[TPIN] Trumpet Playing as a Profession

[Orion Development Corp - D. Arndt]

Not to pile on, but... 

As someone who spent almost 10 years playing for a living (and doing pretty 
well, in *hindsight* - I was hard on myself at the time), and later jumped 
tracks into another profession... I can attest to this fact:  It was 
like "shooting fish in a barrel" compared to the music business.  I felt 
like a kid in a candy store - literally.  And I've heard this same account 
retold by other 'former' professional musicians.  

All that discipline, practice, patience, perserverence and "thick skin" you 
acquire as a musician pays off big time in most other professions.

It's true that you have to be dedicated in whatever you're doing - but the 
difference is like... "Wow! I can do something I like AND get well paid AND 
not have to worry a lot about where the next gig is coming from.  Holy 
Toledo!!!".  

Seriously - that feeling didn't wair off for about 5 years into my career 
change - that "pinch me" kind of feeling.

The flip side is that it makes you lazy.  Now I'm a comlete slug,... all I 
want to do is play my horn with my rock band and jazz group.  Old habits die 
hard <ggg>.

- da




On Thu, 13 Dec 2007 22:29:05 -0500, Mark Deaton wrote
> No profession is easy. If you want it, you gotta be prepared to sacrifice
> everything. Otherwise, you settle for something less.
> 
> <SNIP>
> 
> I disagree.  Playing a musical instrument, and, in particular, a 
> brass instrument -- OK, a trumpet, for this list -- is much more 
> difficult than many professions.  If you want to do that, as a 
> profession, there are thousands, no tens of thousands of professions 
> that require less sacrifice and dedication than playing the trumpet 
> full time.  I now run a small real estate investment company, for 
> example.  The amount of sacrifice and effort involved in running 
> that business is simply peanuts compared to the amount of effort 
> required to put food on the table as a trumpet player.  There is no 
> comparison whatsoever to the level of effort involved.
> 
> If you're paying the bills as a trumpet player, my hat is off to 
> you!  It's a tough row to hoe.
> 
> Mark "my opinion only" Deaton
> 
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