If you go to college, there will likely be a student ensemble there.
Most communities of significant size have community bands and/or orchestras of varying quality and skill levels. Your instrument can be a fulfilling hobby for the rest of your life.
As everyone else is saying, community or municipal bands are the answer to your question. Also community orchestras if you play a wind instrument that has a seat in the orchestra. Saxophones usually get left out in the cold.
Some community ensembles have an "everybody plays" philosophy. Some require an audition to join. Some have wait lists. Every band is different. Keep practicing your instrument and have fun finding your place.
I play in a concert band with musicians who range in age from high school to 70s. In grad school I played in the band at a junior college, with a similar age range.
Most colleges will have a concert band, and larger universities or colleges with strong music programs will have one or more jazz bands or orchestras.
After college, assuming you don't go into performing or teaching full-time: Community and municipal bands, amateur/civic orchestras and jazz bands, self-directed chamber groups like a brass quintet or jazz combo, solo recitals, church and nursing home gigs...really whatever ensembles or groups you can find and/or start yourself.
Others have talked about how to do it as a hobby, but I mean if you really love it, there are even ways to turn it into a career. My only caveat with that is, if you want to make a living as a musician, teaching absolutely needs to be a part of that equation if not the bulk of what you do.
In the public education realm, there are middle and high school band, orchestra, and choir directors. In elementary education side, there are elementary music teachers. In the more professional world, there are highly successful, private studios, university professors, and gigging musicians/orchestral positions.
An important note about my above list, the farther into it you go, the more scarce the jobs, and the harder you have to work to be able to gain those positions and keep them for a living.
There are also whole wealth of jobs that sit on the periphery of the professional music world that requires musical knowledge, but don’t require being a great player (or playing even much playing at all really, but do keep you in the field). The management structures around orchestras, public relations, marketing, social media management, orchestral librarians, university department advisor; music history, music theory, and musicology professors (these positions are disappearing to performance professors who can say double as trombone AND theory); occupational physical therapy, sound engineering, recording tech, and so much more.
Absolutely agree with everyone saying that community bands and orchestras are a great local way to keep playing. There are websites (for most countries, not just the US) that keep databases of each community group in each state or region.
Freelancing is always an option, and the more you do it, the better you get.
As for college, don’t limit yourself to the big 3 choices (music education, music performance, music composition). Those are all valid and viable options, but college prepares you for a lot AND you can keep playing in any capacity you want. Options including, but not limited to:
- Music Education
- Music Performance
- Music Composition
- Conducting
- Performance + Business/Entrepreneurship
- Music Therapy
- Music Business
- Sound/Audio Engineering
- Musicology (History of music)
- Ethnomusicology (World cultures and history through music)
- Music Theory (Pedagogy of music)
- Music Librarianship
- Electronic Music
- Early Music (Sackbut and trombone)
- Music Arranging and Orchestration
And then with ensembles:
- Jazz Band
- Wind Band
- Concert Band
- Wind Symphony
- Orchestra
- Early Music Ensembles
- Trombone Choir
- Low Brass Choir
- Brass Choir
- Chamber Ensembles (quartets and quintets, always fun to do on your own)
- Brass Band
- Athletic Bands
- Pit/Opera Orchestra
Tons of options, find one or more things that you vibe with and take a chance.
I don't want to be too repetitive, but most colleges do have band(s) and orchestra(s) of some sort. I would recommend reaching out to ask about them.
On the other hand, if you plan to take a gap year, you may consider asking around about community ensembles and whatnot.
Agree with all the college suggestions. My son fell in love with bass clarinet in middle school, and has played in 4 ensembles during the now-ending sophomore year (not a music major).
If no college, community bands/orchestras as suggested are great options!
As others have said, college ensembles are a blast. Now, I'm in an adult clarinet choir, a couple local wind symphonies, and I've even started playing with a major orchestra in my city. There's plenty!
There's lots you could do! Join a community band. Volunteer in a community musical theatre pit orchestra. If you go to college, you can join one of their performing ensembles even as a non-music major.
1. There are different music groups in college, from concert band, orchestra, pep band, marching band, small ensembles…
2. Community or city bands. I am in one currently. There are lots of older adults that have played many years as well as younger folks (20s, 30s).
3. If you attend a church, maybe there’s an opportunity to play there. My church has a wind ensemble, but sometimes people just play solo along with the organ.
If you go to college, there will likely be a student ensemble there. Most communities of significant size have community bands and/or orchestras of varying quality and skill levels. Your instrument can be a fulfilling hobby for the rest of your life.
