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RE: mom needs advice

Author: Seamus Kirkpatrick
Date: 2002-09-19 22:41

I don't think she should have to choose.
The professor is correct that if she wants to go on and become a concert or orchestral musician at some point she will have to choose.
But that is a choice all about lifestyle and taste which is one that she can't possibly make yet.
The lifestyle that actually requires that kind of choice is one that can mean a lot of travel and many hours spent by yourself in a room practising and then having to play music that you're pretty sure other people want to hear (not necessarily what you like playing)and it goes on and on.
The thing is that she obviously has the potential to be able to play music to a standard that means she could be that type of musician, but the truth is that when she grows up, she may reject that lifestyle.
Even if she wants to be a musician (as opposed to another career), she might be interested in jazz, composition, avant garde music or traditional music which means the fact that she can play keyboard as well as clarinet will double her chances of making a living.
I think her teacher has the rest of her life vaguely mapped out for her and I don't think that's fair. She knows what's best for herself at this stage I think, and she shouldn't have to give up anything. If she loses the joy of making music at this stage, there's a good chance that she'll end up giving up, or even worse, become one of those joyless musicians that crowd stages all over the world and the last thing we need is another one of them.
I'm in Brisbane Australia (not much of a population to play music to) and I have a mortgage and a wife (she earns more money than me at the moment). I play contemporary and world music, I play and teach clarinet, flute, saxophone, bass guitar and voice and I'm teaching myself trumpet so that I can teach that too. I get to record cds (because I can do that too)and travel round the country playing at festivals. I could play music at that level and in that style but I don't want to. I don't like the music and I don't like the touring and relocation that's involved (and neither does my wife).
The point being, that I'm happy and I play stacks of instruments, get to play lots of different music, entertain lots of different people in all sorts of places and I didn't have to travel any particular career path to find that happiness within playing music.

And people who say there's only one way to do things make me terribly cross, hence this overlong reply.

thanks for listening (I swear I'm not a loony)
Seamus
PS I think you should talk to her teacher about what he has in mind and then present that to your daughter as an option. She might think it's a great idea and want to choose one instrument over the other.
And then she's still happy and enjoying music.... and that's the MOST important thing.

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