Klarinet Archive - Posting 000661.txt from 1998/02

From: "Scott Morrow" <sdm@-----.edu>
Subj: Re: "Professional" vs. "amateur"
Date: Tue, 17 Feb 1998 10:58:30 -0500

Scott D. Morrow
DNA Synthesis Core Facility
Department of Biochemistry
The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health
Baltimore, MD 21205
(410) 955-3631
-----Original Message-----
From: Roger Garrett <rgarrett@-----.edu>
<klarinet@-----.us>
Date: Sunday, February 15, 1998 10:16 PM
Subject: Re: "Professional" vs. "amateur"

>On Sun, 15 Feb 1998, Nancy Marzec wrote:
>> How do you decide if you are a "professional" or an "amateur"?
>> Is it a matter of percentage of income derived from playing? If so,
>> there must be many potential "professionals" out there who play
>> magnificently but, because they want to do silly things like put food on
>> the table or a roof over their heads (community theater jobs just won't
>> do it and GOOD jobs are few and far between), choose to maintain the
>> status of "amateur". Or does it have to do with the schooling you have
>> had? Or maybe union status?
>
>Professional status is not determined by schooling, degrees, titles, etc.
>It is determined by your association with:
>
>1. A Musician's Union
>2. Your contract(s) with various employers
>3. Your income
>4. Your known playing status/position in the performance world
>
>All of these things determine your professional status. You may be a
>member of a regional symphony that only pays $60 per service.....but you
>are considered professional. You may be better than the aforementioned
>professional player but play in a community band...you are amatuer. It
>depends on many variables.......for the most part, your union determines
>your professionality.......if you are not a member of a musician's union,
>you are not considered a professional musician.
>
>Roger Garrett
>IWU
>

Imagine my surprise, upon reading your definition of "professional", on
finding out that I am NOT a "professional" in my "day job", in which I've
been working for 16 years!

Just to throw in my ten cents (adjusted for inflation):

A professional gets paid.

Unfortunately, this definition implies nothing regarding ability or
attitude:
+Those "professional" drivers who run you off the interstate with their big
rigs?
+The "professional" lounge singer who can't sing on key but nobody notices?
+The "professional" actor who can't act but looks great?

I'm sorry, but I think we're applying the meaning to this term that we'd
LIKE it to have!
I do not derive the major share of my income from music, but people will pay
me to perform. If someone asks me if I am a professional, I answer "yes",
and I get paid!
If I answer "no", I DON'T get paid!

What's in a name?

-Scott