Klarinet Archive - Posting 000629.txt from 1998/02

From: Roger Garrett <rgarrett@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: "Professional" vs. "amateur"
Date: Mon, 16 Feb 1998 16:23:20 -0500

On Mon, 16 Feb 1998, Gary L Smith wrote:
Roger Garrett wrote:
> >If some friend is better at it but only does it as a hobby, is he more
> >professional? I think most people see the logic behind this analogy.
> >Therefore, the Saxophone example above means nothing in terms of
> >professional STATUS.

Gary Smith Responded:
> I can tell you which one I'd rather frame up my house.

No offense meant to Gary and his somewhat indignant response, but the
original question asked about this issue......I simply responded. That
Gary would prefer a non-professional carpenter to frame up his house is
irrelevent to the original question.....but I would agree with his idea
that the BETTER carpenter should do the work.....who couldn't agree with
that?

> >Labels may not be important to you...and your interpretation of them
> >may
> >be quite sound....but, in reality, it makes no difference...labels
> >make a
> >difference!
>
> Yes, Roger, labels, and people who are big on applying them, have made a
> difference throughout history. Can you think of a few historical
> examples?

Well, I would rather stick with the area in which we are discussing,
unless you have something you would like to say here. If someone is
looking for a professional teacher, or a professional performer, many
people will look to that label. The label is often defined by the criteria
in my earlier post.

> >Larry Combs is a professional musician (obviously)....but you can call
> >him
> >anything you like! If humility is part of a label.....let's rewrite
> >the
> >word professional!

> Very well - let's.

Well...you may rewrite the dictionary if it pleases you! But don't expect
everyone to agree with your definitions.

> "A professional is someone who is secure enough in his/her abilities and
> satisfied enough with his/her career to not worry what labels are applied
> to him/her by people who have enough time on their hands to worry about
> it."

This may be your very narrow definition of a professional, but I don't
think it is universal. Sorry.......it includes anyone who thinks they
might be a professional and don't care about labels.....this could be the
9th grade kid down the street who played the same solo as he heard on a
CD. I wonder, if we expand the definition of "Professionl" to include
everything, we have, quite simply, erased a level above the amatuer. Not
very helpful!

I understand what Gary is getting at, and he might be surprised that I
agree with what I think he is trying to say. I just don't think that a
non-musician would find the lack of a label very helpful.....nor would the
music world in general.

> I don't know Mr. Combs personally, but I bet he fits this definition in
> spades.

I would bet that most professionals fit this definition - so do a lot of
high school players! Why? because the definition you have given us is so
general it does not discriminate enough.

Roger Garrett