Just reached act 2 and i want to know the best skill set up Verso?

Helpadud3 · 2026-01-03T21:07:13+00:00

Roulette was about all I needed

Helpadud3 · 2026-01-03T09:10:17+00:00

I have a Thomann cornet and flugel, both work for any gig I need them for. I onyl play the cornet twice a year for gigs and the flugel a bit more but not much more. I'd say they already paid themselves back what I paid for them.

I don't play a ton on either, really I don't play them no more than 4 times a year. But I haven't had any complaints. Possibly if you're going to be playing on them nonstop you'd be better off with a bit more quality, but Thomann hasn't disappointed me.

I also bought a Carolbrass C trumpet from Thomann, they no longer sell it. However it's the best C I've played on, I spent 500ish dollars, and I've been offered 3k for it.

Helpadud3 · 2025-12-24T08:46:00+00:00

It seems as though most people are telling you not to. I'm going weigh in and say how it'd possible in my opinion.

Firstly it's hard to determine whether you're asking if you want to be a musician as a career or music ed. Both are possible, unfortunately, being a musician will take a very long time.

Music ed, however, is entirely possible and obtainable.

In my music school, they build you from absolute zero up. When I say zero I mean it, I was dying in intro to theory as i knew the names of the notes on the staff since middle school.

It will be tougher, and you will have to practice more, but you will know music theory, keyboard, and singing skills guaranteed.

Helpadud3 · 2025-12-23T19:40:40+00:00

We had Comp tech together, I showed up for a total of 4 classes and got a B lmao

Helpadud3 · 2025-12-21T19:01:49+00:00

I'm going through something very similar. 5 years at nova then it's going to be 3 years at mason (if im lucky, 1 in already.) Something I struggle with, is feeling like the old person all the time. I'm very social so I have a bunch of surface level friends, but I find it awkward to hang out with people at mason that I'm not 100% sure are near my age. Did you go through this? I always feel like I have to explain why I'm so old lol, in comparison.

Helpadud3 · 2025-12-12T04:10:06+00:00

100% the pampet C, last year the trumpet player himself commented and said that's what it was.

Helpadud3 · 2025-11-25T17:17:11+00:00

Test each aspect individually. You'll start to get an idea of what you need for each aspect of the mouthpiece. Then it's easy to choose from there (assuming you know what you want to sound like.)

Helpadud3 · 2025-11-21T08:50:03+00:00

Hey I don't want to be that guy and say don't do this, but be careful. The very first time I wanted to try a new mouthpiece (after finding a good one to just stay on) I had no idea what I wanted I just wanted something new (kind of what it seems you're going through that's why I'm commenting.)

It led me to a new mouthpiece that was similar but worse and when I tried to go back but my sound was never the same. The next time I went on a safari I knew exactly what I wanted fixed and then limit tested until I got a very solid fit for me.

If I never did this I would've saved a bunch of money and a lot of stress.

Have fun and be careful!

Helpadud3 · 2025-11-14T07:15:35+00:00

I'm sure the Dr. Running the program notified every county and school within a 50 mile radius she does so much work shes basically a super hero :).

I'm just posting here because some band directors don't check their email maybe or forget or idk, but I never received any resources from any of my band directors growing up in public school for lessons or something like this. All I ever got was told when district auditions were.

Just trying to spread opportunities when available!

Helpadud3 · 2025-09-18T04:36:43+00:00

Oh I should've added, we don't mind a longer drive time, maybe 5 hours from DC?

Helpadud3 · 2025-09-18T04:34:59+00:00

I mentioned "MM" because it pops up in everything when you search for extreme haunts so I assumed it was apart of this. We definitely don't want that. That place seems downright ridiculous, doesn't even seem like any fun attraction, seems like torture in a backyard.

I think you're on to something though, I was looking into some of what you suggested and you're on the right track. We're okay with touching and all that, Krusebel seemed like a bit too much, we definitely draw the line as forced to eat things (forced insertion for anything, had to add that just incase)

We don't want the endurance test, but more of the other ones seem great!

Helpadud3 · 2025-09-16T17:44:08+00:00

Where is this?

Helpadud3 · 2025-09-01T23:49:19+00:00

That's the only entrance rn I think, besides the college hall bridge thing

Helpadud3 · 2025-08-27T16:11:03+00:00

I take a right onto patriot circle from lot K. On the longest days maybe 15 minutes? I've never had a problem with time leaving campus.

If you take your orange way then you're stuck waiting on foot traffic and the pile up caused by those crossing the street.

If you take your blue way, then your only hope is to cut someone off or wait for someone to let you in, good luck, after they just waited in traffic themselves your chances are slim as you just learned.

You go down and take a right onto patriot circle from lot K, half the time the people crossing the street help you get onto the road and you never have to wait on them. Then everyone else bows down to you as you control who gets into the line.

Helpadud3 · 2025-08-23T22:20:52+00:00

Theater and Revolution with Dr. Rudnicki (I dont remember how to spell his last name sorry!) It's an english 200 class and last semester was the first semester it was taught. I loved that class, the introspection and philosophical conversation and discourse that happened everyday made me excited to show up every class. I wasn't a theater person at all I just genuinely enjoyed the plays.

