Bless the amateurs

I was speaking with an adult student one day and she made an interesting comment. “I know I’ll never be a touring pro”, she said, “but I’d like to be able to play that well.” I’ve pondered that comment for many years and I’ve paired it with the memory of many students, young and old, who had little or no desire to perform - even for family or friends.

Today with YouTube and social media the ones who do want to play for others have an opportunity to strut their stuff. I watch a lot of these videos and I’m impressed with how good many of them are. I don’t think that many of them wish to perform professionally but they truly enjoy playing.

But whether they do or don’t seek attention they have the same thing in common. They would “like to be able to play that well.” Of course most won’t. Not because of a lack of talent but, rather, a lack of the time they would need to devote daily over weeks, months, and years. But still, many play very well indeed.

Amateur musicians have been an important component in the music world for centuries. Most church choirs are comprised of amateur singers. The same with praise and worship bands. Oh you might find a few professionals sprinkled around, but the majority of musicians have day jobs and regular lives. There are community bands that are made up, largely, of former high school band “geeks” who still enjoy the band experience.

There are, of course, many adults who learned piano as children and have continued to play. You can be friends with them for years before you find out. They don’t talk about it. It’s kind of personal. Many of my guitar students are the same way. The primary difference is that it’s hard to hide a piano, so if you visit their home you will probably find out. On the other hand, the guitar can be stashed away in a closet or under a bed. So if they don’t want you to know, you won’t. I know that sounds a bit extreme but (trust me) I can name names.

The importance of these people can’t be overestimated. The fine arts need support. They always have. Popular music (and arts in general) succeeds or fails based solely on the marketplace, but the appeal of fine arts have a much narrower fan base and cannot rely on the appeal of the masses. And yet, the arts tend to improve our communities in quiet, measured ways. The amateurs seed that fan base with their knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm.

I’ve been fortunate to watch a handful of my students go on to successful professional careers. Some as performers and others as educators. I am very proud of them, as you can imagine, and will spotlight them as the situation allows. But I am equally proud of those students who have studied and practiced and achieved an impressive degree of competency but remain anonymous. I don’t ever mention them because I wish to respect their privacy. But they are the ones who attend events, purchase merchandise, and donate time and money to keep the arts afloat. It is the amateur that has afforded me my career and I shall be eternally grateful.