Dare To Be Different by Jonathan Tesser
Music teachers are finding success by pushing the string program envelope
Music educators are well aware of the importance of music to their students. It is so important, students sometimes decide to make music a career choice. This can be difficult for parents to support, as they assume that the field is overcrowded, that opportunities are few and that their intelligent, talented child could lead a life of limited personal and financial success.
I have been teaching clarinet at the university level for many years and have often been asked by parents of prospective students what the career possibilities are for a "clarinet performance major"–a career that seems narrow in definition and therefore apt to offer few job opportunities. I am typically asked this while the young person looks at me with a combination of hope, eagerness and rock-solid faith in his or her abilities.
My answer is this: there are more ways to pursue a music career than one might initially suppose. Yes, opportunities do exist in symphony orchestras, and those plum jobs will be snapped up–but there are many more opportunities than those. Teaching in schools, performing in freelance situations, developing a private studio, playing musical theater, teaching at the university level or working in the music industry are some of the many paths that successful, degreed musicians can follow.
As an example, I would like to introduce you to two of my former students, both of whom received clarinet performance degrees. They are now valuable colleagues at Conn-Selmer's Leblanc division in Kenosha, Wisconsin, about an hour north of Chicago. Audrey Denny works for us as a clarinet tester and is supervisor of our woodwind assembly area. Craig Denny (yes, they are married and met while studying with me) is a tester of clarinets and saxophones. Craig continues a formidable career in Chicago as a musical theater performer, and Audrey keeps up her teaching and classical performance career with private students and a successful woodwind quintet. I would like to give you a better idea of what they do for us at Leblanc while sharing their observations about the field of music and their career direction.
Tell us about your original decision to enter music as a career. What were your plans? Why did you choose music?
Audrey: I thought playing in an orchestra would be exciting. I simply wanted to play my clarinet.
Craig: My answer is the same. I wanted to play for a living.
Audrey: I should add that initially, playing was the goal, but once I got to school, I realized there were other possibilities.
Craig: That's true, but to be honest, another motive for me was that I wanted to be famous. I was going to be the next Eddie Daniels. He can do everything–jazz, classical, clarinet and sax. I wanted to do all that.
Earlier, neither of you knew much about the music industry, particularly the production side. So obviously, this was not in your original plan. Nevertheless, here you are. How do you feel about your life's path, and what was attractive to you about this kind of work?
Audrey: Honestly, I'm the happiest I've ever been. I feel fulfilled because I work in an industry where I can play while doing my job, earn a living and have a positive impact on the instruments we build. Also, outside of Leblanc, I can continue to teach and play.
Craig: Going into college, I had the idea that everybody went into music playing, learned more, then left to continue playing. I now realize that's not always true. I feel fortunate. I'm earning a living by working in music, if not exactly as I originally planned. Of course, I now have a more realistic view of the career and its many possibilities.
Describe the job–what do you do each day?
Audrey: As supervisor, I manage the whole final-assembly process. I make sure the assemblers have the things they need to do their job, make sure we produce what we schedule and maintain quality while doing it, manage the employees in my area as far as attendance, vacations, training, job assignments, and so forth, and generally do quite a lot of troubleshooting. I'm also in charge of the testing of all clarinets we make and ship. I simply play them and make sure they are good.
Craig: I test all harmony clarinets, some of the Bb clarinets, all saxophones and anything necessary in combination with Audrey. If Leblanc makes it, I test it.
What do you do outside of Leblanc?
Audrey: I have a number of private clarinet students I teach in my home, and I'm a member of the Barossa Woodwind Quintet, which performs recitals and educational concerts in the Chicago Public Schools, through the International Music Foundation and Ravinia Festival.
Craig: I do a lot of subbing at the [Chicago] Oriental Theater in shows such as Wicked, which I'm doing now. I also play in several pop and R&B bands for weddings, parties and private events. And I have students that I teach out of our home.
You're both aware of how important your contributions are to Leblanc. We can maintain a high level of quality because the two of you have an unusually high level of performance skill–and you have been trained through your performance degrees to work toward and uphold a very high standard. Can you talk about how past training has helped you in this job?
Audrey: Certainly, my education helped prepare me for this. I can play well, so I can test well. In addition, my education made me aware that there were other opportunities out there besides that elusive orchestral job.
Craig: I can play well–that's a must–but I can also "teach" assemblers what it is that a professional looks for, a teacher looks for and a student looks for, since I've had experience with all three.
Experience has taught me that there are many similarities between management and teaching. Do you find this to be true?
Audrey: Yes. Our assemblers are obviously skilled adult workers, but there are things about playing that they wouldn't know. I manage the line, often by teaching our workers what they don't know concerning how the instrument works and what our customers' expectations are. I've learned how to read "understanding" in someone's eyes, how to explain clearly and directly and how to work with varied personalities.
What's the most surprising thing you have faced in your jobs here?
Audrey: The realization that the assemblers really enjoy what they do, really care about the quality of their work and really care about Leblanc. I suppose it shouldn't have been a surprise, but it was. And a good one.
Craig: I've been surprised that the assemblers take such an interest in the people who are eventually going to play these instruments, whether it's a student, a teacher or a very well known performer.
For me, a big surprise has been learning just how truly difficult it is to make a clarinet! Knowing that this type of career is available, but not often understood, do you have any advice to aspiring musicians–and their teachers and parents–concerning opportunities in music that they may not at first be aware of?
Audrey: Sure. Be a well-rounded musician. Practice and work to be good at what you love. But do more than that. Take business classes, or try classes that suit other interests related to music. Seek alternative possibilities. Give yourself more than one path.
Craig: That's right. Know a couple of things you do well, and do them. But keep your eyes open to all the opportunities presented to you. Because, well–you never know.
Julie DeRoche, associate professor of clarinet and coordinator of winds at DePaul University, Chicago, also serves as director of Leblanc clarinets for Conn-Selmer, Inc. She can be reached at jderoche@depaul.edu.
