When asking graduate students what they want to do, the answer is often "teach at the collegiate level." In fact, I blogged about this in a previous post.
Higher education is a delightful career. The opportunity to mentor students in their final years before entering the "real world" is a powerful position and one not taken lightly.
As graduate students, we learn the ins and outs of performance and pedagogy, observe our teachers, and get inspired to do what they do. But there is much more to consider.
(As a side note... your first gig probably won't be like your graduate school).
Important Consideration Number One:
The job-set skills needed to succeed greatly exceed the ability to give great faculty recitals, well-programmed ensemble concerts, and stellar private lessons.
I plan to address several of these "other duties as assigned" skills in subsequent blogs. Let's start with number one: Event Planner.
Example:
This week, in addition to teaching classes and lessons, I will:
1. Direct three different dress rehearsals.
2. Present my percussion ensemble and steel bands concert.
3. Host a jazz festival with several high school bands, trumpet legend Bobby Shew, pianist Chuck Lamb, PROJECT Trio with beatboxing flutist, Greg Pattillo, members of the USAF Academy Band Falconaires, jazz vocalist Theano Lamb, and in addition to performances by my big band and combos, host a regional big band.
4. Perform and have students perform for our department's community holiday collage concert.
Project management. Event planning. Call it what you will. This is a very important aspect of my job with far reaching implications.
Integral to the above events, the following needed to happen:
1. Countless emails, phone calls, texts, and face to face meetings.
2. Budgets and schedules negotiated. Contracts created and artist fees negotiated.
3. Industry partners acquired.
4. Personal and professional relationships strengthened and finessed.
5. For profit and non-profit organizations brought on board.
6. Advertising campaigns launched and managed (print, radio, internet, etc).
7. Paperwork pushed through several different campus offices.
8. Scheduling. More scheduling. Rescheduling.
9. Forms created from scratch, work-study students supervised (no graduate assistants), and student volunteers coordinated.
10. Oh, and rehearsals.
If hosting a dinner party stresses you out, I'd suggest getting some experience. But where?
As a member of the USAF Band of the Golden West, not only did I play percussion, but I served as a tour manager; a job I credit with making project management a familiar task. I was fortunate to gain these experiences directly out of graduate school.
Here are a few suggestions:
1. Book your solo act or chamber group for a multi-day tour.
2. Serve on the board/volunteer for a live music association/music festival and learn the ropes.
3. Plan and implement a local "Day of Percussion/Clarinet/Accordion/Zither."
4. Observe the events you attend and decide what works and what doesn't. Talk to the event planner and ask for any flow charts, check lists, and to-do lists they are willing to share. You can always email me!
Event Planner. Get the experience now and avoid mistakes later.
Visit my website at www.jameswdoyle.com
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