Ignorance.

[Claire W]

I was at work today at a well known jewellers (which I do part time to pay for instrumental tuition and also perhaps more importantly beer whilst I study) and it happened to come up in conversation that I was a student. Basically when I told them that I studied music they said that it was a 'mickey mouse' subject. "What are you going to do with that then?" I was asked. I told them that there were many things I could go into but I was thinking of either being a professional singer or a composer or even both. Not only did they spend the next TEN (!) minutes going on about 'classical' music and how boring and what a waste of time it all was but then they started going on about paying for all these students to go to university and laze about doing nothing and spending all the governments money! I nearly smacked them both over the head with the 'nice' piece of porcelain they were looking at!

Why are people so ignorant to people of the arts? Would I have received the same reaction if I said I was doing biological sciences, engineering or maths? I think the amswer is no. As for the remarks about the music which I love and live for well, what can I say? Should I have to keep on apolgising for being an arts student and for the music that I study?

Please tell I'm not going mad.

Claire
XXXX

[Chris]

I don't know. Going into music is an abysmally stupid career move. Of course, if money is not your main concern, then you might as well have fun with your carrer, and what's more fun than music?

[Claire W]

Originally posted by Chris:
I don't know. Going into music is an abysmally stupid career move. Of course, if money is not your main concern, then you might as well have fun with your carrer, and what's more fun than music?

What would you rather be- happy but not with a load of cash, or totally unhappy but rolling in it?

[~Leslie]

Claire, I don't know how old you are, but I would venture to guess you are between the ages of 18 & 22.

Aside from the fact that those ppl were exceptionally rude and tacky,
the general gist of the message is:

There are ways to make a living in the music business, such as in marketing, working on a technical level in a recording studio, teaching, etc., but unless you have extraordinary talent on a given instrument(s),and or sight read exceptionally well, the performing arts, or composition, will be horribly tough to survive on. There are enough ppl in this forum alone, who will verify this to you.

It is ashame that ppl call classical music boring, an open admission that they don't appreciate or understand the arts, ironically enough, they're willing to shell out alot of dough for fine china, a visual status symbol
that collects alot of dust, and has potential to wind up shattered on the floor, courtesy of a common household cat .

Let them eat cake, the schmucks.

My message to you though, is to pursue the muse with your eyes (and ears)wide open, after all, it's still your life, and it's your choice. ~

[Claire W]

Who knows what will happen. Maybe I will reach my potential, maybe I won't. But hey, I'm going to give it the best damn shot I can and give it all I have got and more. And if I don't quite make it, I can teach music with the diplomas I have and be happy. I'm not scared really (?).

Claire
XXX

[Chris]

Originally posted by Claire W:

What would you rather be- happy but not with a load of cash, or totally unhappy but rolling in it?

Honestly, the only reason I did not go into music was so I could make a good salary and provide well for a wife and a few kids. That is more important to me than music. Unfortunately, it looks like I may wind up with a life of bachelorhood after all Perhaps I should have gone into music...

[Peter]

I used to get this all the time - are you sure you're doing the right thing? , there's no money in it, it's so stressful etc.... Where would all the great orchestras and musicians be if they had listened to the barrage of negative remarks inflicted on them? I think if someone wants to go into music, they should damn well be allowed to get on with it and with a bit more encouragement! Nothing is certain in life (except death and taxes) and anyone can be struck down at any time ! OK you may not end up a millionaire (there's no guarantee of that in any profession), but at least you'll be doing what you love and that is far more than most people can say. There are so many different options in music and I don't think being a teacher should be regarded as some kind of failure.

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'Man know thyself'

[PDG]

Originally posted by Claire W:
Who knows what will happen. Maybe I will reach my potential, maybe I won't. But hey, I'm going to give it the best damn shot I can and give it all I have got and more. And if I don't quite make it, I can teach music with the diplomas I have and be happy. I'm not scared really (?).
Claire
XXX

Maybe you could combine your two great loves, & invent MUSICAL CHOCOLATE!!! (You know, along the lines of alphabet spaghetti, it's not as daft as it sounds...............)

