I have to keep this short today, because, well, I have to spend the morning looking for work.

No, I haven’t suffered some sudden alteration in status, I haven’t lost my church gig, nothing has changed — frankly, this  is the way most musicians spend over 75% of their time, at least those of us who are lucky enough to be part of the LESS THAN 1% of our music school graduates who ever work in music after graduation.  That’s right, we don’t spend all our time practicing, not performing, but looking for work and doing the myriad of administrative tasks that are required to support that search.

This morning, I have to finish up two proposals to participate in a local concert series.  They are do at 5 pm today — thank goodness for electronic submission.  Then, I also have to complete an application to a series in Stuttgart, which must get in the mail this morning.  Oh yes, and then there is that series in Rome that wants a proposal.   The places are exotic (okay, so Stuttgart isn’t really exotic), but the task is the same:  write, write, write, print, duplicate, make CD, make DVD, make appropriately enticing labels, stick in the envelope and trudge to the Post Office.

Oh, yea, and I really need to find time today to at least download the requirements for the Calvin Worship Institute grant, because it was clear after last night’s church council meeting that I need to dig up some grant money for the music department projects.

If I’m really lucky, today I will find an hour or so to work on the pile of Spanish music on the dining room table that I need to be able to sing on my concerts next month.  Yes, you heard me….next month.  But first I will have to find time to do my least favorite job — copying and taping the scores so that I have work copies and copies for my performance partners.

Sigh. 

None of this is meant as a complaint.  I am one of the truly lucky ones among my struggling musical class:  I have a safe, comfortable life; someone who loves me enough to let me pursue this insanity without also working at Starbucks or some restaurant or some office job just to make money; a loving church community that supports my crazy efforts, provides me space to grow and learn, and really doesn’t ask much in return (okay, so they think they work me pretty hard, but even a boring task like creating a music library database is by me done out of love and respect for that community and the people in it).

Yes, I am definitely one of the lucky ones.  But that knowledge still doesn’t make any of it fun.

And did I mention that I have two more chapters to read for my class tomorrow?  The fun starts when?