Amen to all of that, @Violinmomaz ! And best of luck to your daughter!
Thank you all for your comments and experience, I am sharing this thread with DS20. He loves music and fwiw, all his music teachers think he is very talented. He is taking IB music for his junior/senior years, doing youth symphony, participating in local/regional/national performance competition, and composing music on his own all the time. However, he also has many other interests and being a 15-yo boy, I think he does not need to zero-in too early, esp he is not very interested in music performance, more into composing/conducting at the moment.
@compmom I donât know if you are specifically asking about composers or anyone involved in new music but my S is actively involved in new music as a performer and series event organizer though he has not done a specific grad program in it. He graduated from his masters program last spring and though very early in the process is able to support himself with all music jobs. He has a spot in a not quite full time orchestra and a part time teaching job that are enough to cover his basic living expenses. He takes any other free lance gigs that he can manage. His passion is the new music/playing music by living composers gigs and he is currently involved in 4 projects involving commissioning and playing music by up and coming composers. For the time being these gigs donât pay very much, usually only a token payment but who knows what they will grow into or what other opportunities and skills he will cultivate by following this path.
Much of what others have said resonates with me. I especially like violinmazâs post above. I canât really see my S doing anything else at this point and from a very early age music is really all he pictured himself doing. I have had my share of worries but less and less so as I see his development and see how happy he is pursuing this path. We have always felt excited to be able to support him to the extent that we can.
I âlikedâ violinmomazâ post but just want to echo what others have said: thanks violinmomaz!
cellomom2, my kid is a composer, has been at it for quite awhile, so I was glad to read about your son!