Musical Artist: Jack of all trades, and Master's Degree too!

Introduction
People will tell you all sorts of truths and lies about success in this career. It is possible to make a very good living, and it is possible to live in poverty. You have to decide how important it is to follow your career path. Instead of a narrow focus, the older I got the more diversified my interests and skill set became, and that is why I'm now working at the Juilliard School.

Job Function
Honestly, I most enjoy making a living at what I was trained to do-play the piano. I like the interaction with other artists, and that I have a history to share which provides an educational frame of reference. What I don't like is that I'm still required to have several faculty positions at different schools, and therefore am traveling from place to place like a free-lance artist. The flexibility of scheduling is great. The time lost in travel is maddening. Advertisement
Lifestyle
My career is mostly play, with occasional work. I am lucky to set my hours for about 80% of my work, and to accept or decline jobs based on the money and the situation. The flexible location might seem attractive, but you never know when the instrument you are expected to play is more of a PSO (piano shaped object) than a nice acoustic piano-a Steinway for example. A personality that is able to go with the flow will succeed most in this career. Until you're able to control all aspects of your work environment, it's better to know what you will agree to work with and what you won't accept anymore.

Additional Information
In college (Oberlin Conservatory) I made a conscious decision not to take any pedagogy classes because I had no interest in teaching at that time. It is enormously ironic that I have become a very good teacher because I learned how to educate as an adult instead of as a teenager, and that I have made most of my successful inroads in the music and theater communities because of my educational connections and not my "incredible" talent. You never know what paths will open up to you, and you might try them out for a year before you choose to reject them based on what you think you know about yourself.