Playing the piano- as your life

[allchopin]

Playing the piano is sort of like a one way trip. either you devote your entire life to it then die, or dont and do other things. One way, you may become great like horowitz, rubenstein, argerich, and the other you wont come even close.  is anyone kind of scared of this kind of commitment to music? I mean, i want to be really good, but i dont want my life to revolve around it (as did all the greats). such as, i may major in music, while minoring in, o i dunno architecture. is this bad?

[ThEmUsIcMaNBJ]

Of course it's not "bad", some people have different goals and dreams.  But see that's the difference between me and you.  I want to be really good as well, but also I DO want my life to revolve around music.  That's what my life is now, music, music, and music.  It's not that I "may" major in music.  I am going to major in music and there isn't anything else to it.  The decision there, is what exactly in music am I going to major in?  I plan on spending the rest of my life in music in some form whether it be teaching, performing, conducting, or whatever.  

But I'm not too optimistic about performing.  I started late and the odds of me being good enough to be a respected concert pianist is pretty much nill.  However just because I won't make it to the level of horowitz and the like, doesn't mean I'm not going to try as hard as I possibly can to get there.

But no absolutely it's not bad, some people learn piano just to learn piano.  Because it's fun and rewarding, most people don't make their life into it.  You just have to think to yourself and decide how important is it? It's hard, and if you can't keep it up you could be making a mistake that will be hard to correct.  

[la_carrenio2003]

I'm at the other side of the bridge. I already finished my master of music, but I remember when I was in your position, many years ago, I was studying Chemistry and music. Music seemed very risky and difficult, and you always think about the greatests pianists and that you maybe never will be even near their level. But I just asked myself: can I live without playing the piano? I tried to get away from it for 6 months,but I felt I'm sofocating without it. And I understood that no matter what level can I achieve, I wanted to live my life around music.  And you know what? I never regretted. I tried some competitions, not won anyone yet, but I'll try until I can, and the thing is not winning or being famous, the thing is getting up each morning and being a pianist. I read in the Lazar Berman's web-site:"Don't worry about a career.If you love music, it will happen; if it doesn't, anyway you have your music, that you love." That's true. But if you don't feel like this, don't feel bad. You're the center of your own life and just have to decide the position of the music in it.

[NetherMagic]

im goin for major in medicine, like doctor and those stuff, but my life i'm pretty sure it's gonna be revolved around music.  I have my special reasons:
backup career: i can always resolve to teaching if i dun make it for doctor
respect: just imagine, performing at a high-class party, when you get off the seat, everyone looks at you with renewed admiration (if you did a good job of course)
and that also leads to a specialized area, attraction from the opposite sex hehe , dun most, if not all girls/boys get have a better feeling towards you if you just perform a little piece in front of them?  

newayz but the main thing is like what la_carrenio2003 said, once during a time when my hands were injured, i stopped playing piano and oooh the agony!   and piano always seems to be a good excuse to not do homework =]