The problem of being a part-time performer or performing as a hobby is that it is next to impossible to achieve excellence. Unlike many disciplines where knowledge is finite or where individual achievement matters very little, music is a discipline with a public face. A performer is judged not only by a standard but also by public response. Part-time works well for many areas of life, but not so well in the arts. Let's examine several other disciplines or at least interest areas.
Cooking: The greatest cooks have dedicated their lives to the culinary arts and have achieved acclaim for their results. But it is okay to be an amateur. I may not cook as well as a master but I can still come up with some tolerable dishes to enjoy. Besides that, everyone has to eat...it is a basic need.
Sports: The finest athletes have spent their lives perfecting their skills and their bodies to win and be successful. But we can all benefit from staying in good physical condition. I may not get a call to compete in a professional running sport, but I can still run on my own. Whether fast or slow, I can run, enjoy it, and not affect anybody else one way or another.
History: Historians have a remarkable knowledge base and keep learning more. Owning 40 biographies of Theodore Roosevelt, I continue to marvel at the excellent research and writing style of a high quality historian. Yet I can benefit from their work and can do my own research or study of history. Whether good or bad at it, it doesn't really matter. I can be a part-time historian, even a poor one, and can continue my poor work without it mattering to anyone.
Tasks: Mowing the lawn, trimming the hedges, pulling weeds, fixing sprinkler systems, painting the fence are all tasks that can be improved with practice. And while there is a certain amount of accountability for these and other tasks, there is also a finite goal to each one. Once the lawn is completed, it does not need to be done again. Once the weed is pulled, no need to pull it again. One can keep pulling weeds and perhaps the skill can become quicker, more efficient, more complete, but in general it does not require endless practice for high achievement.
Malcolm Gladwell's 10,000 hour theory has merit but does not address what happens after 10,000 hours. In the arts, 10,000 hours may help reach a high level but, sadly, that is not the end and ability can diminish or it can grow. For the artist, 10,000 hours feels like the beginning of success and another 10,000 hours is probably required. When Pablo Casals, the great cellist, was asked why he kept practicing at age 93, he responded, "I'm beginning to notice some improvement...". Such is the dilemma of the arts and music in particular. It is never quite good enough and requires dedication to the art form unlike almost every other discipline. The amateur performer has almost no role in the professional world.
Fortunately, the market does in fact embrace the part-time performer for certain types of events: community bands and choirs, church choirs and orchestras, clubs, casual events, family gatherings, and the list continues. Maybe it is time for society to embrace the idea that music can be grand, appealing, joyful, emotional satisfying without having to be "perfect." Maybe there is a place for the part-time performer who is not finest artist in the world but still can contribute to a community and to an event.
Rather than criticizing the amateur, let us celebrate that the arts allows for all people to participate, and regardless of the level of the performer, there is a place for the average. Or maybe no performer is truly average and that can only be determined by public response? If so, and it is possible, then the success or failure of a musician could ultimately be the economics of the response. As we rethink the role of amateur, we also should examine ourselves. There is a place for the part-time music performer and it is time to support that role in our society. Fortunately music is the discipline that can serve all constituencies from the professional to the amateur. A call to the community: support your local musician!
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