Career facets - it's so much more than the orchestra

Some of my older students (and their parents) have asked me how exactly one supports oneself as a musician. I can't answer for everyone - for me it's a combination of things. If you're curious, you can see job listings for orchestras around the world without logging into the union pages at musical chairs. There, you can click on the job and see exactly what's required and what the process is. In America, you usually pay a refundable deposit to hold your audition time that can be between $25 and $100. Some orchestras screen resumes or hold tape-only rounds. Most simply invite candidates, and send you a repertoire list that you must learn for the audition.

I was raised on a steady diet of the "make-your-own-opportunity" brand. That means I'm involved in a lot of other projects that are a little harder to explain, like Classical Revolution PDX, a radical chamber music association that presents concerts in venues outside the concert hall. CRPDX has a monthly gig at downtown Portland's Someday Lounge where we're getting a lot of attention and young audiences. I perform and research expansion for them. Right now, none of this is paid work - but we hope to get some money for music rental and organizers' salaries through aligning with other non-profits and applying for grants. My goal is to make this a paid gig for the organizers within the year, and to have all musicians paid within five.

This fall, concertizing will hopefully become a small source for income for me. Pianist Rhonda Ringering and I are planning several recitals around Oregon in the fall. Basically, we front the money to rent a hall or church, we try to get as many people to come as possible, we put on a great show, and hopefully make more in ticket sales that what it cost to put on.

The single most reliable source of income for me is my students, and my future job at Pacific University. Having tuition cover my living expenses opens me to taking on projects like CRPDX and frees me from relying on "gig money." That way, I won't have to feel compelled to take every wedding that comes along!