<p>What will look impressive on your college applications is not worrying about whether what you are doing looks impressive on college applications. If you want to try your hand at teaching because you want to explore that aspect of musical life, or if that is the only way that you will be able to pay for private lessons yourself, then that will make you look dedicated. I must warn you, however, that as a totally inexperienced teacher working with sixth graders, you are not going to be able to charge nearly as much as you are going to have to pay an established teacher for your own lessons. </p>
<p>You might want to consider other sources of employment that pay better, unless you really want to try to teach for the sake of teaching. Find out how many sixth grade tuba players there are to teach, then cut that number at least in half because some of them will not want to take lessons outside of what they get at school and others may want to start with an experienced private teacher. You are probably going to have to teach at least four or five lessons for each one you take yourself if that is your only source of funding. Would there be enough beginning tuba players in the district to let you have that many students?</p>
<p>You will get an edge in musical EC's by practicing a lot and becoming good enough to get scholarships to camps and youth symphonies that you could not otherwise afford. The sad truth is that being a music student is an expensive proposition and you have to be demonstrably better than your competition to grab what scholarship funds are available. </p>
<p>You will also get an edge by doing anything musical for the simple love of doing it, not by doing things that you are only doing because you think they might look good on an application. Some things that need not be expensive include starting a student group to work up a few pieces to play at church services or local assisted living facilities for the elderly. Organize a fundraiser to benefit a school or church group in which you participate. Volunteer to help the director of your marching band. Play a leadership role in the musical groups you join. Run for office if your marching band or other school ensemble has student officers.</p>
<p>The main thing is to be able to say that you still love it later on in your life. Good luck.</p>
<p>I don't know if our experience is unusual, but our son had relatively few "big, showy" accomplishments, just an outstanding commitment to his instrument. I imagine he auditioned well and demonstrated a passion for what he wanted to study and possibly also an original voice as a jazz musician. I think most of us parents here believe that those things are probably more important than a fat resume. Which is not to say that a kid with a fat resume does not have passion and an original voice.</p>