As I have traveled through my life under the label of “musician,” it has been made quite obvious to me that there is a multitude of specialized woes that comes along with the ability and desire to transform fancy little black dots on a page into various mediums of pleasant sound. If I’m being honest, I could probably go on forever in regards to the many pet peeves that I have acquired in regards to this life that I lead alongside many others of the same kin. Without further adieu, here’s 8 struggles that every serious musician is almost sure to relate to.
1. Non-musicians that do not understand the love you possess for music.
Honestly, all of us most likely feel quite inclined to metaphorically punch the next unsuspecting person that sarcastically asks something along the lines of "Do you do anything other than music?"
For one, the answer to that general question is a surefire yes. While it is true that you can rest assured that we probably don't care about these other things nearly as much as we do about practicing the art of music, they exist nonetheless.
Maybe we're crazy.
Minus the maybe.
...Deal with it.
2. Being put on the spot during family gatherings.
Being a musician often entails becoming the bragging rights and court jester of the family. While I am proud of my personal musical accomplishments, I am also not one to flaunt any ability that I may have. Therefore, I undoubtedly dread any phrase that constitutes the idea of me putting on an impromptu performance during family gatherings.
Sometimes, I oblige simply for the sake of avoiding a conflict. However, I can almost wholly guarantee that I really don't want to take out my new instrument or play an excerpt from the piece I've recently been working on while the rest of the family noshes on the last bits of dinner.
Seriously, forget about it and pass me the peas, will you?
3. When people without musical knowledge try to deeply converse with you about musical knowledge.
It seems that since music is a phenomenon that is a part of everyone's life in one way or another, it is also one of those things that people often become self-proclaimed experts on. While I love a good chat about music with anyone who may be willing to have one, there are certain conversational lines that should generally not be crossed by people who aren't sure of what they are talking about, no matter what the topic may be.
While I in no way reject a conversation that implies the idea of a search for knowledge, it's the "I already know" approach from people who clearly don't that gets me laughing. In other words, you wouldn't act all high and mighty in conversation with a medical doctor unless you were also of that profession or degree, and the same applies to music: Just because you've heard it doesn't mean you get it enough to try to impress someone who does.
4. When anyone thinks it’s okay to touch your instrument without permission.
If you want to see a musician get really defensive really fast, an impeccable way to get your wish is to touch one of their babies... Uh, I mean, instruments... without asking. Not only will they feel entirely violated, they will most likely launch into full-on protective instinct mode.
Honestly, the level of possessiveness that many of us have in regards to our musical equipment spans so far to the point that even if you ask permission in the most polite way possible, its highly likely that the answer will still be a definite no.
Don't say I didn't warn you.
5. Rehearsals, rehearsals, and more rehearsals.
While musicians love practicing and performing, playing rigorously day after day has an uncanny way of catching up to you and hitting you like a ton of bricks. Between personal practice and multiple ensemble rehearsals per week, being dedicated to music is rewarding and draining all at the same time. In short, the musical end results are more than usually worth the stress, but it's also no wonder that we're tired a very large percentage of the time.
Did someone say nap time?
Oh wait, I have to practice.
6. That one part in every piece that you can never get right.
No matter how much you want to deny it, you know it's true: Every piece, whether it's for an ensemble or a solo performance, has that section.
If you're not catching my drift yet, I'm talking about that one run or phrase that makes you want to cry. No matter how many times you practice it, your brain refuses to cooperate with the rest of your body in an effort to perfect this one part.
If you're a musician who truly cares about how you present yourself to an audience, then I'm sure you know just how unsettling this idea is. Nobody's perfect, but God knows that us musicians try to get there when we perform. Anything that stands in our way can surely be classified as frustrating, to say the least.
Darn you, tricky musical passages.
7. Piles upon piles of sheet music.
Although somewhat sad, the life of a musician is most accurately depicted by the unorganized piles of paper that can likely be found in any given nook or cranny of their living space. It's also probably true that a good majority of this sheet music should have been thrown out or neatly archived ages ago, but who has time to do that when you're busy playing currently important material?
8. Being blindly classified as a "geek" or a "nerd".
While I personally have learned to accept such remarks with pride, let it also be known that musicians are, without a doubt, some of the coolest and sociable people you will ever meet. Although we may be intense when it comes to practicing and perfecting music, we usually have the ability to bring that same passionate energy to even the most relaxed aspects of our lives. After all, it takes dedication to something to be considered a "geek" or a "nerd" by any standard, and those concepts are ones that musicians usually embrace without question.
