Immersed in doctoral work, I have very little time to blog. Yet I find myself with a little time this evening and want to express some thoughts. Doctoral work in business is not necessarily difficult for me although it is quite time consuming. Constant research, writing, and papers due nearly every week. Not entirely sure if pursuing this degree is wise nor am I even sure why I am seeking yet another doctorate in a disparate field. After all, many would say I have arrived as a music administrator, serving as a Dean in a reputable but fairly small university. Mostly I enjoy learning new things and being seen as an eclectic polymath with a wide variety of interests.
I suppose there is a part of me that is seeking something new in the peak of my career. Music has been and will likely continue to be my life, defining me to virtually everyone I encounter including my own family. With constant songs in my head and an ability to analyze music of all types and genres in nearly an instant, being a musician is natural for me. Yet several years ago I began to examine market trends and to study large and small corporations. Perhaps it was my interest in the stock market and investing that led to a desire to know more about why some companies fail while others grow. And as I watch companies grow, I have seen the discipline of music as I learned it in school, decline.
But I am also annoyed that non-musicians tend to think of musicians as one-sided people. Some may look at musicians as oddities, strange people who can only do one thing. Others may actually have a great deal of respect for musicians but neither do they understand their interest nor talent. Mostly I suspect that non-musicians see musicians as brainless fools playing games with sound. Almost as though we are little toys found in stores at Christmas. Yes, I know this is overstated but not a lot. It is not that I seek respect for my musical skills but, rather, I seek respect for what I know in other disciplines.
So to that end, I am now pursuing a doctor of business administration. Coursework so far has included research techniques, global management, capital budgeting and financial analysis, and now corporate structure. Is it applicable to my profession as a music administrator? Not necessarily. Yet I do sincerely enjoy learning more about the business world. What a fascinating world that actually shapes everything about our economy. Not that I am a great financier, but I do know many things about it and can hold my own in basic accounting, budgeting, marketing, and finance. Using data to make decisions is much preferred over music instincts and constantly thinking of revenue over expenses is easier than deciding how to phrase or working to play the passage perfectly.
Yes I love being a musician but I also enjoy being a business person. Both worlds entice me and both worlds can work in harmony and in congruence provided the musical world begins to react as a vital economy rather than some kind of elite commodity that only a few have a right in which to participate. No longer can we, as musicians, operate in a bubble of our own preference. It is time to accept the multi-billion dollar world of music as being a vital economic force and one that shapes and directs our culture in infinite ways. Abandon the elitism and embrace the totality of music in the world.
