Many people in the general public are honestly surprised that musicians get paid money to perform. Some even get downright insulted when musicians insist on getting paid to play.
Holly Mulcahy at the Partial Observer recently posted an excellent article addressing this very issue and it is stimulating conversation in the arts blogosphere. She suggests that musicians need to stop feeling guilty for being musicians, getting paid fairly, and enjoying what they do.
"What do you do for a living?"
Most musicians have heard this question at one time or another. In "You're Paid?!" Mulcahy observes that because musicians "play" and enjoy what they do, many people think that they aren't really working.
"In the minds of many people, classical musicians are ‘playing' for fun. And while it is fun, many listeners don't realize the hard work and the money that went into training and the cost of instruments. As a result, there seems to be a disconnect between what audience members instinctively perceive as a hobby as opposed to a profession when it comes to full time musicians."
An online commenter on Adaptstration.com adds that some audience members project their own amateur or early school experiences -- such as playing in student or volunteer ensembles -- onto professional musicians.
From this perspective, an audience member's perception may be well-intended, but clouded - or even jaded. They might believe that because professional musicians have Talent, they should be able to just pick up any instrument and play it effortlessly without any study.
Their Talent should be freely shared and given generously ... right?
Looks can be deceiving
The reality is that musicians make it "look" fun and easy due to countless hours and dollars spent to achieve and maintain the rigorous standards of being a working professional. While a certain level of talent is required, most musicians achieve results through lots of hard work, experience and intense study.
In the Arizona Opera Orchestra for example, the majority holds degrees from some of the finest universities and music conservatories in the nation.
- 95% of the orchestra members have a college degree
- 84% of the orchestra members have more than one college degree
- 1/3 of the orchestra members have a doctoral degree
The average amount of playing experience of an AZOOMA musician is 35 years, and the average amount of opera experience is 10 years.
AZOOMA musicians are as equally trained as doctors, sports athletes and lawyers to do what they do for a living. Do we expect them to work for free because they might make it look easy or fun?
Specialized expertise
Classical musicians tend to specialize on one specific instrument. Because professional standards are so high, this is the accepted norm. The skills required to master an instrument at this level demand a concentrated focus of study.
Again, this is essentially no different than the highly-paid doctor or accomplished sports athlete.
In American football for instance, there are offensive and defensive positions, quarterbacks, wide receivers, fullbacks, linebackers, cornerbacks, blockers, rushers and kickers, just to name a few.
With rare exception, these athletes specialize in one position and one position only. And they are paid handsomely for it.
Experience + Excellence = Exciting!
In the world of opera, there is one major difference between experienced and less-experienced opera musicians - a standard of excellence.
Other musicians may be "cheaper"-- performing operas for less money -- and may produce the same notes as the "expensive" musicians, but their performances will always be lacking, leaving the listener unfulfilled and wanting for more.
Passion and drama are everything in opera and less-experienced or less-motivated musicians aren't as capable (or even willing) to effectively convey this passion.
Many times, as the old saying goes, "you get what you pay for."
Cheap is cheap.
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