Dreaming of becoming a professional musician

[Zauberfloete]

I feel very lucky that my profession is also my hobby - practising is work, yes, but it's fun too.

Yes, beakon, you're very lucky indeed!! Perhaps it's just a question of finding the right niche. After the negative attitude of my first teacher at uni, I knew that I'd never be a professional clarinettist and it put me off playing, as my confidence was shattered (the last time I picked up my clarrie was about 20 years ago and that was under sufferance). Now, I'm learning the piano but ONLY for myself, never in the hope of playing in public; actually, I wouldn't want to now. I wonder, though, if former professionals like Hornspieler ever miss that feeling of being part of a symphony orchestra. Having played in a very good youth orchestra myself, there was nothing like that feeling of all those individual instruments creating a wonderful whole, not to mention the camaraderie. From what people have said, though, it seems to be the professional aspect of music-making which causes the problems!!

[salymap]

My uncle was a fine violinist but in the thirties work was short. He was married to my mother's sister but when he found an extremely well-paid job playing on the passenge boats to Australia and NZ he took it. He intended to just do one trip but liked it so much he stayed with it for several years. He gave up on the approach of WW2 and did a wartime job at Woolwich Arsenal.

Two of his four children now live in Australia so love of the country must have been passed on to them.

In old age he continued with his semi-amateur string quartet and as a child I loved sitting in on their rehearsals. Sadly, although they mostly love music, none of my cousins play an instrument.

[Serial_Apologist]

there was nothing like that feeling of all those individual instruments creating a wonderful whole, not to mention the camaraderie. From what people have said, though, it seems to be the professional aspect of music-making which causes the problems!!

What a wonderful thing to have written! My experience exactly when I was a member of the school chapel choir and concert choir was that I found being part of a whole much preferable to being out front as soloist. Freudians might call it as some "oceanic regression", but at least we were creating that sense of a whole!

[teamsaint]

What a wonderful thing to have written! My experience exactly when I was a member of the school chapel choir and concert choir was that I found being part of a whole much preferable to being out front as soloist. Freudians might call it as some "oceanic regression", but at least we were creating that sense of a whole!

That is so much part of the joy of watching and listening to a great musical collective, especially a symphony orchestra. Just the sheer mass of individual expertise, all channelled into a wonderful collective whole..its just a triumph of human endeavour and an example of how we are better working together.

[amo]

This is an interesting thread, and my first comment having logged on this evening here!
My wise piano teacher once said to me: Music is not a career. It has none of the benefits that one associates with a 'career' such as paid holidays, company cars or pension plans. Music is an addiction!