Originally Posted by
jakewillis
My son is a junior in high school. He wants to be a music major and play Euphonium. [snip]
Do you have any advice you'd share for a very talented young Euphonium player who is considering spending a large amount on university training? Should he go as cheap as possible? Or if he gets into the Jacobs school of music or another amazing program, for example, will that investment in education pay off?[snip]
I highly recommend college, at the best school he can attend.
As a musician, he'll have exposure not only to his peers, but he'll meet and play with those who are even better. He'll be challenged to extend his abilities. His teachers will have contacts that may help him in his future career, and a good school often has the best placement departments.
Many talented musicians I know have supported themselves in other fields, often teaching, but even in as varied fields as tax law (e.g., me). The unfortunate fact of being a professional musician is that except for the very few, it's not very remunerative. Having a college degree will be vital for your son, should he want a dual career in music and something else.
Dean L. Surkin
Mack Brass MACK-EU1150S, BB1 mouthpiece
Bach 36B trombone; Bach 6.5AL and Faxx 7C mouthpieces (pBone on loan to granddaughter)
Steinway 1902 Model A, restored by AC Pianocraft in 1988; Kawai MP8, Yamaha KX-76
See my avatar: Jazz (the black cockapoo; RIP) and Delilah (the cavapoo) keep me company while practicing