I hear students tell me they don’t need to know how to shoot video, because they are going to be “on camera” talent. Or they don’t need to blog because they want to work for a magazine. This piece really hits home. Teachers, get those students to do a story on a “dream job” in today’s world and do them a favor. Work isn’t dead, nor unremunerated, nor boring, but today a person needs to know how to find a niche where they can work productively, not a dream job.
We hear so much these days about workforce development and career guidance. But I wonder who is educating the educators? Who is communicating reality to the job counselors? Does it make sense to go to school to become a studio musician in 2009? The short answer is no. You can certainly go to music school, that is a privilege and a joy. But there is no job called “studio musician” any more. In 1980, being good at that job guaranteed a six-figure income. Today, you’d be lucky to make $50k per year in a big city, and away from the three major production centers, beer money. Do you know how many students are in music school thinking that there’s a commercial production business to go into? Now, substitute camera operator, editor, graphic artist, set designer, copywriter, news giver, spokesperson, model/actress, script supervisor, the list just keeps on going. And it’s not just the production side; the same holds true for the business side, the promotion side, all of it. |
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Barbara K Iverson 