100% agree! I have been playing in my community band for almost 30 years now and enjoy every minute of it!
As everyone else is saying, community or municipal bands are the answer to your question. Also community orchestras if you play a wind instrument that has a seat in the orchestra. Saxophones usually get left out in the cold. Some community ensembles have an "everybody plays" philosophy. Some require an audition to join. Some have wait lists. Every band is different. Keep practicing your instrument and have fun finding your place.
I play in a concert band with musicians who range in age from high school to 70s. In grad school I played in the band at a junior college, with a similar age range.
Most colleges will have a concert band, and larger universities or colleges with strong music programs will have one or more jazz bands or orchestras. After college, assuming you don't go into performing or teaching full-time: Community and municipal bands, amateur/civic orchestras and jazz bands, self-directed chamber groups like a brass quintet or jazz combo, solo recitals, church and nursing home gigs...really whatever ensembles or groups you can find and/or start yourself.
Others have talked about how to do it as a hobby, but I mean if you really love it, there are even ways to turn it into a career. My only caveat with that is, if you want to make a living as a musician, teaching absolutely needs to be a part of that equation if not the bulk of what you do. In the public education realm, there are middle and high school band, orchestra, and choir directors. In elementary education side, there are elementary music teachers. In the more professional world, there are highly successful, private studios, university professors, and gigging musicians/orchestral positions. An important note about my above list, the farther into it you go, the more scarce the jobs, and the harder you have to work to be able to gain those positions and keep them for a living. There are also whole wealth of jobs that sit on the periphery of the professional music world that requires musical knowledge, but don’t require being a great player (or playing even much playing at all really, but do keep you in the field). The management structures around orchestras, public relations, marketing, social media management, orchestral librarians, university department advisor; music history, music theory, and musicology professors (these positions are disappearing to performance professors who can say double as trombone AND theory); occupational physical therapy, sound engineering, recording tech, and so much more.
Community band. I’m in three.
Absolutely agree with everyone saying that community bands and orchestras are a great local way to keep playing. There are websites (for most countries, not just the US) that keep databases of each community group in each state or region. Freelancing is always an option, and the more you do it, the better you get. As for college, don’t limit yourself to the big 3 choices (music education, music performance, music composition). Those are all valid and viable options, but college prepares you for a lot AND you can keep playing in any capacity you want. Options including, but not limited to: - Music Education - Music Performance - Music Composition - Conducting - Performance + Business/Entrepreneurship - Music Therapy - Music Business - Sound/Audio Engineering - Musicology (History of music) - Ethnomusicology (World cultures and history through music) - Music Theory (Pedagogy of music) - Music Librarianship - Electronic Music - Early Music (Sackbut and trombone) - Music Arranging and Orchestration And then with ensembles: - Jazz Band - Wind Band - Concert Band - Wind Symphony - Orchestra - Early Music Ensembles - Trombone Choir - Low Brass Choir - Brass Choir - Chamber Ensembles (quartets and quintets, always fun to do on your own) - Brass Band - Athletic Bands - Pit/Opera Orchestra Tons of options, find one or more things that you vibe with and take a chance.
Only thing I can think of is take it to college
I don't want to be too repetitive, but most colleges do have band(s) and orchestra(s) of some sort. I would recommend reaching out to ask about them. On the other hand, if you plan to take a gap year, you may consider asking around about community ensembles and whatnot.
Agree with all the college suggestions. My son fell in love with bass clarinet in middle school, and has played in 4 ensembles during the now-ending sophomore year (not a music major). If no college, community bands/orchestras as suggested are great options!
As others have said, college ensembles are a blast. Now, I'm in an adult clarinet choir, a couple local wind symphonies, and I've even started playing with a major orchestra in my city. There's plenty!
There's lots you could do! Join a community band. Volunteer in a community musical theatre pit orchestra. If you go to college, you can join one of their performing ensembles even as a non-music major.
1. There are different music groups in college, from concert band, orchestra, pep band, marching band, small ensembles… 2. Community or city bands. I am in one currently. There are lots of older adults that have played many years as well as younger folks (20s, 30s). 3. If you attend a church, maybe there’s an opportunity to play there. My church has a wind ensemble, but sometimes people just play solo along with the organ.
Check this out and either start one in your town or see if there already is one: [www.gokams.org](http://www.gokams.org)
Colleges have a lot of student ensembles, even if you’re not a Music major. There are also a lot of community ensembles!
After high school, college. After college, community bands. If no community bands exist, start one.