I love my job and it is sometimes glamorous, but people often tell me, "you're so lucky to travel the
world and get paid for doing it, just to play your flute"
or "you've got it easy! Wait till you have to get a
real job."
Lucky is winning the lottery, not getting hired over and
over again to play concerts! I don't just "play" my instrument.
That's what other people do. I perform and deliver. That's
the difference. And who's got it "easy"? Everything is
"real" about my job: not seeing my family, friends, and
students for weeks at a time, living out of a suitcase,
sitting on planes, staying mentally sharp when I'm jet
lagged, not eating decent meals because of wacky schedules,
sleeping in strange beds that don't fit me, standing in
front of strangers who've paid hard-earned money for
entertainment and intellectual stimulation, playing fabulously
and reaping the rewards or playing just well enough to get
rehired, pressure, stress, and being at my best during the
sometimes rigorous task of talking to people in the receiving
line when sometimes all I want to do is change my clothes,
have a glass of water, and go home. These things are
all real!
I've got a real job and it's a great one. That's why I picked it.
Kim Pineda
Seattle 2000
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