Vox: Not long ago, my wife, a composer, asked me if I would ever advise a student from a low-income family to pursue a career in the arts. I am a writer, librettist, and an arts and literature teacher. I thought the answer was obvious.
“What do you mean? Of course.”
“But they don’t have money.”
“If a student were really passionate and talented, she’d figure out a way.” That’s always been something my parents told me. “Think about what you’d do if money were no object, and then work hard. You’ll find a way to make money.”
7 comments:
This is a problem very close to my heart. It’s something I’ve contemplated for years up to this point, it held my mom back from her dreams and now I’m trying not to let it hold me back from mine, but the truth is, whether or not I even graduate with a degree in the arts is very dependent on if I keep receiving enough financial aid. I cannot afford to do this on my own, and the question in the back of my mind is constantly, “will I make enough money in my lifetime to not only live, but pay my mother back?” I’ve been fortunate enough not to have had to take out any loans so far, but I won’t be able to drag that out forever.
I think it’s very important to do what you love, what would life be if you were stuck in a well-paying job that you hate? I believe that you should work for what you want, and that money can’t buy happiness. So, if a low-income student ever asks you if they should pursue a career in the arts, the answer is not yes or no. Because it can never be your decision. The answer is, “would you be happy doing anything else?” and if their answer is no, then your answer must be yes.
I found this article to be incredibly interesting and important. I have been fortunate enough that most of the people in my life have not tried to stop me from pursuing a career in theater because of money reasons but many people are not that fortunate and many artists have been stopped before even starting because the world tells them that there is no way they will be able to have a career in the arts. I think the arts industry would be flourishing without limits if money were no issue to everyone and I think it is incredibly unfair that some people can be paid a lot for what they love, as the article mentions, and that many people get nowhere near enough money for what they love. As the article says, this is an issue that is rarely discussed but there are measures that can be taken to alleviate the problem and allow young artists to believe that there is a chance for them to have a career doing what they love to do.
I actually came across this article when it was first posted last week or so. And it really got me thinking about the privilege that comes from being in this industry. I wouldn’t consider myself financially well-off. Especially compared to some of my peers. I have a lot of student loan debt. I need to work a job in addition to classes to pay for groceries. But also, I only have to work enough for my groceries. I was able to qualify for loans due to my parent’s financial situation. I know that I can take the risk and try and make it in this industry. And not everyone has this opportunity. I agree with the authors point that these issues need to be solved at every level of the system, not just in our community. But one good way we can start this change is by talking. The author mentioned that talking about loans/money was uncomfortable, but it doesn’t have to be. We should be open (and realistic) about where we are financially. Make talking about wages and loans and debt a regular thing, talk about the struggles that come with that. Then maybe we can all realize where everyone is coming from and do something to change it.
I'm well off in the sense that I'm here at theater school, with a very optimistic look on loans, doing what I love despite any money struggles. Not everyone gets to take that risk and live with it. I've always known that I've wanted to work in the arts, and for me I always had to hold myself to the ideology of "if you love it enough, you'll make it work." Getting accepted to theater schools were a dream come true, but the reality of it was having to sit down with my parents and talk about the money we actually had. If I hadn't received enough financial aid from CMU, I would not be attending college at all. I say that you should dream all you want, and not let money issues entirely deter you from reaching out and going for your goals, but you have to always keep it in the back of your mind. Ultimately, money can make or break a dream. I think that you don't have to tell kids that just because they don't have money they shouldn't go into the arts, but the conversation needs to be opened about the reality of wages and loans. The more informed someone is, the more informed a decision they can make for themselves. We don't need people telling you you can't or cannot do something straight out, but by giving people the information they need to assess the pros and cons of taking such a leap into the arts will be beneficial in increasing diversity within the field, and bringing more unsure students into the arts.
This article raises a valid point that it is really hard for many people to pursue a career in the arts because of their financial situation. I know that I am extremely fortunate to have parents who are willing to support my career choices and pay for my education. However some of my freinds are not as lucky and are struggling to pay because their parents are unsupportive. I think that it is important for people of all backgrounds to pursue whatever career they want to have although I also want to caution against having too many loans. I understand the wife's point of view because she is very practical. If I was born to a lower income family I would probably pursue my love of biology and become a doctor to be able to support my family and pay back any loans I might take out. I think the theater industry really struggles with low income students because they pay after college is not the highest so it takes a very long time to pay back the loans.
I had a hard time reading this article. It is very well-intentioned--”higher education should be free”-- but it feels a little like the author is perplexed about how people who don’t have rich parents manage to do anything artistic. I definitely know some people who have this level of support, and who have had these sorts of opportunities (I think of all the people in my social network who inexplicably seem to be always abroad). It can be socially challenging for either side of the issue, definitely. This author admits that she has no idea how people without family money get through the world. Yes, money impacts a lot of the big decisions we make, and we’re going to be in debt forever. But it means that no choice is casual--we have weighed the costs and benefits, and decided that the debt is worthwhile. Sure, there are plenty of people who don’t pursue a career in the arts because they don’t want to be poor forever, but they’ve identified their values and made decisions accordingly. And certainly, there are people who have to say no to their dream schools for financial reasons. Yes, make higher education free for all, but try to get a better understanding of why we choose debt.
The fact that making a career in the arts is so hard and impossible for so many people is quite a shame. I know of so many people close to me who would love to have an artistic career, but struggle with the fact that they don’t have that much money, and that it’s hard to make a profit going into the arts. One of my closest friends is really struggling with this, since his parents aren’t super supportive in the idea of going to a conservatory for music, as well as if he doesn’t get enough scholarship money, he can’t go to a higher ranking school. I’m incredibly lucky with the fact that I was adopted by a family that’s well enough off and has been saving for so long to be able to send me to a college like Carnegie Mellon, and I wouldn’t really have to worry about student debt. It’s completely unfair that other people who are extremely artistically talented can’t have the same opportunity to follow their dreams because of the household they happened to have been born into.
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