Of course he can, he was a music ed major!

So I spent some time the other night listening to a coworker go on about her nephew and how musically gifted he is.  Ordinarily this wouldn't be big news, family members frequently like to brag on how they are related to someone who is extraordinarily talented.  What got me is that this is the third time now I have had to listen to her stories about how wonderful this guy is and how much he can do and how sought after he is.  And this was the night the pieces of the puzzle finally fell into place.

"He's incredibly talented. He can play like... all of the instruments."

Okay, interesting, considering the number of instruments that truly encompasses.  For the sake of argument, I will assume you mean he can play all of the standard band instruments.  So can I.

"...Except flute... and that other one... the... oboe?"

Hmm... I can understand the oboe, it gave me headaches and jaw aches and was just generally an unpleasant experience, especially since my main instrument has very little inherent back pressure.  But flute?  Really?  He can play all of the [band] instruments and can't play the flute?  I picked up flute in high school after listening to Chicago albums a lot.  Weird. But okay, what else have you got?

"He started on the slide trombone..."

Oh?  Suddenly we're in a universe where we have to specify the trombone having a slide?

"And the french horn... And that one that's a baby tuba."

Euphonium.  What you're looking for is euphonium.  And stop giving me that weird look, that's really its name.

"He had an audition for that Sea World band, and they made him write some music.  Nothing real long, just something short, but he had to write it."

Oh my, he can write notation?  Must really be something, being able to play all of the instruments and write music....

"Yeah, so he took a favorite children's book and turned it into music and played that for them.  Now he's got that guy who is in charge of all the movie music calling him and wanting to talk to him."

Okay, that one was almost impressive.  Not the arranging bit.  Learning to write music is part of the curriculum in any music school.  But that guy who is in charge of all the movie music?  Really?  There's only one?  I think what you really mean is that someone connected to a recording studio might have been interested in adding this guy to a list of studio musicians to be on call for projects.  You know, like studio musicians do.  And wait by the phone for their next gig.  Which is, in its own way, a fantastic way to make a living if you're a first (or even second) call studio player.  But fresh out of school doesn't usually make for a second call.

So... Is he just out of high school?

"No, college."

Was he... a music major?

"Yeah, a music education major."

Umm... So not to burst any bubbles or anything, but ALL music ed majors are expected to be able to do those things.  All of us.  Granted, that doesn't mean we are all good at it, or that people don't have strengths in one area over another (or several areas over others), but being a music education major comes with a K-12 certification to teach music.  Not band or strings specifically, or general music or chorus.  Music.  All of it.  And the expectation is that you'll be good enough at it to teach others.  And let's face it, there are few worse feelings for a music teacher than to realize that you've taught something wrong that has stalled or prevented their musical development (some time later I'll share a story about a trombone player who held the bell with his left hand - NOT one of my students, thankfully).

What this exchange really made me think of was just how disconnected the expectations are for music teachers (and music majors) versus those for many other career paths.  When I was a freshman in college my roommate and his buddies were sitting around our dorm room griping about their schedules and how hard it was to take 12 credits (4 classes).  My roommate finally chuckled and asked me how many credits/classes I was taking.  16.  16 credits, which equalled 10 classes.  This meant that every semester I had early mornings and late nights.  I never had a day off during the week.  "I can't, I have rehearsal," wasn't just a means of avoiding obligations.  It was the same for most of the rest of the music department.  And theater department, for that matter.  That was just the price of being a musician (or actor/stage technician/etc.).  And it was a price that we all paid willingly. Paid twice, really - not only were we working ridiculous hours, we were paying through the nose to do so (don't get me started again on student loans).

Now that I am a teacher, I feel like my schedule now is more or less comparable to when I was a music major, learning all of the instruments.  Granted, I get paid to do all of this stuff now, but the demands aren't all that different on my time.  The best part is that I get
to make music, and help others make music, all day.

So yes, I can play all of the instruments.  And by all of the instruments I mean I can teach any band/orchestra instrument at least on a beginning level, I can teach advanced levels of most brass instruments, intermediate levels of most woodwinds and percussion, and can hold my own (within limits) on guitar and bass.  I can also pick up instruments I am not familiar with and at least come up with something (I doubled on musical saw for a while in a band I used to play with).

I sometimes wonder if there is any kind of monetary reward beyond a teacher's salary for knowing how to play as many instruments as a music education graduate does.  Usually I think not.

But maybe, just maybe, I will find someone who desperately needs a children's book set to music and performed by a beginning to intermediate level band, complete with guitar and drumset and anything else that strikes their fancy.

In that case, come see me.  Or the majority of the folks I went to school with.

Or the rest of the music education graduates around the country.

We're a pretty awesome bunch once you get to know us.

And collectively we can play literally ALL of the instruments.