My two cents (because I'm a musician in a recession and that's all I got, yo)...

If you woke up this morning and thought, "I need to spend some time today pondering the value of the arts in light of our current economic situation," you can do so by following these simple directions around the interweb:

Step 1). Read this sobering article from the New York Times. Step 2). Take a little trip to Boston for a hefty dose of inspiration. Step 3). Next, head to the blogosphere and read this thoughtful post by Jonathan Bellman followed by Osbert Parsley's response to Bellman's ideas.

I think J.B.'s call for new answers to old questions - or perhaps just for new questions - is worth some thought. My initial response: As I read the articles and blog postings above, I couldn't help but wonder why we (artists, musicians, humanities educators, etc.) feel such an intense need to defend our profession? It seems we have a giant chip on our collective shoulder that causes us to either over-inflate our significance (musicians are superheroes/gods who can systematically save your life, your soul, and the world) or downplay the tangible value of what we do (the classic penniless artist/musician martyr syndrome). I feel the first line of thought, while based in truth, can be taken too far (i.e. Sure Mr. Doctor, you may be able to fix a broken bone or treat someone's cancer, but can you heal a soul through the power of music??? No? That's what I thought.) The fault in the second view is that it suggests the "real world" will never appreciate art with a tangible reward (i.e. money). That's just not true. I make a living and pay my bills, and so do you.

I admit falling prey to both hackneyed arguments and to having my own personal shoulder chip, but I am tired of feeling defensive. I don't need to justify my choice of profession any more than does a veterinarian, a lawyer, a writer, or a seamstresses. Furthermore, in light of our current economic situation, I sometimes feel my profession makes just as much sense (even more?) than a job in the financial or other previously considered "stable" industries. I have a skill and I market it. It is pretty straight forward. Yes, in a bad economy, musicians and humanities professors will lose their jobs, but so will bankers and dog-walkers. I'm pretty sure that is why they call it a bad economy.

The reality is that there is no one "why" (or, as J.B. put it, "There Are No Rules"). The "why" can only be answered individually, and that is true of any professional choice a person makes. So, defensive attitude aside, the reason I do what I do is because music has been the one thing in my life that challenges me at once intellectually, physically, and emotionally. However it manifests itself professionally, I want to continue to learn and to push myself (and my students) to greater heights in these three areas through my chosen medium and make a living along the way.

Well, at least that's the plan...