What's your dream choice?

[tbdana]

If you wanted to and could play/teach trombone full-time, and could have any kind of trombone career you wanted, how would you describe your dream, passion-based, most emotionally fulfilling trombone life? Leave money out of it; this is strictly about dreams and passion.

Soloist or sideman? Or teacher?
Classical, rock, new music, jazz, world, hip-hop or whatever, what's your genre?
How many musicians are you working with?
Who is your audience, if any?
You staying put or touring?
Live or recording?
Are you the leader?
What skills do you need to pull this off?
Anything else that strikes your fancy.

[hyperbolica]

I'd play in a brass chamber group and commission cool music for various combinations of instrumentation like choir, quintet, quartet, etc... We'd probably have a rhythm/percussion section. No amplification.

I'd combine a lot of different kinds of music. Led Zeppelin to Ellington to Copland to Monteverdi. The audience is obviously everyone. Bring classical to the young and 90s rock to the old. You have to filter a lot of junk in any style. Reinterpret styles and play in the original context. Great music is great music. Arranging can kill or save an existing tune. We NEVER play Eye of the Tiger or Chariots of Fire.

I'm the guy who picks the music. Someone else books gigs, takes attendance, writes the checks, rents the van, books hotels, rehearses the band, sells records, orders pizza, plays 4th trumpet, etc...

We have electronic stands with mics incorporated in them so we have a recording of every performance. Batteries in the stand tube. Solar panels on the bus and trailer to charge the stands.

[JTeagarden]

Section player in one of the top German or Austrian orchestras.

Actually being Lawrence Brown during his first stint with Duke Ellington.

[claf]

Always doing something different, I can't stand doing the same thing over and over again.
Big band gig tomorrow, symphony orchestra the day after, musical in three says, pop studio recording the day after, etc.

[LeTromboniste]

-Mostly as a performer, with some teaching because it's extremely fulfilling and feeds my creativity and my own progress as a performer. Happy with the balance I already currently have, would like to increase both sides while keeping the same proportion.
-A healthy mix of soloist, leader/conductor, and just plain ensemble member (not in charge of anything) would be ideal. Already what I have, but I'm working on increasing the proportion of solo and leader work.
-Classical, all on historical instruments. In an absolute ideal world without limits of hours in a day and days in a year, also some big band work – some of my most fun projects were with music from Kenton's repertoire and a show of Zappa's two big band albums. But realistically, not enough time to do everything.
-Now I do loads of chamber music and large earlier ensembles, and just a little bit of orchestral work, but would like to increase the amount of orchestra projects in that balance, both as a player and eventually also as conductor. Also would like more frequent projects that include more improvisation.
-Lots of short tours and projects away, but with regular and long enough returns home. Kind of at the right balance already.
-Would still want mostly live, but I'd love to do more recording projects.
-I love leading, but it takes a toll and so I would still want to have projects where I'm not leading, playing for colleagues who I really like and respect. Also conducting is fun, but so is playing in an orchestra.
-Musical skills needed, I feel I either already have and just would (and will) continue to work to improve and expand. Skills needed that I don't have, or not good enough, are on the personality/social/salesperson skill, PR, and administrative efficiency.

[Finetales]

Freelance musician in LA. As many styles, situations, and instruments as possible. So exactly what I'm doing now! It's been my dream to do exactly that since I decided to pursue music as a career. I could say minor things about how I wish I was doing more of this or less of that, but I'm pretty much living the dream. The only major change that I would make is having the kind of money to do all the projects (as a leader/artist) that I want to do.

[BGuttman]

Seems the best way to make a living as a musician today is to free-lance. Only problem is that you don't get the typical benefits a person with a "regular" job does. I wish there was a way for free-lance musicians to buy into a benefits package including medical insurance, retirement income, etc.

This points to a problem in today's Gig Economy: many workers also do not qualify for these benefits.

[Finetales]

Seems the best way to make a living as a musician today is to free-lance. Only problem is that you don't get the typical benefits a person with a "regular" job does.

I wouldn't say that. The people with the big orchestra or opera gigs are making way more money than I ever will, as are the people out touring with big names. The days of getting 6-figure session royalty checks are very much over. The older players in LA were the last ones on that boat.

That said, if you're not in a well-paying orchestra job, freelancing and/or teaching are pretty much your other options. And with freelancing comes diversifying as much as possible. I can't tell you how many pros I've met and played with that were serious trombonists, picked up the bass guitar, and quickly became full-time bassists. Others are producers, conductors, contractors...

[AtomicClock]

I used to dream of touring in the Canadian Brass. Then I listened to their Greatest Hits one too many times, and realized it would be a nightmare. Some things just get old.

[BGuttman]

Seems the best way to make a living as a musician today is to free-lance. Only problem is that you don't get the typical benefits a person with a "regular" job does.

I wouldn't say that. The people with the big orchestra or opera gigs are making way more money than I ever will, as are the people out touring with big names. The days of getting 6-figure session royalty checks are very much over. The older players in LA were the last ones on that boat.

...

There aren't many jobs as symphony musicians, so I don't recommend that route except for some really stellar individuals. And playing with a top popular group has even fewer opportunities.

At one time the Radio and Television studios kept full time musicians on staff, but it seems everyone -- television, movies, video games, amusement parks, cruise lines, and theaters hire gig workers (contracted players). These can sometimes garner what seems like impressive salaries, but start taking off FiCA, extra income tax, retirement (IRA), health insurance, and life insurance and you find the pay isn't that big.

[WilliamLang]

Soloist, chamber musician, and teacher. It used to be ordered that way, but I realize I have a destiny as a teacher that is beyond what I might be able to do as a player. Almost fully pulled it off last year, looking forward to fully wrangling it into being sooner than later.

[mgladdish]

If we’re going full-on dream, I’d own a jazz club. I’d book the best musicians on the planet and give them a month-long residency, paying great money, playing to a young adoring and knowledgeable packed house every night. Oh, and the gigs would be streamed live online too.

What’s the catch? They’d have to have me in the band

Variety would come from booking different lineups each month. Sometimes a duo, sometimes a big band, and everything inbetween. And all styles from the earliest to the most contemporary too.

[Doug Elliott]

Win the lottery so I can continue to freelance until it runs out.

[Richard3rd]

If we’re going full-on dream, I’d own a jazz club. I’d book the best musicians on the planet and give them a month-long residency, paying great money, playing to a young adoring and knowledgeable packed house every night. Oh, and the gigs would be streamed live online too.

What’s the catch? They’d have to have me in the band

Variety would come from booking different lineups each month. Sometimes a duo, sometimes a big band, and everything inbetween. And all styles from the earliest to the most contemporary too.

Excellent dream. My dream has always been the same, and that is to play in a place like that. Though currently I'm going through a change in style. I would like to lead a small band that features coherent quiet jazz. No glitz, no glamour, no loud playing, just introspective cool jazz.