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17 years ago
General
I've been criticized for being an idealist, with pretty stories, and empty encouragement... and a lack of knowledge about what the "real world" is about, but that really isn't so. I actually live my naive optimism to the best of my ability, and the pretty things I say, they're all things I actually believe and act upon. Hence:
The tea leaves have come down as they are wont to come down.
Many many years ago, I gave up the possibility of an education and career in the fine arts, despite immense promise in them- I managed to get admission to the performing arts high school in my hometown when I hit grade seven, and had the makings of a pretty talented violinist. Not your Mi Dori class scary child prodigy, or your Perlman-style older talent, but certainly enough to support a career teaching music, and maybe, with a little luck, a good job at the top end of a second tier metropolitan orchestra, or the bottom end of a top-tier one. The program at the performing arts high school, the location of which you can probably easily divine if you listen to my accent, and follow my, or Beachfox's travels, acknowledged that possibilities were pretty high: You'll end up stuck in music ed. As such, they pushed you to diversify. Learn other instruments. Make the sting of those musical techniques courses less onerous. I skipped out on brass entirely, but went for clarinet and bassoon. Not the best player on the block, but a good doubler, a good utilitarian player. A few musical theater gigs, and some orchestral experience.. all good stuff.. all pointing to a life with some truly interesting potential and possibility.
Then, there was the wonderful help: The parent who, meaning well, gives technically correct, though immoral, soul-poisoning advice.
"Sure, you can do it, but how will you eat?"
You can't really critique it: It's a valid point, and it's given in a spirit of well meaning. But it's probably not exactly "right" on a karmic, world-view level. Good on them for raising me right, and raising me honest, and good on them for trying their best. But, eh. Maybe stay away from the career advice.
***
Thus began, in association with a whole wad of other bad circumstances, a career in computing. I eat well, actually. Too well. But something's just always been missing.
So I made an appointment to go speak to our local college's advisors- Mostly of a mind to complete the CS degree I never finished due to ... big surprise... switching majors too often until the scholarship money ran out. It's strange though, how fated things go. Looking at all my credits: All the things that would have to be retaken because they'd "expired", and weren't current enough, and the level of mathematical bullshit requisite in the local school's program.. and then looking what would be accepted for transfer.. and the quality of my grades in the few music courses I've been taking, more on a lark than anything else... and lo and behold. Straight As in all of the performance and theory courses. Middling Bs at best in all of the old technology stuff. It would seem that the tea leaves have shown me the way back to my path.
Clarinet performance. Specializing in harmony clarinets: Alto, Bass, Contra-Alto, and Contra-Bass.
I've got a wad of reed blanks on order, have a new bass clarinet in the midst of overhaul for potential purchase, and have registered for classes that actually start in the morning. You college folk will know how much the 8 o' clock classes suck. I'm going to ride mine 3 days a week, with 5 hour performance classes Monday and Tuesday evenings besides.
So I'm finally, really, actually doing it. Following through, and doing the right thing, that I should've just done in the first place.
Thanks to my fox who has faith in me even though I'm a pretty vile individual, and beats me up to Do The Right Thing. Apologies in advance for the ordeal of living with a simultaneous full time worker, and full time student.
...
Any Bay Area, CA, or Santa Cruz area musicians out there? Classically or jazz-inclined? PM me. Would be fun to work on small-ensemble stuff.
The tea leaves have come down as they are wont to come down.
Many many years ago, I gave up the possibility of an education and career in the fine arts, despite immense promise in them- I managed to get admission to the performing arts high school in my hometown when I hit grade seven, and had the makings of a pretty talented violinist. Not your Mi Dori class scary child prodigy, or your Perlman-style older talent, but certainly enough to support a career teaching music, and maybe, with a little luck, a good job at the top end of a second tier metropolitan orchestra, or the bottom end of a top-tier one. The program at the performing arts high school, the location of which you can probably easily divine if you listen to my accent, and follow my, or Beachfox's travels, acknowledged that possibilities were pretty high: You'll end up stuck in music ed. As such, they pushed you to diversify. Learn other instruments. Make the sting of those musical techniques courses less onerous. I skipped out on brass entirely, but went for clarinet and bassoon. Not the best player on the block, but a good doubler, a good utilitarian player. A few musical theater gigs, and some orchestral experience.. all good stuff.. all pointing to a life with some truly interesting potential and possibility.
