Welcome to the first ever posting on\u00a0 my first ever blog! \u00a0Today, I am being assisted by Clyde, who is officially the neighbor’s cat but sometimes hangs out with me.\u00a0 He provides valuable purring, which can only make this blog better, and less valuable cat hair, which the purring makes up for.<\/p>\n

The purpose of this blog is to, as humorously as possible, discuss issues particularly associated with people who got music degrees and are now trying to get a “good job.” \u00a0A “good job” is defined here as “a job that provides rent, food, health insurance, might let me retire before I’m 137 years old, and has some connection to music.”\u00a0 These jobs seem to be very rare creatures these days, something like a cloud leopard or some days, a unicorn.<\/p>\n

In fact, as a musician in 2013, I feel rather like a mountain gorilla. \u00a0My natural habitat is shrinking more every day as online music downloads, reduced government funding for the arts, lack of deposable income among the general public, the view of music as solely a luxury, etc. irrevocably alter the forest I planned to make a living in.\u00a0 My hope is to become more like a black bear or a fox, however.\u00a0 I want to adapt instead of dwindling away, and, metaphorically, knock over the garbage can of life.<\/p>\n

Some of the subjects I plan to discuss in the near future are: my addiction to higher education, the fact that large numbers of music jobs tend to occur only in places with a very high cost of living, and some of the difficulties of gigging with a harp. \u00a0I hope you will find this blog insightful and even useful, but I will happily settle for amusing.<\/p>\n