Music - Career Or Hobby (1954)

[Music] friends and neighbors sometimes encourage us to consider careers in music but it's always wise to check their judgments can Anderson knew this that's why he stopped in the middle of a music lesson to ask me well mr. Szabo I've been thinking about what fart music would play in my life should I try for it shag well for that's a career is that what you want well I'm sure music is well it's what I want nothing else counts as much as music I think I understand Ken there are others who feel as you do too well then should I try to become a concert artist well I really don't think I should answer that question for you can but perhaps I can help you find the answer for yourself let's begin with a less difficult question what can you find out more about the various careers in music there are many you know are you trying to tell me that I'm not good enough for a concert career on the contrary you play very well in few years hard work very hard work you might become a performer of professional caliber so you might be happier in some other field of music see what I mean let's take it from the Kitab early Ken's question about a career in music started me thinking and instead of listening I was remembering other students and their answers Mary winters wasn't a great artist but she is set out on a concert career and she could surprise everybody and hit the top there have been many like Jimmy Hall Quist who have learned to play well enough for their own pleasure but they regards themselves and brightly as musical amateurs and there have been many in my classes who have found musical performance just too much Howard Parnell could never really learn to play an instrument but he did learn to listen to music and the enjoyment of music became an important part of his life [Music] now ken was facing the question the Alamos is able about what part music would claim my life maybe I better have a talk with mr. Wilkinson your guidance counselor uh-huh it's a good idea you'll be able to tell you more about music as a vocation and more about yourself too well I'll see him after school today and I'll let you know how it goes ken along with other students took a series of musical aptitude tests given by the guidance counselor this part of the test is concerned with pitch discrimination you'll hear a series of three notes you're to write down which of the notes is lowest in pitch all right here we go problem number one [Music] number two number three of course such tests need careful interpretation by someone skilled in testing and guidance mr. Wilkenson told ken that his tests clearly indicated musical ability that he might well consider music as a vocation mr. Wilkenson suggested that Ken go to the library to find out more about opportunities and requirements in various careers in music as he read ken began to learn something about himself about how well-suited he was to the career he had in mind looking beyond the printed page he could picture himself [Music] would he like the long hours of practice to prepare himself for a career not just at first but indefinitely as long as he continued performing in public could he perform for the critics could he stand the pressure of having to play for their demanding years and if the critics approved would he then enjoy the endless touring living in Pullman and hotels traveling from city to city between two [Music] as he read ken learned that most musical careers are difficult and competitive he learned more when he interviewed professional musicians sure I studied like anybody else you got a no music in this business both popular and classical and then there's this job and laugh of small combos knocking around one-night stand pretty tough Sun I'll make it someday though start my own band develop a new style and I'll be in maybe if symphonies usually have training orchestras you can get into already in music school I was in one and I had a union card that you have to have in most orchestras well whenever there was a vacancy in the symphony they would send you out to audition so we would go and audition very good very good they would say and then they would hire somebody but finally they hired me down here it isn't a major Orchestra this one I have to take pupils mornings to help out but then they are still the big symphonies I can still go audition well as you know I've been dead set on composing for a long time I had composed as far as that goes but will anybody perform my works [Music] of course I make a good living writing special arrangements for popular orchestras and scoring radio shows and TV dramas but I'm not composing I'm not doing what I really want to do do you understand well I'm working my way up of course I had to get some engineering background as well as music then I signed on in a small town station after a while I moved over his music librarian now I'm on the turntables I make up the list for a couple of shows a week music director that's me someday yes.can learned about many careers in music and careers that combine music with other abilities with mechanical skill with sales ability can learn much from looking into such vocations after his reading and investigation ken came to see me about another important career that had been very much on his mind I wonder if you tell me something about teaching no I was worried that you wouldn't ask me about that yes music teaching has turned out to be a very satisfying career as far as I'm concerned very satisfying you see a music teacher has to have a special kind of training he needs to know how to inspire other people to enjoy music and when you have some success and inspiring others you just naturally feel inspired yourself I think I understand thanks a lot yes teaching was another career that Ken investigated further in finding how his abilities and interests measured up finding his own answer to the question what part shall music play in my life you know each of us has some aptitude for music whether it's performing or teaching or just listening and each of us can have a richer life by finding in it a definite place for music [Music]