Posted by Dave on November 22, 2001 at 01:02:45:
In Reply to: Re: Please Indulge Me (***LONG***) posted by Think again... on November 21, 2001 at 22:29:37:
I promised myself I wouldn't respond publicly but "Concerned" has hit the nail on the head. My point was being missed. I'm not addressing the amateur who does it for fun, for I believe they have tasted the fruit. Something funny happens when you start getting payed to play.
I do believe I am burnt out with my job and prospects elsewhere, not tuba playing. These feelings didn't come about because I grew tired of playing. The feelings were born after I had investigated a new career path, jumped through the necessary application hoops and was accepted into the program (without getting too specific, I'll give you the sanctioned response of 'a government position involving linguistics as it applies to military intelligence'). It was this new door opening that got me thinking about what I had to show for the past 11 years after I received my degree. I pursued this new avenue before Sept. 11 but the events of that day further raised questions about my recent past and its true relevance and benefit to society. I'm not sure I agree with Mr. Denney when he says "Few people in any profession get to claim that their work will be remembered ten years from now, let alon(e) at the turn of the next century." Sure, people may not remember your work by your name ten years from now, but there are plenty of lines of work out there where the impact upon others cannot be measured. Ironically enough, these are some of the lowest paying jobs in our society: policemen, firemen, teachers, paramedics, and any other job concerned with the safety and security of others.
I'm sorry, but I don't share the views of "Scared" either. I realize you're young, but life is ALL ABOUT "what kind of difference you're making on the world" and its inhabitants however many or few you come in contact with. It's this "what's the world offering me" that's got me a bit riled.
I think the events of 11 SEP really brought home to some of us that there's got to be more to life than busting hump in a practice room for a dream job that more than likely will never come and when it does, offers no guarantee for its future. If it's all about the music and not the personal prestige, why do pro tuba players move around so much? Is it a desire to touch lives with your Shostakovich tuba wallops in a different city?
I'm confident that recent events have also affected others in our society as well. If we had some of these genius computer code writers (that are producing some amazing stuff for our desktop and business apps these days) accept a smaller paycheck and work in service to this country, events of the past may very well be avoided in the future.
Dave