The average day of any student is stressful and overwhelming, but imagine handling all the schoolwork and stress of a normal day in addition to a managing a music career at the same time.
For some students at the school who want to further their career in music, starting as early as they can in order to get ahead means starting now. Getting connections in the music world is extremely helpful for students who want to go to college to enhance their music career or for students who want to schedule gigs. “My private teacher is a huge connection because he helps me contact college professors and recommends or refers me to other musicians for gigs,” senior musician Will Fowler said.
Becoming a musician or artist does not happen simply because someone is talented in that area of work. They have to have the right mindset to be able to handle the pressure and hours of practice. For students who love the rush of performing and like to create art that they can share with others, becoming a musician or artist can be mostly fun rather than stressful. “I decided I wanted to become a musician while I was performing in an orchestra concert during the summer of 2017. It was an experience that I’ll never forget,” Fowler said.
Students who have started from the beginning to get ahead are still undergoing extreme competition for positions, especially for those who want to become a part of a larger music group, like an orchestra. “I am currently principal trombonist of the Maryland Classic Youth Orchestra Philharmonic Orchestra, and have held the principal position with the Interlochen World Youth Wind Symphony Orchestra in 2016. I held the principal and second trombone positions with the Boston University Tanglewood Orchestra and the American Youth Philharmonic Orchestra from 2017 to 2018. This summer I will be one of three trombonists in the National Youth Orchestra of the USA,” Fowler said.
For student musicians or artists, post-high school years may either be planned out early on, or not be set for years to come. Some decide to study music in college to add to their career and gather a greater understanding of the history of the type of music they want to pursue, while others will take the time away from school to become even more serious about starting a career on their own.
Some may try to follow in the footsteps of a mentor or idol that they have previously admired. Mentors and idols have a huge impact on musicians from the minute they decide they want to pursue music to the end of their music career.
Either way, music will not stop being a major part of their lives as it has impacted their life decisions for so long. “Music will always be part of my life because it has had such a large impact on me so it will always be part of who I am,” Fowler said.
