When we are meeting new folks around town, it is natural, I suppose, for them to ask you what you do for a living. At least, I think that is what is intended by the question, "So what do you do?" It becomes a bit more complex when I am among other faculty members, as I learned last night. I believe others around me thought I was having a "blonde" moment, but I was purposefully being a bit obtuse.
When I was asked, "What do you do" I responded, "I teach with Greg at the School of Music." That identified my relationship to our host for the evening, and the school at the University I belong to. Well, that wasn't what he meant, so he asked the same question again. I responded, "I teach music education methods courses." To me, that was making perfect sense, also knowing he was getting at what musical activity I was most intimate with. I continued with a brief explanation of what I taught. At this point, he was beginning to become exasperated, and I was slightly tickled at the prospect of seeing how long I could string him out. Finally he said, "NO, I said what do you do?" and I felt it was simply time to cut the conversation loose. So I responded, "I am an oboist." To which he responded (with some relief since I was being dense in his eyes), "oh, very nice!"
Now here is my observation. Even outside the music circle, folks want to pin me down to a specific instrument. Do we ask an English teacher about the specific books they are experts in? We don't ask architects what style houses they prefer to design do we? But when it comes to artists, it seems our very identity is somehow tied up in the instrument, voice, or medium we work in. It strikes me a bit odd. After all, I am far beyond being an oboist in my head. I identify myself as a conductor, a researcher, a writer, a teacher, a musician - who happens to also be an oboist. When I am pinned down in a conversation, it feels like it diminishes who I am a bit. Why is being a music educator not enough?
I am not offended, and I realize that artistic people are somewhat of a curiosity to folks. But among musicians, why must there be such clear boundaries? It doesn't allow me to share that I feel most musical when I help others find their own musicality. If I say I am an oboist, it doesn't tell you that I love jazz and taught it well, that I adore teaching about teaching and that I feel called to write, think, research, and share everything I can to make education a better place. It doesn't say anything about how I feel music education is moving through a paradigm shift, and I want to help in that transition. It doesn't allow me to identify myself primarily as a music-teacher educator. And that causes me to wonder why the identification of a specific instrument defines me more appropriately in other musicians' eyes.
It is just curious to me. It has been a more difficult path for me to move from being a band director-music teacher to being a music teacher-educator/researcher. There are still times when the old identity fights for recognition, and challenges the authenticity of my newer one. But I realized today that I don't feel I can look back any longer and reach that person...I am transformed, and the world looks much different to me today than it did five years ago when I started this journey. And I say that with great joy - I want to describe what I do in greater detail than "I am an oboist" because there is so much more than that to who I am as a musician and teacher!
So I will continue to pause and reflect on my own responses in these situations. What is the first thing I say? How do I identify myself in different situations? Who is it I present myself to be? Think about it. How do you respond to "What do you do?" I look forward to hearing some responses from all of you!
I usually say "music teacher" and the typical response is "Oh! How nice! What instrument do you play?" (because all music teachers play an instrument....none of us are vocal musicians, dontchaknow).
ReplyDeleteMore importantly, I like to give a ridiculously detailed response to this because I really despise "the script."
You all know "The Script." If you are a young single person, people ask when you will get married. If you are married they ask you when you will have kids. If you have one kid, they ask when you'll have another. Asking "what do you do?" is a precursor to "the script" as it helps us sort people into groups and decide if we want to continue associating with them or not.
So in my case, partially because I want people to THINK about why they're following "the script" and partially because I'm a brat, I will either give a detailed response (hey, they asked, right?) or find a non-typical response ("I torture adolescent children on the taxpayer dime")
I find it so interesting - and I am much more patient with those who are NOT musicians...but less with those who are. As if musicality is only determined by ONE thing - and you are, once again, right. And I was really egging this poor man on, much more than I let on in the post...because I too, despise the pigeon-holing!! LOL! You crack me up!
ReplyDeleteI have a pottery studio in Asheville, and someone asked for my card the other day. I didn't have one so I did my best, and later was talking to another potter about it. I decided I'll just get a business card that says "Professional Adventurer" because I'd have to carry a bunch of cards around for all the sorts of people I meet and what answers they'll accept for what I "do."
ReplyDeleteDan, I love it! My husband is an artist (retired from teaching art at the JH/HS levels) and has the same response when asked that. And being retired REALLY confuses folks...which we kind of get tickled by as well!
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