Christopher Shih
Piano
Brahms, Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Händel, Op. 24
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sMkYEhiEBE
Christopher Shih
Winner of the
International Piano Competition for Outstanding AMATEURS
Hosted by the Van Cliburn Foundation
May 23 - 29, 2011
Texas Christian University
Chris
Christopher Shih
Gastroenterologist
https://www.lancastergeneralhealth.org/providers/profile/christopher-shih
Professional vs. Amateur
Music Making
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What distinguishes the professional from the amateur musician?
An amateur musician doesn’t get paid to play, whereas a professional does.
“Knowing what to do when a finger goes momentarily astray or concentration springs a leak divides the pros from the amateurs.”
Douglas McLennan, New York Times
“Professionals stick to the schedule, amateurs let life get in the way. Professionals know what is important to them and work towards it with purpose, amateurs get pulled off course by the urgencies of life.”
James Clear
Having kids and touring,
especially females
Solveig Whittle
What’s not on this list?
Having a college music degree
Let’s define the other side of this
Professional/Amateur
dichotomy
Amateur
From Wikipedia:
An amateur (French amateur "lover of", from Old French and ultimately from Latin amatorem nom. amator, "lover") is generally considered a person attached to a particular pursuit, study, or science in a non-professional or unpaid manner. Amateurs often have little or no formal training in their pursuits, and many are autodidacts (self-taught).
Amateur
Amateurism can be seen in both a negative and positive light. Since amateurs often do not have formal training, some amateur work may be considered sub-par. For example, amateur athletes in sports such as basketball, baseball or football are regarded as having a lower level of ability than professional athletes. On the other hand, an amateur may be in a position to approach a subject with an open mind (as a result of the lack of formal training) and in a financially disinterested manner.
Dilettante
An amateur who dabbles in a field out of casual interest rather than as a profession or serious interest, or who possesses a general but superficial interest in any art or a branch of knowledge, is often referred to as a dilettante.
Dilettante Amateur Professional
Amanda Palmer
Lead singer, pianist, and lyricist/composer of the duo The Dresden Dolls.
Also a solo artist
Amanda Palmer
Crowdsourcing Musicians Controversy
What’s a musician worth?
Whatever the client is willing to pay and
the musician is willing to accept
“Horror Stories”
Why are things like this?
What contributed to this present day situation?
Explanation
Mark Katz, author of Capturing Sound
The first decades of the 1900s witnessed a revolution in American music education. In the nineteenth century the primary goal was to teach students how to make music, particularly through singing. In the twentieth century, however, the focus began shifting from the practical to the aesthetic. The ideal became known as appreciation - generally understood as the intelligent enjoyment of music, typically classical music, as a listener.
With the emphasis on appreciation came a change in the conception of musicality. To be musical, it had generally been assumed, one had to perform or compose. But many began to argue that careful and intelligent listening could also be a sign of a musical person.
Shift from
Active Musician Passive Musician
Thoughts?