Some Thoughts on Career and Perfectionism

A college-age trombonist opened up about his fears, following a difficult time and a transfer of schools, in a very open way on the trombone forum the other day, and got me writing about some things I've been thinking about for a while.

There are no guarantees for any of us, no matter what school we did or didn't attend. I know excellent professional musicians who went to both XXX School and XXX Conservatory, and I know at least one bass trombonist who went to Curtis who doesn't work in music at all anymore. There are players in major orchestras who didn't go to any of the big name music schools. 

The only factor that matters is you. What standards do you hold yourself to? Do you take steps every day to improve, even just a tiny bit? 

Also, there are many paths to success and fulfillment for a life in and with music, and there are many versions of what success and fulfillment look like. Many of my colleagues and I enjoy our careers and have stable, happy lives without "the big job." Instead, we have multiple jobs, and sometimes those jobs come and go. I make more money some years than others, but I always pay my mortgage. 

If the anxiety you are feeling is keeping you from taking positive action, then I would urge you to talk to a professional counselor. While you are in school there are resources available to you that are harder to pay for when you are out of school, so I would encourage you to take advantage of them. 
My best advice to you is to make sure to do good things for yourself every day. That means eating well, sleeping well, and taking action towards your goals - every day.  

And further...

XXX brings up a good thought about "impostor syndrome." 

Want to know the truth? EVERYBODY has that sometimes. I've read notes from a masterclass with Ian Bousfield in which he talked about feeling that way often, even after he was principal trombone of the Vienna Philharmonic! 

Everybody has bad days too. I've been in the same room as Joe Alessi while he was having very poor response in the low register - onstage, with a pianist, in a masterclass in front of a room full of music students. He didn't say anything, but it was obvious that he was furious with himself. I happened to switch on a NY Phil TV broadcast once at the very moment when Phil Smith laid down a huge clam on the last fanfare entrance of Tchaikovsky 4th. 

Do I think any less of them for it? Not in the least. I take it as encouragement. It means that I'm not a failure if I miss a note or make a mental mistake in a concert. How many things did I do well before and after the mistake? 

We are brass players; there are more physical variables for us than for any other instruments, so perfect performances don't really exist for us. It's our job to make a split note, a less-than-centered sound in a big leap, a small error of timing not matter, because of the great music we make around them. The other side of our fallibility is that we are capable of the biggest drama...IF we are willing to commit to the moment without hesitation or second-guessing. 

The more bold statements you make, the more your body and mind will get used to what you are asking of them. 



I went to a fantastic masterclass a couple of weeks ago by Sam Pilafian. A few nuggets of wisdom related to these subjects:

Bernstein: no rules in music. Say yes to everything that comes up and you can go far.

Go towards growth.

When you keep high standards, good things happen along the way.

You radiate what you're feeling. Get to having fun.

Recording Reviews, #2 of ??: "American Visions" - Garth Simmons, Trombone, Michael Boyd, Piano

I met Garth Simmons years ago when we were both students at the Aspen Music Festival studying with Per Brevig. We didn't get to know each other all that well at that time, but I distinctly remember Mr. Brevig giving Garth the kind of tough love he reserved for the most talented students he knew had the drive to succeed. Just as I'm sure Mr. Brevig predicted, Garth has done extremely well, and he is currently Principal Trombone of the Toledo Symphony and Associate Professor at Bowling Green State University. 

I've become reacquainted with Garth on facebook and ran into him again at this year's International Trombone Festival. His debut solo CD, American Visions, is an essential addition to a good trombone library; as far as I can tell, these are the first commercial recordings of  four of the six pieces. Garth makes a great case for every one of them being performed much more often. 

 

Robert Sanders' Sonata in E-flat is a piece I knew about, but I'm not sure I'd ever actually heard it. Like his brass quintet, I find it easy enough listening, if a little bit unmemorable. Still, it's a tuneful, well-constructed piece that deserves a place in the repertoire. I'm much more captivated by the two other large pieces on the disc: Richard Monaco's Sonata was written in a very attractive Hindemith-inspired language of open intervals and rhythmic energy, and George Frederick McKay's Sonata is likewise a great example of the kind of muscular music that was being written by many American composers in the middle of the 20th century. Sometimes I find myself pounding my fist on a table late at night over the absence of this music from American symphonic programs, but I digress...

There are two unaccompanied works on the disc: David W. Brubeck's (the bass trombonist and composer, not the late jazz pianist) StereoGram No. 12 "Spain," and "Dynamo," written for Garth by an Eastman classmate named Michael Johnson. "Spain" comes from a wonderfully challenging set of etudes exploring the idea of establishing multiple lines on a single-voice instrument. Intended originally for bass trombone, some of Brubeck's StereoGrams are finding their way onto concert programs because of their engaging grooves in a variety of styles. "Dynamo" is a virtuosic tour de force highlighting many of Garth's formidable strengths as a performer: big colorful sound, strong and secure range in both extremes, extended techniques, etc. For my taste the piece could be even more effective if it were a little shorter and more compositionally unified, but it's a great alternative to some of the other unaccompanied showcases we've got.

The last work on the recording might be the biggest find. Paul Tanner's Aria for Trombone is a light-hearted encore-style piece that allows a player with a strong high register to sing out freely. It's also more rhythmic than its title suggests and exists with both piano and band accompaniments. 

All in all, this is a disc you should have if only as reference for the music on it. Garth's great sound and stylish playing make it all that much more valuable. 

Recording Reviews, #1 of ??: Triton Brass

I've received some excellent new recordings recently, and I'm going to do a series of short reviews. I hope you'll buy them. The artists invest a lot of energy, time AND MONEY to do these, and every little bit of their financial investment they can get back helps them to do more.

So...first:

My friends of the Triton Brass Quintet have just released their debut recording. I work with every member of this group often in my freelance travels. I have tremendous respect and admiration for every one of them as individuals, and on top of that they have achieved the chamber music ideal of making a group that transcends the sum of its parts.

The recording opens with an original work by one of Triton's trumpeters, Andrew Sorg. Andrew is an amazing musician, and his piece, "Mental Disorders," highlights everything he and the group can do: all-in performance, shifting styles on a dime, with sounds that range from achingly beautiful to shocking and even ugly - all at the service of the music.

I won't say too much about the rest of the music, as I think it's best left to the listeners' ears, but I will say that this is black belt brass playing from everyone, in a range of styles of original music and transcriptions that I can guarantee are not already in your library. More importantly, it's a recording that captures the kind of freedom and excitement I hear from this group in live concert, with a beautifully clear and warm recorded sound.

I'm so proud of my friends Andrew, Steve, Shelagh, Wes and Angel.

Buy the recording at itunes, Hip-Bone Music, CDBaby, Amazon