At the beginning of The New Yorker magazine is a section devoted to various events happening in the coming days.  The nightlife section carries a disclaimer advising that you call ahead because "musicians and club owners lead complicated lives."

A few years back I was talking with a friend who has played with some very big names over the years.  I told him that I had a young student who thought that he might want to turn "pro".  My friends response was, "Give me ten minutes.  I can talk him out of it."  So I introduced them and I think he did it in seven.

Many years ago a young hot-shot player changed his mind at the last minute and decided to not go to a major university to get a degree in music and instead went to a nearby community college to study computers.  We talked about it soon after and I defended his decision.  I told him that if music wasn't an obsession it was a hobby.

Musicians seem to have a complicated relationship with life.  Not all of them of course, but most it seems.  I don't know if we are drawn to the arts because we feel odd or if we feel odd because we're drawn to the arts.  I remember having a conversation with my mother when I was about 16 years old.  She said to me in utter frustration, "I think if you had to choose between owning a car or a guitar you would choose the guitar!"  I think I muttered something like, "I can always get a ride...."

That's not what she wanted to hear of course.   She wanted me to have a "respectable" profession with  a family friendly salary and benefits.  A stable life.  The music could always be on the side - like potato salad at a picnic.  I actually tried that twice in my life - unsuccessfully.

If not for my wonderful wife I would not have been able to teach guitar as a career.  In the early days the money was not coming in, but her job carried us through.  Her job also had a great benefit package so I had some financial latitude.  More importantly she encouraged me part of the time and tolerated me the other times.  She always defended me to those who didn't understand and she never once asked me to give it up.  I am an artist by temperament, a guitarist by trade, and fortunate to be married to the right woman.