Saturday, March 5, 2011

I am leaning towards becoming a professional conductor?

Hello, I am 14 years old and I would like to become a professional conductor (but I am still thinking). I am advanced in piano, ahead of my peers. I have a few questions, though, and it would be wonderful if they were answered. First, the main thing that I am worried about is that I am a girl. I know that this sounds silly, but I have never seen a professional female conductor (but I am sure there are some) and I have read many articles circulating the fact that it is a male dominated field, will this cause a problem?. Second, do most professional conductors have a job outside of conducting an orchestra that will give them an income that is suitable, or do professional conductor make enough to make a living? Will I need a lot of conducting experience before college? I know that conducting is one of the most difficult music paths because it is not a guaranteeed career, but I would really like to become one. Please don't laugh and yes, I am nervous because of the "male dominated field" factor. Here is another question that I should have started off with: Is conducting a male dominated field because there are more men getting a degree in conducting, or is it because people think men are better at conducting so more men get hired. I herd a report that more woman are becoming conductors. Is this because more woman are getting degrees in conducting, or because more are being accepted as conductor? I am mostly worries that I could get a doctorate degree, and still not find work, and be unprepared for the life ahead of me. Lastly, as a professional conductor, what will the disadvantages be? I love to travel, but does it mean a lot of moving around the country? I don't just want to conduct, but I want to travel around the world, learn about pieces and their composers, bring it back to the orchestra I am the music director of or to orchestras around the world and share the emotion that the composer had while writing the piece, (I know, that must sound desperate). Any tips? Any advice? Thank you very much, and thank you for reading such a long question!

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