by Dr. Erik Larson
In the 21st century, we are witnessing an astonishing rate of change within the music world. Certain types of specialized music careers that may have been stable, even lucrative a generation ago now no longer exist. We see the disappearance of the local band store, the shuttering of legendary retailers like Patelson’s Music House in New York, Rayburn’s in Boston, and even the Woodwind and Brasswind in Indiana as signs of the times. Seemingly permanent institutions of American society like the Metropolitan Opera and the Cleveland Orchestra are reimagining themselves at a frenetic pace. Yet, there has been an explosion of creative musical activity online and by self-published individuals in independent studios. A pianist with a DMA from Juilliard puts her degree to work on a full time YouTube channel that has 664,000 subscribers – and yet she often doesn’t play the piano as part of her content. Two young violinists do play regularly, but also critique different forms of music education and experiences at major music schools. They have more than four million subscribers and over 1.5 billion views. There was once a time that if you decided to major in music, the decision was simply between education and performance. As we watch a reimagining of the music industry, a new paradigm may ultimately develop where such binary distinctions are more than just outmoded – they may become virtually irrelevant. As educators, we need to do more than just react to the new society around us. I believe we should engage in a proactive stance that, even if it is difficult or initially unpleasant, embraces change and preemptively adapts to the future that is unfolding. If we fail to successfully adapt, we risk becoming virtually irrelevant ourselves.
In my effort to create great musicians who play the oboe, I urge my students to become more than just oboists. My most successful oboe student became a core member of the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and a horn player whom I coached for years in chamber ensembles is now a substitute for the Philadelphia Orchestra. Yet not all of our students will have careers with tier one orchestras, not all will be directors of 300-student flagship band programs. The classic music jobs of the 20th century are becoming less prominent in the 21st, yet there are musical opportunities in the 21st century which didn’t exist in the 20th. And so for our students to be competitive, they need a greater repertoire of tools. I regularly encourage the music students whom I advise to consider classes within the business school for some of their electives – particularly classes that would help them develop entrepreneurial skills. We take studio class time for both mock interviews and mock auditions, and I require my students to build an electronic portfolio (assessed by rubric) so that on a moment’s notice they have material to share with a prospective client or employer. I believe that the 21st century music student needs the capability of fundamentally creating their own career, so I also urge my students to take classes in digital marketing, and if available, in a new offshoot called influencer marketing, whether they are in a performance, education, or a therapy program. No less important, all of my students have a basic working knowledge of modern audio and video recording technology, and possess a general knowledge of how a professional recording studio functions.
In From the Stage to the Studio: How Fine Musicians Become Great Teachers, authors Watkins and Scott identify something that they call the “Path of Least Resistance” Problem. This is where it is easiest (and sometimes the most expedient) to simply tell a student what to do to fix a problem, rather than prompting the student to explore an actual solution process. While most experienced teachers would agree that knowing why an embouchure should be formed a certain way, or why breath support needs to be applied in a particular way is more effective than simply resorting to the Watkins-Scott Path of Least Resistance, I believe that this “solution process” needs to be explored in a much broader way. Rather than simply coaching our students on how to win an audition or be accepted to a graduate school in 2025 (or whatever their graduation date will be), we also need to focus on the tools, especially the new tools, to be successful in the 21st century music marketplace. If we faithfully ground our students with the skills to face the future, they will not only have the best chance for success in 2025, but also in a future still decades to come.
The late Ray Still, former Chicago Symphony Orchestra Principal Oboist, used to say, “Question everything [in music]. Nothing is sacred.” And, “Don’t let anything stand in the way of your expression as an artist. Especially tradition.” While Ray is no longer with us, his words ring truer now than they ever have. If we and our students are to have a future platform to express ourselves as artists, we should question everything, especially tradition, and we must embrace the realm of the future. The world of music won’t stand idly by and wait on us.
Copyright 2023 © by Erik H. Larson
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