tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10680113.post6655454448133123799..comments2024-03-23T11:40:13.092-05:00Comments on Musical Assumptions: Brave New World?Elaine Finehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14248422399226824168noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10680113.post-74464921268864077302010-11-20T06:47:36.731-06:002010-11-20T06:47:36.731-06:00"Like most musicians, much of my play for pay..."Like most musicians, much of my play for pay consists of playing music that I would not choose to play under any other circumstances, but I do my best, and I'm happy for the opportunity to work"<br /><br />As one for whom music is an avocation, this re-enforces my long term feeling that Music is a wonderful hobby and a difficult profession.<br /><br />Bill in DallasBill in Dallashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10957676130537798859noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10680113.post-22011575391398777412010-11-19T15:31:20.493-06:002010-11-19T15:31:20.493-06:00I love to compliment, Elaine! Though, to be hones...I love to compliment, Elaine! Though, to be honest, I was assuming. :-)<br /><br />For me being established isn't about a financial threshold; it's about being able to make a career of what we love doing. Maybe that means lower income and a lower "standard of living" in some (many?!?) circumstances. (I think in music it likely means an improved "quality of life" though.)<br /><br />Related to that, I agree that a "successful career" is a construct.<br /><br />(Pssst...I just linked to this on my site <a href="http://killingclassicalmusic.com/post/1621028656/best-of-the-web-11-19-10" rel="nofollow">here</a>.)<br /><br />Best,<br /><br />Grant Charles Chaput<br /><a href="http://twitter.com/GCComposer" rel="nofollow">@GCComposer</a><br /><a href="http://killingclassicalmusic.com" rel="nofollow">KillingClassicalMusic.com</a>Granthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04465114546853903708noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10680113.post-47762074305077835302010-11-18T16:12:01.001-06:002010-11-18T16:12:01.001-06:00The whole "successful career" thing is a...The whole "successful career" thing is a construct. I don't consider myself to be "established," and I find it flattering that you think I am, Grant! If you knew how little money I make in relation to the time I spend working, you would laugh (or cry). I have yet, in my 30-year adult career, to even reach a salary above (or even at some years) the poverty level, but I live in a very affordable place (with few perks aside from a relatively small amount of traffic), and I have a husband with a dependable job.<br /><br />I do have a unique ability to recognize talent--genius even, and I have been perplexed by how many people don't appreciate many of the composers and performing musicians I find exceptional. There is just too much noise, surround by too much glitz.<br /><br />You know where to find me because you are reading my blog. That's about it.<br /><br />David, they went and changed the rules since we were in school. Almost anything anyone would have told us no longer applies.Elaine Finehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14248422399226824168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10680113.post-26652888022904929162010-11-18T13:19:47.421-06:002010-11-18T13:19:47.421-06:00While I appreciate your distaste for music as a co...While I appreciate your distaste for music as a commodity, I can't help thinking that if I had heard and absorbed ideas on how to market myself when I graduated in '71, or even some time before I got my doctorate in '85, I could have had a much more successful career than I have had. As it is, I'm turning myself into an Internet writer, and in order to become successful I need to become good at, um, marketing myself.David Guionhttp://music.allpurposeguru.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10680113.post-9336738990719356342010-11-18T12:53:36.599-06:002010-11-18T12:53:36.599-06:00Hi, Elaine. I just came across this article too, ...Hi, Elaine. I just came across this article too, and I rather liked it. I appreciate your perspective too.<br /><br />Do you think your ability to say, "If you like what I do, you know where to find me," is based largely on the fact that you're already established? Would you counsel a recent graduate to take the same approach?<br /><br />On another note, I find the marketing component to be so critical because so much of what we do as musicians <i>is</i> subjective and personal. Because it's so hard to say which performer/composer is "better," audiences need to choose on a different basis. One is personal connection, and that can be well provided through marketing in the new media, etc.<br /><br />It's a scary/exciting time!<br /><br />Thanks for posting your thoughts on this. I'm including the original article in my "best of the web" series this week, so I'll include a link to your commentary as a part of that too!<br /><br />Best,<br /><br />Grant Charles Chaput<br /><a href="http://twitter.com/GCComposer" rel="nofollow">@GCComposer</a><br /><a href="http://killingclassicalmusic.com" rel="nofollow">KillingClassicalMusic.com</a>Granthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04465114546853903708noreply@blogger.com