll do whatever I feel will be the best option for me.
Good luck to all of you in your future musical endeavors!

[spitvalve]

I have a very expensive piece of paper that says I know how to play the trumpet. In nearly thirty years it has never paid for itself.

That said, the cream rises to the top--it's just that the container is no longer a large vat; it's more like a soda bottle, so there's not as much room at the top as there used to be and a lot of the cream is backed up farther down the bottle.

You will need more than one or two or even three marketable skills--you will need to be able to do it all: playing in all styles, teaching, arranging/composing, additional instruments (especially keyboards--they're always the first hired and last ones fired), studio engineering, contracting, and marketing.

Here's an article I published recently that might also help. It's directed at classical musicians but it should apply to all:
http://www.classicalist.org/audition-job-networking-tips-for-classical-musicians/
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Bryan Fields
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1991 Bach LR180 ML 37S
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1979 Getzen Eterna 895S Flugelhorn
1969 Getzen Capri cornet
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Warburton and Stomvi Flex mouthpieces

[FDC05]

I am one of the fortunate ones who gets to play for a living, and I would second many of the posts on here. Yes, it is extremely helpful to have the time to focus on your playing while you're in school. However, when you're done with your degree, there is no job guarantee. Many fall in to the trap of continuing to a Masters and a DMA just to live off loans (terrible idea). If you truly want to play for a living, you can do that while studying another field, that can be both a "fall back" and an asset to your playing career. Maybe study marketing, or business management, or entrepreneurship. Music Ed is a common path (the one I took), which will allow you to teach music anywhere in the country. Just like you said you are considering performance and will just "shed" the jazz side, you can study anything and just "shed" all-around trumpet playing, finish with a useful degree, and be a fantastic player if you plan ahead and work your butt off.

My advice.... go to a school with a solid music program, with great trumpet faculty, in an area that you can gig and learn from other professionals. But, a school that also offers a solid program in another field, maybe on that is mutually beneficial to your playing career. If you do choose to study music performance, seek out schools that will pay for as much of your degree so when you're done, you can be as close to loan-free as possible. Remember, currently the Army (not sure about other services) is not offering loan repayment.
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Mark

[JakeTrumpet]

Thanks @Spitvalve and @FDC05! I will consider all the options I have!

[JakeTrumpet]

It never hurts to network. It's all about who you know. Perseverance is another key.

[rockford]

[JakeTrumpet]

You said it @rockford! All that matters is "can you play?"

[PH]

Honestly, to a great degree this choice will depend on which school you are looking at. Different schools have different policies, different degree requirements, etc.

If you want to be a professional performer no one cares about your major or if you even finished a degree. Can you do the job? To that extent, it is mostly about getting your skills together via practice, study with a great teacher or teachers, intense listening to great models (live and recorded) and quality and quantity of ensemble experience. If you can study with a great teacher, find the necessary hours to practice to the level where your skills are competitive, get ensemble experience with good groups playing great literature well, etc. then major in anything....or don't major in anything.

If you want to both teach and play, then having a degree (probably including one or more graduate degrees) and your choice of majors does matter. The degree is one of the credentials required for access. The degrees required will also vary depending on the level you want to teach (high school, college, community college, conservatory...) and the subject area(s) you hope to teach.

I majored in music ed as an undergrad. The only time I really used that degree was to substitute teach for a few years right after college. Don't major in music ed unless you want to teach K-12, substitute teach or continue on to a doctoral degree in music ed (and be a music ed prof-not primarily a trumpet or jazz prof).

To teach college full-time in your generation you probably need a doctoral degree in the area of specialty. This could be trumpet performance. It might be jazz. It might be music theory or some other area.

At some schools trumpet performance majors are not often allowed to play in jazz band, as the jazz majors need to be placed first. Some schools discourage or bar jazz majors from participating in "classical" ensembles such as orchestra, wind ensemble, brass choir, etc. Many schools don't have room to include performance majors in their jazz combos (as job one is to serve the jazz majors). Some schools don't have room to include jazz majors in brass choir, orchestra rep classes, brass quintets, etc. This varies from school to school, and sometimes year to year.

Assuming you resolve the issue of getting lessons with the teacher you want, getting placement in the ensembles you want, etc. the biggest drawback to majoring in music education or in something other than music is that the time demands placed on you by academics and other non-performance requirements can make it difficult or impossible for you to get enough time on the horn and in rehearsal or performance to progress optimally. Music education degrees today often include lots of courses that are mandated by the organizations that license teachers (government, school of education people, etc.) and these can be burdensome and often irrelevant to playing or teaching music.

Questions to ask:

1) If I major in X who will I study trumpet with? A professor? A grad student? A part time faculty member?

2) If I am a performance major, will any jazz be included in my lessons? If I am a jazz major, will traditional classical music be included in my lessons?

3) If I major in X will I have the opportunity to participate in jazz band, jazz combo, orchestra, wind ensemble, brass choir...?

4) What are the differences between the classes required on the two degrees? (These differences are often quite dramatic!)

There are as many routes to success as there are successful people. Good luck!
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[JakeTrumpet]

Mr. Harbison,
Thanks for your insight. I would one day like to teach at a college/university, so performance is the best route for me. Eventually, after college I'd like to get a masters and DMA in performance or pedagogy. Teaching collegiately sounds like one of the neatest jobs I can think of. To be able to do that one day would be a huge honor!

[royjohn]

JakeTrumpet,

Some very good suggestions in this thread. It would be great to proceed on to the DMA and I wish you good luck at that. I would just give a good amount of thought to what I could do as a fall-back position. As folks have indicated, it could be something related to trumpet playing, such as repair or recording expertise or music management, or it could be something like IT, which seems to be in demand for the forseeable future.

If you are a good student, I don't think you will find yourself incredibly pressed for time if you are organized. Your lip will only allow for a finite amount of face time with the instrument and focusing is the great challenge of practice.
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royjohn
Trumpets: 1928 Holton Llewellyn Model, 1957 Holton 51LB, 2010 Custom C by Bill Jones, 2011 Custom D/Eb by Bill Jones
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