Passion vs. Natural Ability With Some Randomness InBetween!

[Essyne]

Okay, I have talked to a few people about this, and no one really has anything to offer thought-wise. Not looking for “advice,” but think that this subject is an interesting topic of discussion . . . .

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So, it seems like everyone who I talk to lately asks me what my “backup” plan is in case my music falls through. I always laugh and declare “waitress or bust,” but the truth is, I don’t have a clue. Music is not something that I can simply dismiss from my life; it is a passion, not a love. Because it is my passion, I am incapable of having a separate “life” (i.e. a job outside of the musical field). The closest thing that I can relate it to is a marriage – If you love a person, you can go to work all day and come back to them at night, but if you’re completely passionate about them, they steal your every waking thought. They are your world; they are your life. It’s an obsession, something that mandates every breath that you take. You are a slave to your passion, but a willing one.

Because I am completely passionate about my art, my success lies not in receiving roses backstage, not in autographing glossy headshots. Not even performing is what I desire, although I truly “love” it (a lot!) and realize that this is the means by which I will/will not make my living. I desire only to become a master in my craft, to know everything that I possibly can in the time that I occupy this body in this lifetime. Note how I do not desire to “know more than any other man on this earth.” I just want to reach MY highest personal potential, to offer myself as an offering to the craft, to completely eliminate the “me” and the “I” from the picture and just be THE MUSIC. No character. No body. No mind. Just notes and rhythm and a whirlwind of breath. Just the core. Just the Passion.

People say that success is directly related to natural ability. Honestly, I’m not sure how I feel about this declaration. I think that passion transcends all earthly measure. Drive and dedication to the craft is what I value the most. I think that with initiative and passion, the “talent” will come. I think that this is the epitome of talent, if that makes sense at all.

However, I understand that there is another side to this argument. One could insist that with practice you can only achieve your best, not anything that you desire. But maybe we should just desire to achieve our best, and our natural ability will never fall short of that.

In short, I think that passion and love of the craft transcend all “reality” and all “perceptions” of reality (i.e. one’s perceived “talent”). But, by the same logic, one could assume that the talent that is naturally bestowed upon us is simply who we are and we cannot transcend that. . . .

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Just some thoughts – would love to hear other opinions!

~Ess~

[keypeg]

Essyne, you have defined much of my own attitude.  Be careful of how others use the word "success" and the role they see of the musician.  Someone who is a known performer, especially if he makes money, is "successful", and someone who is not a known performer is "unsuccessful".  The vision is highly utilitarian.  Among other things, performers must be good people-knowers, know he right people, have good managers, etc. because at that stage you need to be able to sell yourself, get on stage, get a place, get the audience etc.  You need to be a good musician, but good musicianship is not theonly thing that makes this happen.   Many excellent musicians don't end up being known performers.  By the values that I hold, some of these musicians are "successful", and some of those who perform and are known are not "successful".

I have no answers.  I started too late and all I can do at this stage is acquire musicianship, hone my abilities, here an now with whatever is available. It liberates me to some degree because I do not have to think of any "role" that I will play.  I have no "future" in the conventional sense - not when you are in your 50's and had the first formal music instruction a handful of years before.  It liberates me to pursue music purely in every way possible.  I have a career as a freelancer which means I have some way of making money, organizing my time, puruse music.  It is not ideal, but at least I am not looking at such questions as "Should I spend the next 4 years learning to be an accountant?"

[Bob]

It could be whatever you end up doing isn't clear yet.  I have heard about plenty of other music related jobs after being out now.  I never knew about them before.

And if technology changes things, it's possible a job you take isn't even around now anyway.

[Petter]

I think it sounds like a sound attitude. The passion is fragile though, (at least for me) and it´s not static. Neither is love.