Career-Day Speech Outline

Steve Raybine:

Blog #52:

Career-Day Speech Outline

May 13, 2005

Here's the outline for a career-day speech I gave to Westside Middle School; May 13th, 2005. It's always advantageous to have a general outline about what you hope to cover during the course of your speech. Enjoy!

1. Greetings and Introduction:

2. Background: (Music Lessons)

a. Started piano lessons @ 7 yrs of age

b. Began drum lessons in 4th grade

c. Started playing xylophone in 7th grade

d. Started playing the vibraphone (primary instrument) in 9th grade

e. Started writing music in 9th grade and studying jazz piano/jazz theory and harmony

3. Music Camps:

a. attended first week-long camp in summer after 7th grade band/orchestra

b. attended two summer music camps in summer after 9th grade—one in Kentucky, other in Madison, WI. Received two outstanding musician awards at both camps.

c. was the outstanding soloist in the city at my age in 9th grade

d. spent the summer at the Berklee College of Music in summer after my junior year in high school

4. High School:

a. percussion section leader Junior and Senior years

b. actively involved in the band program (Dr. James Croft); orchestra; jazz band and musicals. Maintained my own jazz quartet throughout high school

5. College:

a. attended the Eastman School of Music and received my Bachelor of music degree in percussion performance, with an emphasis in jazz studies.

b. During my Eastman years, assembled an award-winning jazz combo: Notre Dame Jazz Festival winner; New York State Battle of the Bands winner (recorded album at Columbia Records); produced our second album during senior yr.

c. Later on, received my Master’s of Music degree in percussion from the Univ. of Wisconsin

d. Received my Doctorate in Music (D.M.A.) from the Univ. of Iowa, with a music theory minor.

1. During this time, I taught percussion at a private College (Coe); jazz theory at a Community College; played timpani in an orchestra and did jazz vibe gigs. I did some traveling out-of-town.

6. Teaching Jobs:

My educational Background enabled me to get a University Teaching job at UNO for 10 years full-time and 3 years part time. In order to teach at the university level as a full-time professor, you generally need a doctorate degree in music.

If you want to teach music in a school system, K-12, you will need a Bachelor of Music ED. Degree, and in some instances, you will end up getting your Master’s degree in Music as well. You definitely need a bona fide degree(s) in music in order to teach students within an educational/school environment.

Teaching jobs are relatively stable and provides you with a monthly income; health benefits, which in today’s world are essential for both you and your family; and a pension plan for your retirement. Look ahead when you’re thinking about your career.

Today, I maintain my own teaching studio, SAR MUSIC, LLC and integrate my teaching schedule into my professional performing schedule. I need to do both things in order to make a substantial living.

Teaching means working with other people—putting their needs ahead of your own. I really love instructing people of all ages, so teaching is very rewarding for me personally, as well as financially. If you like working with kids and you want to have a career in music, I would enthusiastically recommend you consider being a music teacher—but get the proper credentials.

7. Performing Career:

a. I make a portion of my yearly income as a performer—I get paid for performing. Different ways I’ve made money as a performer;

1. studio musician 2. clinician 3. jazz artist 4.Symphony musician 5. freelance percussionist 6. recording artist

Today, I make my performing money as a jazz artist, playing all sorts of engagements such as;

1. club work 2. private parties 3. corporate functions 4. jazz festivals, etc. I love performing and have since I’ve been young.

If you want to be a professional performer:

1. Become an expert on your instrument/voice 2. Be prepared to practice long hours on a consistent basis (weekly,monthly,yearly) 3. Spend years honing and developing your craft 4. Promote yourself or pay someone $$$ to do it for you—I do both. 5. You MUST think of performing as a business—music is a business, it is also an art form, but make no mistakes, it is a business—and a very competitive and cutthroat one at that. The more successful you are as a performer, the more you’ll be asked to travel.

8. 15 other careers in music besides teaching and performing in a more traditional sense:

1. Music Technology; recording engineer, freelance producer

2. Conductor/choir director

3. Music Therapy

4. Record companies –dying out, and small ones are starting—BAD KAT RECORDS

5. Music Publishing

6. Music Retail—work-in-or-own a music store of some kind.

7. DJ work—I prefer live music to canned music

8. Church Music sing/write

9. Church Organist/pianist (sort-of in performer category)

10.Sound Reinforcement for concerts/shows

11. Music Critic

12. Music Columnist for a magazine

13. Author—write a book about some aspect of the Music Business

14. Music Engraving—Calligraphy

15. Composer/Arranger

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