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PDG (Peter)

[Suzie]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Claire W:
[B]I was at work today at a well known jewellers (which I do part time to pay for instrumental tuition and also perhaps more importantly beer whilst I study) and it happened to come up in conversation that I was a student. Basically when I told them that I studied music they said that it was a 'mickey mouse' subject. "What are you going to do with that then?" I was asked. I told them that there were many things I could go into but I was thinking of either being a professional singer or a composer or even both. Not only did they spend the next TEN (!) minutes going on about 'classical' music and how boring and what a waste of time it all was but then they started going on about paying for all these students to go to university and laze about doing nothing and spending all the governments money! I nearly smacked them both over the head with the 'nice' piece of porcelain they were looking at!

Why are people so ignorant to people of the arts? Would I have received the same reaction if I said I was doing biological sciences, engineering or maths? I think the amswer is no. As for the remarks about the music which I love and live for well, what can I say? Should I have to keep on apolgising for being an arts student and for the music that I study?

Please tell I'm not going mad.

Claire


My father was very unhappy when I started college. He thought 'book learning' was ridiculous and the only way a person could get ahead was with hard work. When I signed up for piano lessons, he absolutely blew up. If I had it to do over again, I would have not have let people pressure me out of what I loved. If you're not careful, Claire, you could wind up doing something intensely unsatisfying, like writing checks to greedy doctors, whilst you listen to your Beethoven CD's.

Good luck
Suz

[Claire W]

Originally posted by PDG:
Maybe you could combine your two great loves, & invent MUSICAL CHOCOLATE!!! (You know, along the lines of alphabet spaghetti, it's not as daft as it sounds...............)

Hmmm.... perhaps chocolate that when you take the wrapper off the bar starts to play the overture to Fidelio? But then would it still be playing in your stomach? Or Beethoven shaped fancies?...............

[PDG]

No, then it becomes Foodelio.

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PDG (Peter)

[stout]

Your not going nuts my dear madam. I sometimes think our kind are a dying a breed. I see many stupid people every day-and I am just 16. People do to understand I think Beethoven, Schubert, or even Chopin. I guess if they cannot dance to it its "boring".
I must say you and myself are in the same boat as far as being composers. It is not easy life. You work at a well known jewler and I am just a composer, with student on the side. Does your jewlery store by chance sell the Bond Omega seamaster?
Anyway, you keep listening to Beethoven! The man was a genius. I keep thinking to myself when people make fun of me where they will end up in years to come. Most people at my school smoke weed and make fun of me because I yell out tunes for concertos and symphonies at the top of my lungs. But your friends that make fun of you-where will they be when you become a great composer, or possibly the next great female vocalist?
Regards my dear madame

Stout

[~Leslie]

PDG, They actually sell little confections at the Mozarteum(?) in Austria. They are wrapped in foil with his picture on them.

Alas, chocolate - being one of the four major food groups, the sentiment is so short-lived, personally I think I would prefer manufacturing something lasting.....like music boxes.

Then I'd sell them to dolts like the ones Claire was waiting on in the jewelry shop. ~

[This message has been edited by ~Leslie (edited 04-19-2001).]

[Claire W]

Originally posted by ~Leslie:
PDG, They actually sell little confections at the Mozarteum(?) in Austria. They are wrapped in foil with his picture on them.

I have seen them. Anyone ever had Mozart chocolate liquer? Never nice indeed. Not sure it tasted very Mozartian though!

XXXX

[Rod]

Originally posted by Claire W:
I have seen them. Anyone ever had Mozart chocolate liquer? Never nice indeed. Not sure it tasted very Mozartian though!

XXXX

It tasted too 'heavy' for Mozart? In Vienna you can buy ANYTHING with Mozart's picture on it, or J Strauss's. I was looking for some Beethoven Chocolate but couldn't find any. The Viennese have a preference for their local boys as opposed to a German import!

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"If I were but of noble birth..." - Rod Corkin