The professional life of a typical 21st-Century musician is reliably atypical. Sure, some of us have "a job," but most of us enjoy what can be called a "portfolio career:" a puzzle made up of multiple pieces in an ever-shifting balancing act. Yes, this can be disconcerting - and it can be incredibly fulfilling. Flexibility, resourcefulness and resilience are at least as important as how talented you are and how much you practice. We'll explore some of the many ways you can empower yourself - or your students - for a sustainable life in the arts.
Target Audience
High school students considering music careers, high school music teachers
Additional Notes
Clinician Info
Kyle Bruckmann
University of the Pacific
Oboist Kyle Bruckmann tramples genre boundaries in widely ranging work as a composer/performer, educator, and New Music specialist. His creative output – extending from conservatory-trained foundations into gray areas encompassing free jazz, post-punk rock, and the electronic music underground – can be heard on more than 100 recordings. He teaches at University of the Pacific, and is currently a member of ensembles including Splinter Reeds, Quinteto Latino, sfSound, San Francisco Contemporary Music Players, and the Stockton Symphony. Three decades of chameleonic gigging have found him performing in settings including the Venice Biennale, the Monterey Jazz Festival, 924 Gilman, a 12-foot diameter bomb shelter, and dangling 30 feet in the air by a harness from a crane.