The conversation goes something like this...
P: So...What do you do for a living?
Me: I'm a Musician.
P: Oh...So...do you like...play in a band?
Me: Not THAT kind of musician.
Or this...
P: So...What do you do for a living?
Me: I'm an accompanist.
P: Oh...What's that?
Me: I play the piano and "accompany" anything from solos, ensembles, shows, and dance.
P: So...Are you a teacher?
Or this...
P: So...What do you do for a living?
Me: I'm a Pianist.
P: Oh! So you're a piano teacher!!
Me: Just because I'm ASIAN doesn't automatically mean I'm a piano teacher!
Or this...
P: So...What do you do for a living?
Me: I'm a Ballet Pianist.
P: So you're a dancer.
Me: I'm a pianist who WORKS with dancers.
P: So...how does that work?
Me: I'm the music instead of the stereo.
P: ...But don't they have iPods for that?
And the GRAND finale follow-up questions to all of these conversations turns into: How do you make a living?
I'm doing it!
I use to get so offended when people really don't "get" what I do. Along with my fellow colleagues, we have had to defend ourselves from the stereotypes of our occupations. Dancers turn into strippers. Artists are always starving. Costumers are "just" seamstresses but they are so much more! Being a musician, or an artist, or a dancer sound like "play-time" and people don't understand that you can still make a living doing these things.
What is my point? I'm finally matured enough to know that it's okay when people don't understand what you do. Because in reality, I haven't a clue what my brother does. I just know that he's a talented artist who works for a company that rhymes with Biz-Knee. It pays his bills and he supports his family with it. So now...when people ask me that question, I respond with, "I get paid to play."
Remember: What you do does not define who you are as a person.
Remember: What you do does not define who you are as a person.
