Why do you play music?

[tbdana]

The title is the whole question: Out of all the things you could do with your life, why do you play music?

[JTeagarden]

It is the only thing I have ever done that connects me with both the moment (a feeling of flow, or being completely in the moment) and the past at the same time, and in rare moments of transcendence, connects me to my fellow musicians, and with the audience, too.

Feeling of absolute weightlessness to my soul, could be 2 bars, sometimes much longer.

Attending a great performance has the exact same effect, without the white-knuckle moments.

[Wayne]

Since I picked up a horn at 10 years old, playing has always felt like being my real me. I can’t escape music anyway. Even bagging my groceries on the weekend, I find myself singing tunes and riffing on them (in my head- I don’t want to cause a scene.)

[Burgerbob]

Obviously the big money

[tbdana]

Obviously the big money

Well, yeah. Obviously. But I mean apart from the wealth, fame, constant sex and ... um, wait, I don't think there is anything else, after all...

[Kingfan]

Years ago at a company meeting somebody asked me what i did for fun. I told them I play trombone. She responded that she couldn't imagine me as a musician. Right there was my justification for playing - it gets me out of my "normal" self I become something else. Now, I play mainly for the socialization.

[robcat2075]

I enjoyed being part of the ensemble, being part of something one person alone can not do, much more than playing the horn itself.

[ghmerrill]

Out of all the things you could do with your life, ...

I've done a lot of things with my life. Playing music is just one of them. I've always enjoyed it -- from the time of playing Tonette in 3rd grade -- and it presents few dangers compared to other things. None of the scars or damage visible on x-rays has ever come from playing music. Low risk, high reward. You can do it at different levels and with different demands, goals, and aspirations. You can do it for years, stop doing it, and then start doing it again. You can do it in small groups, large groups, or all by yourself. Also, there are several things I CAN'T do any more. Music is not one of those -- at least not right now.

[sirisobhakya]

I bought my horn. So I have to use my horn to justify the purchase.

[BrassSection]

I enjoyed being part of the ensemble, being part of something one person alone can not do, much more than playing the horn itself.

This pretty much describes me. Big bucks doesn’t, never made a dime off my horns. And oh yeah, listening to a good band makes me smile too. 28th ID Army band recently had an excellent concert in my area. Dad’s old band. Few songs full band, then they just had fun. Brass quartet, brass quintet, big band, break out the guitars, jazz band, foreign flavored bands, back to full. All very well done. Would have been worth paying to get in!

[Savio]

Good question! Im not really sure I play music. But still try. When I was young I listen to Uriah Heep, Slade, Frank Zappa, etc. But also Abba, Elvis, Chuck Berry, not so much Frank Sinatra. That come later. Aretha Franklin, Mahalia Jackson.

I began playing for real when I was 18 because one professional told I had talent. Maybe I had and it did go fast the first years, was suddenly substitute in professional symphony orchestras before I even knew what a symphony orchestra really was. Played in Big Bands in the night before I knew who Count Basie was. In short I didn't have a clue. But have a trombone education, and so happy I can still live of mostly teaching but also playing.

I think I play music just because I like music. And I like the trombone and the challenge to make some sense out of the bell.

Leif

[JTeagarden]

I also play music for the highly cooperative nature of it, the constant collective effort of adjusting to what's going on around you, and the feeling of a collective wavelength, maybe only religion can do this, and even then, hard to know what your fellow congregants are perceiving.

Team sports can have this, but it's not nearly as strong, and past 25 or so, more and more difficult to participate in them.

[ghmerrill]

... the constant collective effort of adjusting to what's going on around you, and the feeling of a collective wavelength, maybe only religion can do this ...

Yeah, the collaborative effort and effect is a big part of that -- different from strolling out on a stage and just doing a solo (though in music, that's generally a collaborative effort as well). But the collaborative effort happens a lot in other circumstances as well: e.g., on a software, technology, or scientific development team -- the good ones, anyway. My guess is that it also happens on medical (e.g., surgical or medical treatment, or EMS) teams, or fire department teams, or military teams. Now that I think about it, there are a lot of contexts in which it happens. Music remains one of the safer ones where you get the benefit of the team effect, but where -- if you horrendously screw up -- no one gets hurt (aside, maybe from losing future gigs). Also, you can get that collaborative effect and environment in music without doing it professionally.

That said, I'd also benefit from playing just isolated by myself -- but not precisely in the same way.

