Your dream My dream Who's dream

[tekm0nsta]

Hey Guys

I am 23 years old and just aquired my first sax but the music has been a huge part of my life for a while now. I was wondering if I were to devote my life into learning and practing my skills with my sax for 3-4 hours, and 5-6 days a week how long would it take me to become good enough to become a professional.

Is this a hopeless dream like trying to become a basketball player or a rock star or is there a better possibility for someone like me to have a solo career in this field.

[Razzy]

23 years old is pretty late... still, I thought my picking up the instrument around age 10 and only really <practicing> it seriously by about 16 was late too. Now I'm 17 and my life goal is to make money playing music and to be the best musician I can be. So yea I think it's possible. But you need a few things:

-Find a great teacher, quick. Not good, but great. You need it. Really dedicate yourself to this teacher if he/she turns out to be great, and learn your lesson materials
-After you've gotten some ability on the instrument, find all the public playing opportunities you can. Only when your skills have reached a certain level can you decide which gigs to take and which direction you want to go.
-Practice whenever you have free time. For me it meant forgetting about television, football games, and pretty much most of my social life. I'm very selective with those things now, and I'll pass up many social opportunities to practice now, it's simply what must be done.

If you can do those things, and commit to them, then you can do it. It will take a few years but you can do it.

[LBAjazz]

Well, I started at 20. I love jazz; I'm not into rock and roll. But if you really want to work for $, you better learn all the rock and roll, r&b, beach music, etc that you can. I'm talking Motown, Jr. Walker, Stones, anything you might hear on a "classic rock/oldies" radio station. That's where the $ is, sadly.If you think you want to make it in jazz, stay single and develop a taste for mac and cheese.

[paulwl]

For those of us outside the southern coastal area, is it possible to elaborate a little on what beach music is? I've heard the term but never quite pinned down a definition. Thanks.

tekm0nsta, it is possible to make music your life and something else your living. Many people find this the ideal balance – I'm one of them.

"You tell me your dream, I'll tell you mine"
-hit song of 1899

[paulwl]

:D

[LBAjazz]

"Beach Music" is a term that I think comes from the early popularity of black r&b in the late 50s and early 60s with white teenagers at such resort towns as Myrtle Beach, S.C. Think Otis Day and the Knights in the movie "Animal House" and you'll get the general idea. John Laughter could probably tell it better than me. It is not a disparaging term at all; it is a term of endearment. Southern R&B, Memphis Soul, Muscle Shoals, etc. You know....the stuff they play on oldies stations that DOESN'T suck.

[Jon B. Bop]

Tek,

With all due respect to Razzy, 23 may seem old when you're 17, but I'm 50, and I started 2 years ago. Now I doubt if I'll ever turn pro, but believe me I wish I'd started when I was ........23.

Bottom line; What are your options? Go back to being 10?
You can either start today and see where it takes you, or say you are too old, don't do it, and wake up one day when you're 50 saying "if only I'd started when I was 23!"

I'm sure there are plenty of working musicians today who started at 23 or older.

My advice, If It's really your passion, go for it. There is very little down side.

"What your mind can concieve, and your heart believe, you can achieve!"
W. Clement Stone

[Subtone Sam]

The great late Joe Henderson started playing at 23 and he learned quite well,I'd say.

Age doesn't really matter,neither does it matter what anybody thinks if you are talented or not; what matters is YOUR passion for music and learning to play.

Becoming a "pro" should not be the first thing on your mind when you practise,you should practise because you love the music and want to play the saxophone.
Some people have this need to play,like they need to breathe or eat,its more like music chooses them,not vice versa.

[larry]

I think you need to be more specific when you say "professional". Here are some possible interpretations in the financial aspect:

* You are The Man - You're Michael Brecker, Phil Woods, and Joe Lovano all rolled into one frothing ball of talent. You command 5 figures for performances. (this ain't real probable unless you are blessed with serious amounts of God-given talent AND you're a good business man AND you work hard)

* Music is your sole source of income. You play every gig you get, you teach, play as a sideman, studio stuff, tour, other music-related occupations: repair, arranging, engineering, etc. (entirely possible, even with mediocre talent as long as you work really hard)

* You have a day job, but play in bands on the side. Best of both worlds: predictable income, but living a fulfilling musical life as well. (Probably a majority of the SOTW readers, requires a lot of balancing skills!)

* Your music brings you no money but tons of joy: you continue to study, do community bands and small ensembles, and polish your craft only for your craft's sake.

I don't think it's too late at any age to become a "professional" (regardless of your definition) as long as you have a strong work ethic and dedicate yourself.

[Pete]

Venturing an opinion, I really do think if you are going to be "a professional" along the lines of "the MAN" in Larry's post, you need to have a good degree of talent and luck to go along with your hard work.

I enjoy telling the story of my playing life: I was a decent saxophone player ("was" because I haven't played regularly for ten years) and I went to college for music. I had some great teachers before and during college.

In college, I would practice for six or more hours a day. I would only get incrementally better. "Incrementally better" wasn't good enough for me, so after a year of "incrementally better", I changed my major.

Now, I've directed a couple orchestras (i.e. I was paid for music). I've also played some pro gigs (more $), so I think that I did all right. I just disabused myself of the notion that I could be the second coming of Gerry Mulligan and followed a path where I do have some talent: fixing computers.

I also think that most of the posters here would agree that a very, very small percentage of folks get paid big money for any music career -- even if he's an excellent player, has a good teacher, bathes more than once a week, etc. My first major job fixing computers paid almost twice that of a starting teacher and I only had five years' experience and no college degree.

So, I do encourage you to follow a music career. Just keep your expectations realistic.