In my Perfect Concert post, I described a profound hour of intimate music-making with the residents of the Jewish Home for the Aged. How much did I charge for it? Nothing.
In these next two weeks, I will sub at my old school and bring great music and happiness to children from 3 years old through 8th grade. In the same room where I taught my first class 50 years ago! I believe my classes were joyful from the very beginning, but the 50 years of teaching far surpasses the 10,000 hours of practice that mastery requires. The substitute rate of $29 per hour times the 60 hours I will devote to the venture will earn me a paycheck of $1,740. Two weeks work, 60 hours of dedicated teaching.
In his particular field of classical cello music, the great artist YoY o Ma has also more than paid his dues in practice, commitment, dedication and humanistic understanding of music’s power. He is performing in San Francisco soon and it would be lovely to go hear him. But here is what it would cost.
In short, my 60 hours of similar work would equal more or less the cost of one “cheap” ticket in a far-away seat for a two-hour concert. If I want to sit close up, I would have to work 167 hours in some six weeks of teaching—before taxes.
If I want to hear Jacob Collier at the Castro Theater this October, that will be between $300 and $500 per ticket. Wynton Marsalis at SF Jazz—between $200 and $290 per ticket. What’s going on?
Out of all the cliché’s my parents taught me, this one rings true:
“Life isn’t fair.”
Truth be told, I don’t need all that money—though it would be nice to buy a house for my daughter! But I’m thinking of all the people who will never hear Yo Yo, Wynton or Jacob live because they can’t afford it. At a time when we need musical healing and community gathering more than ever, only the privileged get to attend. And why exactly is that?
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