Fifteen years later I'm still trying to pursue a freelance career in classical music. At this juncture, I still love making music but I find myself questioning how it all fits into my life. At a time when orchestras are rapidly collapsing under the weight of the economy and audiences are dwindling in the concert halls but slowly increasing at non-traditional venues, I wonder what is next: Should I continue to pursue music or do I make a drastic career shift? How can I continue following my passion, and juggle the demands of living in one of the most expensive, competitive and crowded cities of the world? Do I continue to maintain a part time job in order to fund my art? How do I marry other interests and hobbies that I have stumbled upon over the course of the last few years and make them a part of the artist I want to be? How do I keep a balance between profitable jobs and musically fulfilling job, since they are not always mutually exclusive?
Perhaps I have spent too much time questioning where my destiny will take me next and I have not been proactive enough. Maybe I have been overwhelmed by the demands (and distractions) of living in the big hard city. And maybe it is time to roll up my sleeves and give myself a whole year to view things from a different perspective, take more chances, and not be afraid to fail. After all, what I have got to loose?Here goes nothing.
