At the collegiate level, all musicians must be prepared to dedicate a significant amount of time to studying and mastering their instrument. Mainly this pertains to performance majors. Music education majors are also required to put in a significant amount of effort, but most of their time is spent in the classroom or doing research. Your focus as a future performer is to become as familiar with your instrument and with all types of music as you possibly can. This is the most significant training period that you'll ever have and will allow you to compete with others who are trying to get the same job as you.

Speaking from personal experiences, you need to decide from the very first day of college if performing is what you really want to do. While I was in undergraduate music education major, I attended a summer jazz workshop and I was asked by one of the top bass players in the country, why I was a music ed major. My initial response was the textbook, "I want to have something to fall back on." The instructor picked up on this immediately and told me that if I wanted to perform, then I should be a performer. If that didn't work out, then I was smart enough to do something else. I completely agree! While there are some extraordinary musicians who are also middle and high school band directors, there are just as many or more who are not very accomplished on their instruments. For some, "falling back "was their only option. That is not to say that everyone who becomes a band teacher is a failure at their instrument. On the contrary, there are some amazing players who were told that it was too difficult to be a performer and that they'll never make any money, so teaching was a safe bet. Being a freelance artist is extremely difficult and only a few make a large monetary profit from it. But if you stick with it and work hard, the rewards are worthwhile.

After you've made the decision to continue performance as your main focus of study, you should have a set of goals in mind for each year of study. You should relate these to your private instructor and see what goals are required for you to meet. Having a serious discussion about what kind of player you intend to be and what you expect from lessons will show the instructor your level of dedication. This will pay off later down the road. There should be a 50/ 50 relationship between you and the instructor concerning the progress of private lessons. The instructor should always have new material to present to the student and in turn, the student should have that material well prepared each week. This is not to say that the material prepared for each lesson should only be what is assigned. You as the student should also prepare material that you think is beneficial for your course of study. This may include études, scales, technical exercises, solos, transcriptions, etc.

It is my opinion that each student learns differently and therefore requires each series of private lessons tailored to their needs. Some teachers prefer to have a set program for every student, regardless of their level. They are assigned a set number of études, technical studies, and solos each week that can be overwhelming and may actually slow down the progress of the student. The theory is that the student will learn to adjust to the amount of work that is given to them and will become just familiar enough with the assigned material as to cover a broad repertoire. I believe that this can produce diminishing results. I would rather have a smaller amount of assigned material that pushes the student but also allows them to master what is presented to them. More material can always be added on later but both the student and the teacher can have a sense of accomplishment with each lesson. I am also a firm believer that site reading should be a part of every lesson. This is absolutely the most important skill for any performer and must be monitored by the teacher. It takes a small amount of time and can cover a wide variety of styles. 

In addition to making the most out of your private lessons, you should also 

be making the most out of your other classes. These includes courses other than music. Most college campuses have a wide variety of classes available that will help you as a musician and take place outside of the music building. Being an accomplice writer is a valuable asset to every musician. Knowing how to properly present yourself on paper is important when applying for grants and presenting promotional materials and press packets. Being a good public speaker is also a typical requirement for most performers. If you are leading an ensemble on stage or presenting a master class, knowing how to effectively a communicate to a large audience shows confidence and professionalism. Any elective classes, such as a basic business or finance class, can be very helpful. Knowing how to maintain your financial records and how to deal with tax deductions can save large amounts of money at the end of each fiscal  year.

Courses of importance within your music department include classes such as piano, theory, form and analysis, and ear training. Many young musicians, like myself, took piano class for granted. They do not realize how important this skill can be and how it can be a major form of income later on. First of all, being an accomplished piano player helps you understand how music works on a deeper level. Dizzy Gillespie always stressed this point young musicians. It helps you to see the relationships between chords and how they are put together. This understanding is important when writing your own music. Financially, playing the piano can help support your income. Especially in cities such as New York City, there are a lot of kids who take private piano lessons or singers who need an accompanist. If playing piano publicly is not your desire, then at least playing privately and still being involved in music can earn you enough money to pursue other performing avenues.

Your theory and form and analysis classes also help you to understand how music works. Again this is important when writing your own music. It is also helpful when talking with members of your ensemble about the specific direction of your music. Your ear training classes also come into play at this point. Being able to hear mistakes within the ensemble will ensure the proper execution of your music. Your ear training is also important to your own performance. You must be able to hear the music correctly in your ear before you can effectively produce it on your instrument. Ear training also helps with site reading. Being proficient in all of these courses can also helpful if you ever decide to pursue a career as a college professor.

Your ensemble experience is also important setting you up for success outside of school. Taking advantage of all of the ensembles available will make you a more well-rounded player. Jazz band, combos, trumpet ensemble, orchestra, symphonic band, and brass quintet will expose you to the repertoire that you will most likely encounter in the real world. One advantage that college ensembles have, is the opportunity to rehearse and perform standard repertoire and major works. Most working ensembles either play new, original works, or some lesser known works that are favored by the ensemble leader. In addition, the standard repertoire may be called for a performance with little or no rehearsal. Having rehearsed and performed material in college will only ensure a better performance in the real world.

In addition to classes that set you up for the real world of music performance, there is one valuable skill that is not taught in any classroom. That is knowing how to be socially interactive. Too many musicians get caught up in the practice room and they have a hard time knowing how to interact with others outside of music. Getting away from music and musicians is important in my opinion. Knowing how to talk to people about what else is going on around campus or in the real world makes you more of a well-rounded person. As crazy as it may seem, not everyone cares about the recording that Art Blakey made in 1967 and who was in his band. Some of my best friends are the ones that I made in college who never even picked up an instrument. And of course there are some who are extremely talented musicians. This is not to say that you can't have a vibrant social life with other musicians. You should take the time to connect with other classmates and professors. Your relationships with these people can lead to future performance opportunities and push you harder than any private lesson. I have learned the most from students that were better than me. Just playing simple études or duets raises your level of musicianship. You should make a regular effort to practice with some of your close friends. That's not only enhances your musicianship and also strengthens your friendship. One of my most productive musical periods was when I lived with two other trumpet players. One was primarily classical player and the other was a mix between classical and jazz. I think we all grew as musicians during that period.

In addition to performing on campus you should be making the most out of your time off campus. Hearing live music should be a regular part of your musical development. Although not all areas around the college campus allow for that. If there are playing opportunities around your area, you should take full advantage of them. For example, when I was an undergraduate, there was an established big band that performed dance band swing music. I worked my way into the band and became a regular member. Although the pay wasn't great, it definitely gave me a taste of the real world. On most gigs there would be three sets and I was playing a different part on each set: lead, second, or third. All sight reading. This band was instrumental in my development as a player. There were solid musicians in every section that I was able to learn from. This band only performed on a monthly basis so there was a lot of extra time for performing that needed to be filled. So I put together my own jazz combo and to play music that I had written or standards that I wasn't afforded the opportunity to play elsewhere. I led this band for a couple of years, playing twice a week at a restaurant and bars around town. This was a great experience that gave me the opportunity to work as a leader, learn new music, and deal with venue managers. My only regret was that I had not done this sooner.