I wish I was one of those lucky individuals who woke up one morning to say, “Hello world! I’m going to be a doctor. This is who I am, and this is what I want to do!” Unfortunately, I woke up from a dream of wearing purple bell bottoms playing an electric guitar that caught on fire: a female Jimi Hendrix. Of course this was probably due to the sounding of my last name, but guitar has become my love ever since I had that dream when I turned 11 years old. Why did I have to fall in love with one of the hardest passions to follow?
Let me start off by saying, I have immeasurable respect for music majors and teachers here at PSU. They are ultimately following their passions, and (from the ones I personally know) they are all ridiculously talented. Often I find myself envious, because I consider myself a hopeful musician as well. I play 12-string guitar, sing, write and record my own music, head to open mic-nights, and perform in venues around Portland when I have free time. But what can you do when you feel you cannot make a living off these passions?
I’ve gone through the process of contemplating majoring and minoring in music, but I’ve learned that it is not the path that I’m meant for. I feel that music majors are most applicable to teaching or performing, but I am (unfortunately) terrible at teaching and do not see the point in majoring in music when I can perform as I please at the level I am already at.
That is why I am glad that I have found a healthy balance for myself. I’m going to school to pursue a degree in business advertising and graphic design, where I feel confident I’ll find a job in, and I have my passions there to enlighten me on the side. I will keep music close to the beat of my heart during this entire journey, and that keeps me a hopeful musician and person in general.
Does anyone else feel the pressure of balancing work, school and passions? I’d love to hear about it in the comment section below.