Speaking of Obamacare, Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi recently said:
We see it as an entrepreneurial bill, a bill that says to someone, if you want to be creative and be a musician or whatever, you can leave your work, focus on your talent, your skill, your passion, your aspirations because you will have health care.
Well, it’s about time. I have been waiting for this – and not a moment too soon!
I have been in some aspect of the music business for 32 years. In order to have some degree of both success and career longevity I have had to work very hard and wear many hats through the years; performer, arranger, producer, copyist, proofreader, librarian, contractor, conductor, teacher, etc. And to be perfectly honest not all of those jobs necessarily played to my skills, talents or aspirations. Sadly some of them were simply for the purpose of providing food, shelter, and yes, even healthcare for my family. But that was then and this is now. There is a new paradigm! First thing I’m going to do is quit my current university teaching job per Ms. Pelosi. After all, what is the point of continuing to teach classes about the music business, since there is no longer a need for one? I can now see how Music Business 101 might soon be replaced by Musical Aspirations 101. Of course I won’t be teaching it – Pelosi said I don’t have to. I guess some poor schmuck non-creative, non-musician faculty person will be stuck teaching it. Instead I’m going to stay home only doing what I want to do – focusing on my skill, my passion and my aspirations. Now that I don’t have the pressure of having to work a job I can let my creativity run free. In the mean time be sure you all keep paying for my health insurance. Oh, and by the way one of my creative aspirations is for taxpayers to also buy me a new car and pay for me and my family to take a 6-week vacation every year in Hawaii. Believe me, I’m REALLY gonna focus on that.
Many thanks to the current administration. I think things are going really well. Finally we musicians are going to be getting the recognition and support we so richly deserve.
May 20th, 2010 10:13 am
If you’re not going to pay for it and I don’t want to pay for it, maybe they could just print some more money! That would pay for it, right?
Hey, maybe if I spend my afternoons knitting, someone will pay for my cable, too! After all, I might just find I have a passion for scarves.
May 20th, 2010 10:18 am
I don’t really care one way or the other, as long as I can stay focused on my aspirations and not have to work.
May 20th, 2010 10:16 pm
Wow…thats great. Can I tell my employees they just have to focus on the parts of the job they like, and I can focus on what parts I want to pay them for and Aunt Pelosi will pick up the balance out of their kids credit cards?
May 20th, 2010 10:18 pm
Yes, but only for those of your employees who want to be creative, musicians, or whatever. it is a very exclusive group!
May 21st, 2010 11:38 am
In academia we have a word for this phenomenon. It’s called a “sabbatical.” Mine lasted a semester, but, wouldn’t you know it, somehow I still had to pay bills during that time! So, apparently Pelosi is suggesting that sabbaticals be extended to the general public (those who are creative) Let’s call it “sabbatapalooza”
May 21st, 2010 12:09 pm
I love it! But remember, this does not apply to the “general public”…oh no! Pelosi laid out a specific group of individuals. Imagine the chaos that would ensue if this applied to the mere “general public”! No, to qualify one must “be creative, and be a musician or whatever”. Pretty rigid qualifications if you ask me!
May 23rd, 2010 7:10 am
Is a degree and/or paying job in music required to be defined as a musician?
May 23rd, 2010 7:34 pm
By the Pelosi standard, it seems you’re only “creative, a musician or whatever” if you’re not making a living doing it.
May 23rd, 2010 7:57 pm
But that’s the beauty of it. Besides, making a living is so “yesterday”.
And how can you really focus your talent when you’re trying to make a living?