[BrassSection]

In addition to what I already said, it’s a nice diversion from: using or repairing equipment with an internal combustion engine, some vehicles and equipment not my own. Deciding between French horn and trombone for a particular song sure beats putting hay bales in the barn on a 95 degree day, mowing the front yard for the third time this week (Front yard is lowest ground on a farm that has been here since the 1830s, and has a nice stream flowing across the front of the yard on my property, keeping the surrounding ground well watered down deep) vs practicing trumpet this evening and so on. Call it stress relief. And the collies seem to enjoy it!

[ghmerrill]

... mowing the front yard for the third time this week

There's one of your problems. You need to abandon that concept of a "yard". Once you do that, then mowing the "area" (not "yard") two or maybe three times during the growing season, if absolutely necessary, should suffice. Plus, not thinking of it as a "yard" allows you to use heavier equipment to do the mowing.

[Finetales]

It's my greatest passion in life, and I can't see myself doing anything else for a living. Every day I get to play a brass instrument is a good day!

[tbdana]

It's my greatest passion in life, and I can't see myself doing anything else for a living. Every day I get to play a brass instrument is a good day!

Amen!

For me, the judge said it was either music or prison. So I thought about it pretty hard...

[Floridatrombonekenneth]

It's my favorite thing to do, and it never stops teaching me lessons.

Plus, my wife is a violinist, and occasionally orchestras will pay us to have date nights.

[Fausto]

Chance, suggestion, and passion

When I was younger, I never thought I could be passionate about a wind instrument. Other music drew me to another instrument, but then, for professional reasons, the band invited me to their annual party, and I decided to give it a try. The trombonist role was missing, and they recommended this instrument to me. It was love at first sight. For 35 years I've been a perpetual beginner.

Fausto

[Jutty]

It brings me true joy

[James]

I can't answer that! It has been so much a part of my life since early childhood that I can't imagine life without playing something. I enjoy listening as well, but whatever instrument I play, and where and when doesn't really matter - I just love doing it!

[BrassSection]

In addition to my previous comments, I enjoy what comes out of my horns much more than I like the sound of myself singing!

[HappyAmateur]

When I was young and played trumpet in school, it was all about being part of a group.

In my 30's I started singing for churches... and it started again as mostly a social thing. But then it grew into something more ethereal and therapeutic, especially after I chose to join a community classical chorus.

But as much as I enjoy singing, I've been thrilled with my (random and odd) choice to buy a trombone ~7 months ago. Now, it's not about the group dynamic at all. I do sometimes play duets in the house with my son, but that's different.

Playing trombone scratches a part of my brain that nothing else can. I genuinely feel a difference in my brain afterwards, and it's hard to describe.

[heldenbone]

The title is the whole question: Out of all the things you could do with your life, why do you play music?

Dana, I genuinely enjoy your attempts to get us all to think about something beyond "What valve oil works best on my 1939 Wupperman Gb attachment?" Thank you for allowing your own introspective side to show itself. Vulnerability isn't an easy choice.

I've survived two performance degrees, played for 55+ years as a soloist or with numerous groups good, not so good, a few great; tolerated numerous arts admin types* good, many not so good, a very few good, and far too many terrible. Performing music is still one of the precious few things I can do that brings something into existence for which I don't need to apologize or ask "Does this really matter?" Making something beatiful that affects others *always* matters.

*arts admin types unfortunately includes a fair percentage of conductors. Many have proven themselves to be bad drummers deprived of one stick.

[bus2]

The title is the whole question: Out of all the things you could do with your life, why do you play music?

Momentum.

There have been many periods of personal love/hate between me and the trombone.

A smarter person would have quit many times over.

The sheer momentum of playing and teaching have carried me through some terrible playing periods. I have to give credit to Doug Elliott who showed me some things that quickly helped me dig out of a chop hole that I thought was too deep to overcome. It would have been easy to chuck it, but even playing badly helped keep momentum going so that better playing could be unlocked.

People keep hiring me, and I keep having some of the highest highs possible after decades in the business. That seems like a good reason to keep going.

[2ndTrom]

If I don't play, I sing. If I don't sing, I go crazy. Best to cut to the chase and play. Seriously, I did take about twenty years off playing music, but had to listen to it. And I sang, parodies of popular songs that occurred to me - until the pressure to get and play got overwhelming, and a couple of nephews got interested in music, which pushed me back into playing it. It makes me happy to blow through some complex passage and get it right!