on topic: a neat thing I forgot to mention earlier today

Sounds like you should be tie-dye!

DD went to a performing arts high school. One parent's night, someone asked, "Well, if they go on to study music performance in college, what do they *do* with that degree?" To which the teacher replied: "Go to law school. That's where most of my conservatory friends ended up."

Sue

Absolutely. In our group of friends we have a few of the plaid and bright orange, but fortunately our friend who is now an engineering professor has her PhDs from the Stats & Public Administration Depts so at least there's another color to offset the scary Halloween hoods. I think she has a blueish, and also the shorter Masters one with the bright yellow for Math. Of course, she's the only academic amongst us.

At undergrad school it wasn't so bad looking at the hoods - since Orange went with the Umiami orange and green (though it's a bit different).

ellice

Hey - that's my excuse. DH actually made it through the Jeopardy try-outs when he was living in California, but then by the time he got called he'd changed duty stations and was back east with a sick mom. We keep thinking if only we could compound our trivial knowledge and go embarrass ourselves on some stupid show. At least we're "smarter than a 5th grader"

ellice

ROFLMAO. My 4-5th grade boyfriend - with whom I stayed friends through high school is a fabulous musician. We shared a piano teacher for a while (but my mom couldn't deal with the schlep & I'm not that good). He played trumpet & piano. Went to either Brown or Brandeis (forget which), majored in "Harpsichord", but took a minor in sociology for "practical reasons" . Some years later at the high school reunion we sat together. I hadn't seen him in at least 15 years, though his gorgeou younger brother I had seen a bit more recently. Turns out that former beau (of whom I'd had this suspicion) was now "A lawyer" and living with a museum curator of the same gender (not a surprise). I think everyone at the table but me were now lawyers. At some point after college he'd actually worked on his dad's fleet of "shrimp boats" then decided law school was a better alternative.

ellice

One of my music major friends is a dealer at a casino. Keeps food on the table so he can pursue music as a heavy-duty avocation.

Fortunately not all music majors have to do that. My friend's son, Larry, is the First Clarinet with the Barcelona Symphony Orchestra.

Lucille

I know some who do have music-related jobs. Problem is, there are more music majors than there are orchestra jobs, more voice majors than openings for professional opera singers. The extras have to find something else to do.

Actually, you pretty much have to be both. Depending on the instrument, it's not uncommon for up to several hundred qualified people to audition for an opening with something that will actually pay the rent. When you've got that many very talented people vying for a single position, luck has a lot to do with it even if you are also very talented.

Best wishes, Ericka

Too true. Larry comes home to the States at least twice a year to take his instrument to somewhere in the Mid-West for whatever is necessary to keep it in top shape. When he comes he always makes time to visit his mom and her friends.

He said he would come back to the U.S. if he could get a good position and if his SO, who speaks very little English, could get a good job. But he isn't holding out much hope for anything here that would pay him as well as Barcelona.

The last audition he went to, in San Francisco, had over 240 people applying for the position and most of them were 20 years younger than he and willing to accept a lot less money.

It's not an easy life.

Lucille

Both of those, and very hard-working, too. DSIL and DBIL are both conservatory-trained instrumental musicians. He teaches middle school music during the week, then plays out on weekends. She teaches in her own studio, does freelance gigs (symphonies, Broadway shows, weddings, parties, etc.), and also has taught in private schools or managed local symphonies or whatever it took to keep things afloat. Lots of juggling.

Several of their conservatory buddies went into the armed services to serve in the bands. Steady pay, good experience, and steady work. Those groups, too, are *extremely* competitive.

Sue

Yep. I know from my volunteer work with the symphony that almost every one of them gave private lessons at home, and they juggled a variety of concert groups (e.g., played in the symphony but also in chamber music quartet and when symphony season overlapped with ballet season we'd often have a skeleton crew on stage). Some also taught school or college. Some flipped burgers on the side. Whatever it took to keep body and soul together while pursuing their passion.