[Dixielandjazz] Re: Definition of Professional Musician

[TCASHWIGG at aol.com]

In a message dated 1/11/04 8:02:48 AM Pacific Standard Time, 
barbonestreet at earthlink.net writes:

> Van Gogh is the perfect analogy in visual art. He never made a
> living at it, and was subsidized all of his life by his brother and friends.
> Yet he was an artistic genius. Certainly we could not describe him as
> anything other than a professional artist.
> 
> 

He is considered in my opinion an Artistic Genius because his paintings were 
marketed properly and very well thirty years after his death, that does not 
make him successful, but the folks who sold his works and persuaded other folks 
to pay them huge sums of money for, probably had more to do with his Genius 
than Van Gogh did.  Otherwise his paintings might well have been thrown into the 
trash by his family cleaning out the studio as worthless.

There are many Genius capability musicians in the world sitting in their 
rooms at home playing for themselves because they or no one else has taken them 
out and found a market to buy them or their music.

Personally Van Gogh might be one of the greatest painters in History, but his 
work has never impressed my personal taste in art, if I could afford one of 
his paintings today I would buy it strictly for the resale value not for the 
artist impression it makes upon me and my soul, it just does not touch me.  To 
each his own.

I don't like Cecil Taylor's music for the most part, never have, but I do 
Like Barbone Street, and Art Tatum, and Teddy Wilson and Duke and Count Basie and 
Fats Domino.

Same goes for music styles and the folks who play them, some like it some 
don't, variety makes the world go round.  Wishing great audiences success and fun 
for all of us where ever we find our audience and niche, Just find it and Do 
it.  :)

Now where did I put those velvet Elvis Paintings?  :)))

Cheers,

Tom  Bad Taste Wiggins