Brought to you this hour by

Advertising and Web Hosting on Woodwind.Org!

Doublereed Archive - Posting 000062.txt from 2006/11

From: "Miriam Williams" <mwquacker@-----.net>
Subj: [DR-L] musicians in alternate jobs was Re: Blair Tindall's Mozart in the Jungle
Date: Wed, 15 Nov 2006 08:56:08 -0500

My dh became a machinist, then a technical writer for the same company right
out of music school. We wanted to marry and raise a family, and that
machinist job led to things he wouldn't have done as a high school music
teacher (travel, education, professional advancement, good pay...). He plans
on getting to back to playing trombone in groups next year.

Miriam

----- Original Message -----
From: "herb fawcett" <herbgosia@-----.net>
To: <doublereed@-----.org>
Sent: Monday, November 13, 2006 5:10 PM
Subject: Re: [DR-L] Re: Blair Tindall's Mozart in the Jungle

> Total agreement.
> When I left school, I went directly to work in the Houston Symphony. I
> had
> already played a season in the Philadelphia orchestra and learned how
> tiring
> it can be. I also played Boston, Santa Fe Opera, and Phoenix Symphony, all
> great experiences. There were many other musical experiences, but not
> enough
> joy to leaven the weight of the effort necessary to produce quality
> performance constantly. A career musician needs to derive all of his needs
> from music, as there is no time for anything else. Then there are the
> reeds!
> My wife and I decided to find a way for me to finish dental school and for
> us to raise two kids in relative sanity. It worked beautifully, and while
> I
> didn't make a lot of money, we were secure. We also had opportunities to
> play for the following 40 years without fear of losing the job at any
> moment
> for whatever weird whim might present itself. I have met many
> "professional
> quality" players who have become dentists, medical doctors, and lawyers as
> well as all the other things that people do in careers. My life has been
> happy and full, and while I do not lament the time spent in developing my
> musical craft, I also do not lament that it did not take me into a
> lifelong
> career in music.
> In her little talk to us when we were leaving Curtis, Mrs.
> Curtis/Zimbalist
> acknowledged that not all of us would have full careers in music, but she
> hoped we would find joy in bringing music to wherever we went. She was a
> wise and gentle lady.
> Herb

---------------------------------------------------------------------
For personal help: email doublereed-owner@-----.org
Doublereed is a service of Woodwind.Org, Inc. http://www.woodwind.org