The tittle caught your eyes? Did it? Is that why you’re reading this blog? You think I can’t back it up? And if I can back it up, it doesn’t make sense that a music teacher would say that.
All right, enough with the intro. I’ll explain.
Music is a luxury.
See! BAM! Big statement! The one liner from Mars!
And I am not talking about money. Because, of course music cost money. But, it doesn’t cost a lot. No, not necessarily. For harmonica players, it’s pretty cheap. All they need is a few harmonicas, a sunset, an empty railroad track, and they’re all set. Their whole shebang is less than a hundred bucks.
So, it’s not about money.
It’s about the luxury of life! Life is not supposed to be about music. No! Music is nice to have in life? Yes, it is. But does it have to be there for a long time? No. Absolutely not!
How do I know that?
Because I teach all ages and all sorts. And, although they always start with a great enthusiasm and tons of space to fit the study of an instrument in their schedule, they always get some adversity. Money problem, for example, or they move to a different location where there are no music teacher, or a new demanding job, or a tragedy in their family that asks for their time and attention.
And these are the big ones.
Sometimes you don’t have to go that far. You can get distracted by that cute woman that you find really cute (I know I said “cute” twice. But it’s because she’s really really cute!). Or the dishes have piled up in your sink. The point is this: it could be anything. And anything means everything. Because everything in life is NOT music.
We are geared to understand in this society that we are supposed to work at a useful job, one that pays money. After that, for distractions, you got sports! Sports bar, sports events, sports jersey: sports! Then comes shopping. All activities I mentioned, job or distractions, are supposed to make you a consumer. Commercials, TV shows, discussions, internet search, it all points us in one direction: what to buy. So, music, in all that! the pursuit of beauty through studies and patience. It is a luxury! And no one can afford that. No one!
Ok, Sol, no need to get carried away, here! Besides, you’re not exactly right. Your business, Sol, is doing very good. Meaning there are still plenty of people who consider that music is a necessity. Music is not a luxury to them. See? You don’t need to get bitter, the silver lining is pretty bright (Hey, I got a question: who’s writing this piece? ‘Cause I thought it was Sol. Is he schizophrenic? (No, I’m not))