tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480029593231401794.post7389073142329592519..comments2024-03-09T11:05:00.704-08:00Comments on Tony Clements' Blogs: Why would you want a degree in music?Tony Clementshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07715491558866642772noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480029593231401794.post-24217235483232166652014-02-26T09:20:58.044-08:002014-02-26T09:20:58.044-08:00GREAT Article. Recently, I was made aware of a you...GREAT Article. Recently, I was made aware of a young artist with a Dr. in performance, with a college debt in excess of $170,000. This person (just starting out) will be paying for this their entire career.Tony Clementshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07715491558866642772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480029593231401794.post-65224086299357551192014-02-26T00:20:33.274-08:002014-02-26T00:20:33.274-08:00With respect to the cost of education vs. the bene...With respect to the cost of education vs. the benefits of career preparation:<br />http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/books/book-of-the-week-unmaking-the-public-university-the-forty-year-assault-on-the-middle-class/403636.articleAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10289687060515761183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480029593231401794.post-74835515525696975292013-12-21T13:03:06.453-08:002013-12-21T13:03:06.453-08:00A lot of young folks will be fortunate to receive ...A lot of young folks will be fortunate to receive this dose of reality. Well articulated!Dean Estabrookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11442305985988846551noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480029593231401794.post-78054405233758278802013-12-20T17:45:34.803-08:002013-12-20T17:45:34.803-08:00Wow Tony. Wonderful blog. I have been all of those...Wow Tony. Wonderful blog. I have been all of those places and seen it all. I've had a chance to do a lot of cool stuff in my years as a professional musician/teacher, but at age 69, I have to say that I would not want to be starting over. I don't envy the current generation. Great advice and well articulated. Thank you.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14632920802318016965noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480029593231401794.post-64151541986737020162012-03-21T10:17:24.329-07:002012-03-21T10:17:24.329-07:00Tony, great article. You're describing simple...Tony, great article. You're describing simple economics and the consequences of what happens when supply far exceeds demand. The price goes down. A student committed to a career in music must expand their view beyond the three options you describe (pro player, school teacher, university professor). It's as hard to do as the three you list ... but doable for a young person with talent, imagination, courage, and persistence.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13077583747898071085noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480029593231401794.post-60536446270016698532012-03-21T01:40:39.153-07:002012-03-21T01:40:39.153-07:00This is my retort, Tony! Thank you for your artic...This is my retort, Tony! Thank you for your article: http://www.facebook.com/notes/kabin-thomas/grateful-journal-for-wednesday-21-march-2012-note-to-future-musicians/10150723841915845kabinthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05399429853445537414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480029593231401794.post-38000313744633963422012-03-20T22:46:29.213-07:002012-03-20T22:46:29.213-07:00We have things backwards in this country. We need ...We have things backwards in this country. We need to get kids excited about playing muaic, make it part of our culture, build it from the ground up, make it so conpelling that everyone supports it, develop teaching skills along with playing skills, build the need for more teachers & instrument makers. This is what Venezuela has been doing. Read "Changing lives" to learn more. It's inspiring.Laura Shea-Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05414134212326160707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480029593231401794.post-39410468254740988742012-01-10T18:56:45.622-08:002012-01-10T18:56:45.622-08:00Mr. Clements:
Many of the conditions out there yo...Mr. Clements:<br /><br />Many of the conditions out there you have discussed cross my mind daily. When I returned to college in 2004 at the age of thirty-two, there were no funds for college when I was growing up. It was not until I was thirty that I had myself extensively tested and it was discovered that I had severe dyslexia. There were indications I had problems when I was in middle school but after testing during that time in the early 1980's, the results then were inconclusive. Then after one semester in college, after high school I dropped out. It was math and money, not my other courses! I went to community college first earning an Associate in Arts in 2008, then an Associate in Applied Science in Tuba & Songwriting in 2010. I transferred to a local university in 2008 within an hour of where I live earning and accepting an academic scholarship. I have a three year old son and a wife. I returned to college with the idea that I could create a better life for me and my family. I could not and did not have a wide range of degrees in other subjects that would have been within my range of abilities. Advanced mathematics was in a sense my Achilles Heel. I stayed on the music path, for that is all I know, and sight reading is not easy for me, although with a lot of practice I could become better at it. In May of 2012 I am expecting to graduate with my Bachelor of Arts in Music, and I owe a great deal of money in student loans as a result. It seems that the problem is our society, what people value, and the systematic decline of our education system in the United States. I do not have all of the answers, but someone somewhere does. It scares me and worries me greatly about what my young son will face when he graduates high school. Is there any hope for an individual making a living in what they love? Will our society continue to decay at an alarming rate, and what do I/We do?James M Doddhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15834877414124589750noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480029593231401794.post-44773618906808939452011-11-23T11:36:17.480-08:002011-11-23T11:36:17.480-08:00What's wrong with the plan of getting an educa...What's wrong with the plan of getting an education (with an emphasis on Music) and *then* becoming a plumber?<br /><br />As I never tire of pointing out - a college education is not "job training". In fact, to the extent that it *is* "job training", it's usually not much of an education.Kenneth Sloanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07103301654534259873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480029593231401794.post-16330327781070598852011-06-02T08:37:14.393-07:002011-06-02T08:37:14.393-07:00MaryFrances, you don't need a degree in music ...MaryFrances, you don't need a degree in music to be an orchestra manager. Most, with whom I have had contact never played an instrument!!!Tony Clementshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07715491558866642772noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480029593231401794.post-80921999572094997512011-03-29T12:52:22.598-07:002011-03-29T12:52:22.598-07:00You forgot about orchestra management. There's...You forgot about orchestra management. There's a whole world of jobs in that field that work well with a music degree. <br /><br />See: http://www.americanorchestras.org/career_center/career_profiles.htmlMaryFrances Semsemhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16223077174001586021noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480029593231401794.post-80943924402544076412011-03-26T20:18:27.334-07:002011-03-26T20:18:27.334-07:00This a great narrative, probably could be even mor...This a great narrative, probably could be even more brutal, just for posterity.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13468157093319135280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8480029593231401794.post-47812117835040156062011-03-25T21:28:33.547-07:002011-03-25T21:28:33.547-07:00Tony--great blog post! You lay it out by telling i...Tony--great blog post! You lay it out by telling it like it is. I would just add that you can make it in music, but you need to be a jack of many trades--teach music, and perform music, and manage musicians, and become known for being a jack of all trades, not just a master of one! <br /><br />Most importantly, if you do what you "love," you will love life more than if you get a job just to make money. I know I'm much happier as a 50 "something" in my career than my friends in business or engineering. They are all trying to figure out how to retire at 55--me, I have no idea when I'm going to retire because I enjoy what I do too much!Dale Wolfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17539073327644059352noreply@blogger.com