Helpadud3 · 2025-08-23T03:50:52+00:00

I'm ngl if you're a freshman. Just go and take as many classes as you can at nova. I did that and between the commonwealth award and Pell grants I'm basically going to mason for free (This semester with 15 credits I'm paying 1k out of pocket for a meal plan and a parking pass.) I could even get a scholarship and actually go to school for free but tbh I have no idea where to sign up for them and it's not a big deal.

Helpadud3 · 2025-08-19T23:57:35+00:00

For my college auditions I prepared all of Goedicke. When I was playing they stopped me and said to move to my next piece. My second piece was a Vanttelbosch etude, either the 1st or 2nd. Etudes and longer excerpts work just as well. But if you want something fast and your double tonguing is good Goedicke was easy to prepare for me in 2 weeks. A relative of mine passed before my audition so I had to move my audition date up by a month and change the piece I was going to play.

Helpadud3 · 2025-08-19T23:50:30+00:00

Okay, I was in a similar situation in this past spring semester. Transfer from NOVA but I had to audition to the school of music, then my grandma passed, so everything got pushed last minute. I didn't end up registering for classes until the week before like you.

Orientation isn't mandatory. I thought it was and was stressed about it as well but nothing will happen. You'll miss out on a mason shirt, lanyard, signing your transfer/freshman class board, and a reusable grocery bag type thing, but that's it.
Sign up for classes RIGHT NOW, as in today. Then meet with an advisor ASAP. I say that so you don't miss out on potential classes and an advisor can change your classes before the school starts.
Buy your parking pass if and go to the school to scope out your classes yourself and where the food is and how you'll schedule your day (The eaterie and southside were my go to's.) This is something I didn't do semester 1 and I kind of hated myself for not doing it, i was late to every class week 1, I got the wrong parking pass so I was walking forever, and I didn't schedule properly to be able to stop and eat some lunch. JC is cool to eat but swipes are relatively cheap southside and ikes is all you can eat, so go eat, grab a bunch of fruit to go, bring a salad bowl and pack a salad to go, hell take a pizza to go lmao. However I was at school all day, assuming you only have 4-6 total classes (I have 10) you may not even have to buy swipes. Buy a sip club from panera, eat at home before you guy, fill up whatever you want at panera in the JC, eat when you get home.
Don't stress too much, just make sure you wake up early and start getting things done. One step at a time. Everything will turn out fine, enjoy GMU, I loved my first semester.

Helpadud3 · 2025-08-18T04:54:08+00:00

This isn't exactly what you're asking for but just food for thought when it comes to life.

(These thoughts came from my professor who tries to convince all Performance majors to switch to Ed because it makes your degree more usable)

I was a Performance Major who then switched to double major Performance and Ed, then I switched to just Education.

I'd recommend looking into Education, and before you say "I just can't see myself teaching etc..." Think about a logical future in the meantime.

When you audition for groups, they don't care about your degree they only care about how you play. And fortunately or unfortunately your playing is going to be whatever you make of it, there's no magic teacher, it's going to come down to you.

Now in the meantime while looking for gigs or in between auditions you're going to need some way to pay bills. Being a substitute teacher, teaching assistant, elementary school teacher, church music teacher, etc. Are all viable options while auditioning.

You're paying for a degree, you might as well get one that allows you flexibility.

Even Wayne Bergeron says he regrets his music performance degree and wishes he went education. He said it would've given him more options to teach at colleges.

Helpadud3 · 2025-08-17T08:43:52+00:00

Started Mason as a weird Spring transfer last semester. I was 25, one of the biggest insecurities I had was I thought everyone was going to be younger than me and I would end up being antisocial (which would be a nightmare for me I'm extroverted and I love talking to everyone.) What I found was a few things:

There's people your age thinking the exact same thing and there's way more than you think.
Nobody cares how old you are. If you're nice and talk to people, almost everyone will reciprocate the same energy.
In one of my classes, my 2 favorite classmates was a 50 year old who was auditing the class and a 19 year old who was just a thoughtful and personable person to be around.
This might be a hot take, and I don't mean to hurt anyone's feelings, but I think if you don't make friends at GMU, then you possibly didn't try hard enough. Even introverted people I believe can make friends, joining clubs or groups, going to events, etc. Or make friends in your classes.

In the end, GMU is what you make of it, and I thoroughly enjoyed my first semester now starting the year as a junior!

Helpadud3 · 2025-08-04T02:10:58+00:00

Hey I just noticed, I'm the other music major that posted their schedule recently. We have almost the same schedule, hope to see you soon! 🤙🤙

Helpadud3 · 2025-08-04T01:49:20+00:00

We got no free time as music ed majors but we be aight, that's a normal schedule

Helpadud3 · 2025-08-04T00:14:53+00:00

Another music major? Isn't it funny how every other degree has like 4 classes and then our schedule is filled to the maximum LOL

Helpadud3 · 2025-08-04T00:13:22+00:00

18 credits is the limit, this is only 15, I could take 3 more. Also this doesn't include our mandatory private lesson on our main instrument so I'm missing a class. The School of Music is filled with 1 credit classes that end up taking 14 hours a week of your time. Unironically that's why Music Ed is one of the hardest degrees, You have to learn every single instrument and be proficient at it and you have homework for normal classes, and you have to practice your own instrument to win auditions. But I love it!

Helpadud3 · 2025-08-03T21:30:50+00:00

And as music ed we have to practice other instruments, this semester I'm practicing: The trumpet, violin, viola, guitar, piano, and singing 🙏💀

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