Indiana State?

tryingtolivethelife · Posted: Mon Jul 01, 2002 10:35 pm Post subject:

One of the teachers there... or was a teacher, I dunno I only read his bio once. Dominic Spera, he's a great player. Umm how's the school for jazz? I hear good things from people who know Dr. Spera but I haven't heard anything from anybody else.

????
Chuck

Nicholas Dyson · Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2002 10:32 am Post subject:

I think you're probably speaking of Indiana University. I think our esteemed collegue PH (Pat Harbison) will have something to say about this school.....

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jkramb19 · Veteran Member Joined: 16 Mar 2002 Posts: 365

you are speaking of indiana university. i live in terre haute indiana where indiana state is located and ill tell you right now you dont want to attend indiana state. my mom teahes there and you should hear it, even the professors make fun of the university and retired proffesors talk about how it has gone down the tubes.
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PH · Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2002 5:13 pm Post subject:

As the others said, I'm obviously biased!

Indiana State is where Larry Bird went to school.

Indiana University is the school that made it to the final game vs. Maryland in this year's NCAA basketball tourney. We won several national championships under our previous (ill-tempered) coach. We have also won national titles in recent years in soccer.

Indiana University is the world's largest music school. It is also among the best and the most competitive. Dominic Spera is among the great trumpet player/teachers who have taught there and since retired. The illustrious list of other former IU trumpet faculty would include names like: Herb Mueller, Louis Davidson, Bill Adam, Alan Dean, Bernie Adelstein, Steve Burns, Marie Speziale, Charles Gorham...quite a tradition!

Our current trumpet faculty includes John Rommel, Ed Cord, Ms. Speziale (part-time now), and Charlie Daval (also part-time). I teach jazz studies, along with some other great folks like David Baker, Tom Walsh, Luke Gillespie, Mike Lucas, and Steve Houghton.

Our graduates are literally a who's who in the trumpet world. Susan Slaughter, John Carroll, Bob Platt, Charlie Davis, Jerry Hey, Chris Botti, Mark VanCleave, Scott Wendholt, Pharrez Whitted, Greg Wing, Randy Brecker, Walter Blanton...

Our current students are so good they scare me back to the practice room.

At least for me, it's a fabulous place to be.

[ This Message was edited by: PH on 2002-07-03 07:48 ]

Nicholas Dyson · Posted: Tue Jul 02, 2002 5:44 pm Post subject:

Too bad they didn't graduate... Randy and Michael Brecker both attended before leaving for the big city. I think....!
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PH · Posted: Wed Jul 03, 2002 4:42 am Post subject:

Oh, yeah!

If you want to talk about jazz musicians other than trumpet players then you get a really heavy alumni list.

Mike Brecker, Peter Erskine, John Clayton, Jeff Hamilton, Robert Hurst, Jerry Coker, David Baker, Jamey Aebersold, Eric Alexander, Ralph Bowen, Mark Dresser, Michael Weiss, Shaun Pelton, Edgar Meyer, Todd Coolman...

If you play like the Breckers graduating might not be too important! :wink:

[ This Message was edited by: PH on 2002-07-03 07:49 ]

tryingtolivethelife · Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2002 12:51 am Post subject:

yes I ment idiana university... here in canada a province usually only has one university with it's name attached to it. I had not idea, So what makes the school besides who went there?? Sports are great, I wouldn't attend somewhere because of that. And isn't it pretty definate that somebody will or won't make it before they go to university?? So PH you indorse the school then? You teach there? I guess so judging from your occupation, and "bias" so what does the indiana university.. offer thats above anywhere else, besides staff and impressive alumni?? Thanks

PH · Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2002 2:41 pm Post subject:

Well, what does any school have to offer?

Good schools have great teachers and excellent students.

The fact that lots of graduates have gone on to be sucessful is a pretty reliable indicator of quality.

Good students and great teachers usually translates into good experiences playing in fine ensembles, interesting classes, an inspiring peer group, and a realistic idea of your potential for eventual professional success.

IU definitely has all of those things. So do lots of other schools: UNT, Eastman, Western Michigan, McGill, U. of Toronto, Manhattan, Louisville, Texas, Wm. Patterson, NEC, USC, and on and on. The key is to find a school where you "click" and fit in. You don't want to just get into a good school. You want to find the right school for you. IU is one great possibility.

[ This Message was edited by: PH on 2002-07-04 17:49 ]

PH · Posted: Thu Jul 04, 2002 2:48 pm Post subject:

[quote]
On 2002-07-04 03:51, tryingtolivethelife wrote:
...And isn't it pretty definate that somebody will or won't make it before they go to university??

I would think that this is totally untrue. I am not even certain that it is obvious for some people whether they will make it even after university.

If someone lacks a work ethic and hates to practice, then it is obvious very early that they will not succeed at music (or probably anything else). However, I have lots of friends who are successful musicians (performers and educators) who were hard-working goal-oriented late bloomers. I also have even more acquaintances that were "talented" and had early success...high school and college hot shots. Lots of those kinds of people end up going to med school, working on an MBA, or living in a halfway house. There isn't anything wrong with being an M.D. or a giant of industry (I hope everyone here can avoid drug and alcohol rehab, though). It's just that those people either didn't have the ability (temperament & dedication) to stay in music or they chose to do something else.

tryingtolivethelife · Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2002 9:34 am Post subject:

Well, it seems to me that these days... looking at the downbeat awards, that there are so many players out there getting recognition already before college. Aparentlly, everybodys favorite, Wynton was quite the player way before juliard was it?? I just know Art coaxed him out before he finished. It's nice to hear that opinion, that say dedication and a hard work ethic can work out just as much as natural talent. Because man, I lye awake sometime just panicing I'm not practicing enough. You guys ever do that?

PH · Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2002 10:30 am Post subject:

Some people do indeed get a head start because they were lucky enough to be from a musical family or whatever. However, it is a myth that says that that is the only way it can happen.

You also have to realize that part of this is marketing. The record companies in recent years seem to find it easy to market young skilled (but not always artistic) players that look nice in hip modern clothes. Therefore, it creates the illusion that to be successful in jazz (or other music) you have to hit it big in your teens or 20s (and incidentally, you had better not be overweight, have a lot of zits, talk with a lisp, etc.). These are the people that make a nice advertising package.

That is the music INDUSTRY. It is what it is, but you should know that success in a music career doesn't have to be industrial!

johntpt · Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2002 1:11 pm Post subject:

In the end hard work, patience, and most of all DESIRE will almost always overcome so-called "natural" talent. Everyone knows players who were extremely "talented" as youngsters, but lacked the necessary discipline for daily hard work, and ended up doing something else for a living.

In fact the most important "talents" needed to be a successful musician are concentration, self-evaluation, hard work, and a willingness to work with others. Talent for technique on an instrument is a secondary consideration.

John Urness

Nicholas Dyson · Posted: Fri Jul 05, 2002 3:46 pm Post subject:

trumpet1 · Veteran Member Joined: 07 Jun 2002 Posts: 218

Purdue?
Eastern Illinois University is just across the boarder, great music school...Univesity of Illinois is a litter further, even better msic school with a great Performance Center....
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