Youthful Exuberance

I have just returned from spending four days in Mobile, Alabama where I conducted the University of Mobile Community Orchestra. The ensemble is in its infancy, having presented just a few concerts. It is a typical group of its kind, made up of professionals from the area symphony (Mobile Symphony) and university students. I had a great time. I hope that I taught the students something about music making. I know that they taught me.

Sometimes we have to be reminded of things that we already know. For example, I know that I love my family, but it takes going away from home for a few days to realize just how much. And, I know that if I eat anything I want, I will gain weight. Knowing that, I still go off the bandwagon at times. (Okay, all the time.) Well, the students at the University of Mobile reminded me that music is a great way to make a living.

When I was a seventh-grader in Mrs. Hornaday's music appreciation class at Wabash Junior High School, Wabash, Indiana, I knew that I wanted to have a career in music. (Before that, I was convinced that I wanted to be a veterinarian--until I found out that math was involved.) I remember how exciting music was back then. I spent hours listening to music, practicing, and generally dreaming about conducting an orchestra. Over the years, however, I lost some of that "youthful exuberance".

Don't get me wrong--I am the luckiest man alive. I actually get to have a career in music. But it took the students at UM to remind me that we in the music business really are lucky. Music is a great way to make a living.

It's true that few get rich in our profession, but that just doesn't seem important to me now. Our jobs are never mundane like an assembly-line job (although some orchestral musicians would say if they have to play Beethoven Five again, they will scream. I say, "get over it". Would you rather put a widget in a square hole--500 times a day?) Unlike most jobs, we get instant gratification. (How many employees have large groups of people applaud for them for a job well done?) Perhaps most importantly, musicians get to make people happy. Sure, I appreciate my CPA when he gets me a tax refund, or my physician when she makes me well, but when I conduct a concert, I actually get to entertain people. What a privilege.

411 to all professional musicians: We are the luckiest group of professionals on earth. Stop complaining and count your blessings.