The Fredösphere

At Sequenza21, Daniel Gilliam has discouraging words for those considering a degree in music composition.  He suggests you pursue a day job that earns you real money, and spend your free time on composing.

Which is what I've done.  By golly, I guess that means I'm a genius.  (Well, some of my degrees are in music, but I managed somehow to end up in a masters program that was close enough to computer science to get a real job in that industry.)

I've heard this kind of advice before.  A few years ago I took some composing lessons.  I expressed the wish to return to the school of music, thinking I would take my education far more seriously than I did when I was in my 20s.  My teacher said it would be a fine thing to do if my goal was to become a better composer, but he urged me emphatically not to view it as part of a career path that would culminate in a cushy teaching position.  I think he was right.  He was a talented guy, trying to support a family on a grab bag of insecure, exhausting teaching jobs.  He quoted William Bolcom:  "music isn't a career, it's a disease."

UPDATE:  According to Justin Davidson, the way to rake in the big bucks is to get hired hauling the chairs that musicians sit on.