Then, there was the wonderful help: The parent who, meaning well, gives technically correct, though immoral, soul-poisoning advice.
"Sure, you can do it, but how will you eat?"
You can't really critique it: It's a valid point, and it's given in a spirit of well meaning. But it's probably not exactly "right" on a karmic, world-view level. Good on them for raising me right, and raising me honest, and good on them for trying their best. But, eh. Maybe stay away from the career advice.
***
Thus began, in association with a whole wad of other bad circumstances, a career in computing. I eat well, actually. Too well. But something's just always been missing.
So I made an appointment to go speak to our local college's advisors- Mostly of a mind to complete the CS degree I never finished due to ... big surprise... switching majors too often until the scholarship money ran out. It's strange though, how fated things go. Looking at all my credits: All the things that would have to be retaken because they'd "expired", and weren't current enough, and the level of mathematical bullshit requisite in the local school's program.. and then looking what would be accepted for transfer.. and the quality of my grades in the few music courses I've been taking, more on a lark than anything else... and lo and behold. Straight As in all of the performance and theory courses. Middling Bs at best in all of the old technology stuff. It would seem that the tea leaves have shown me the way back to my path.
Clarinet performance. Specializing in harmony clarinets: Alto, Bass, Contra-Alto, and Contra-Bass.
I've got a wad of reed blanks on order, have a new bass clarinet in the midst of overhaul for potential purchase, and have registered for classes that actually start in the morning. You college folk will know how much the 8 o' clock classes suck. I'm going to ride mine 3 days a week, with 5 hour performance classes Monday and Tuesday evenings besides.
So I'm finally, really, actually doing it. Following through, and doing the right thing, that I should've just done in the first place.
Thanks to my fox who has faith in me even though I'm a pretty vile individual, and beats me up to Do The Right Thing. Apologies in advance for the ordeal of living with a simultaneous full time worker, and full time student.
...
Any Bay Area, CA, or Santa Cruz area musicians out there? Classically or jazz-inclined? PM me. Would be fun to work on small-ensemble stuff.
Musician doesn't pay great but it's your passion, it seems--always seemed so as long as I've known you. But you have to admit that having the tech experience at least means you never have to end up a starving musician. :) Good luck on that and make excellent music!
And yeah. It's super nice not to starve. Actually, holy crap! You were living at the place in Mountain View when I bought the Bass clarinet that I'm getting refitted now, weren't you? When I look at the prices of gear, I boggle at how, say, professional bassoonists ever eat, or own cars.
I believe so... it's part of the reason why I made SURE to use the phrase 'starving musician'. :) ...unless you had gotten another since then. ...and yep, I fully suspect that's why musicians in that area preferred to actually LIVE in San Francisco and forego vehicles and fancy digs and such. Hell.. remember, it's the beatnick capital, daddy-o.
And yeah.. it's the same one, but I'm consigning it to get a nicer one, and.. actually.. that was a weird one. When i went to the music shop to look at things, they had an oboe there that looked eerily familiar. I'd bought it from an estate sale while I lived in Mountain View, then had it restored in Oakland, and played it for a year in the HP symphony orchestra, before I consignment sold it at The Starving Musician. Apparently, one of my band-mates from the community college group bought it, and played it for a few years.. and the same horn was on consignment when I was looking for basses.
Clearly there's a law of conservation of instruments in Santa cruz.
Creepy.
Though I guess it depends how hung, right? Big boys probably like the loose easy bass action.
*grins evilly*
You played the viola. Which means I can kid you with the jokes, right? I was always good buddies with the viola players, so I know them all. Gems like:
Why do the Germans call the viola a bratsche?
Because that's the sound that it makes when you sit on it.
-and-
You see a violist and a conductor in the middle of a highway as you're driving a truck. Which do you swerve to hit first?
The violist. Business before pleasure.
...
Which can easily be countered with, what is the definition of a minor third?
...two e flat clarinetists playing in unison.
---
I'll quit now. And go to bed.
Because I suck. ;)