Alt World Today

In this morning’s alternate universe, I continued with my flute lessons and insane practice schedules (as much as 12 hours a day at my peak). I braved the insane competition and went on to win a seat with a small orchestra. Say, the Portland, Maine Symphony Orchestra.

In reality-ville, I was never particularly adventurous, from a performance standpoint. That is, I wasn’t improvisational in the rock or jazz sense. No Ian Anderson or Yusef Lateef me. While I was def into contemporary compositions I needed the notes in front of me. Freelancing on the flute was not where I was at in my early 20s. Who knows what could’ve/would’ve happened had I continued.

Back in my dreamworld though, I would’ve eventually tired of playing the same old things. Mozart, Vivaldi, Tchaikovsky and Beethoven are obvs crazy-wonderful-divine BUT stylistic variety feeds my soul. Just as I need to spice up my diet with the occasional Eggplant Parm—can’t eat Saag Paneer and Sichuan Green Beans every single day—same/same with music. I gotta play different composers and, hell, get into the 20th or even *GASP* 21st century on the odd occasion.

I would’ve found similar musical souls and started a small ensemble that played new composers. You know, a la Kronos Quartet. Painting? Would art still be in my life in this other timeline? Fuck yeah!  I’d always have a sketchbook or doodle pad with me, take the occasional ceramics class, do the model drawing thing. On my orchestra off-time I’d be in the museums, galleries and other art shows.

The root difference between real life and this imagined existence? This is the flipside. What life might have been like had music reigned supreme.

Here’s the thing though— ya know what this alt dream’s dependent on? Yup, not needing health insurance. Remember, when I was 20, the Affordable Care Act was political science fiction. It was 30 years off and Obama was just a cute freshman at Occidental.

OK, as long as I’m moonlighting on this universe, in Music World, I never went deaf. Me and Nf2 never met. Yeah, I can dig that.

Why’s this alt. vision come up now? Eh, one of the fellows in my Nekkid Drawing Session and I were talking music. He’s a brill artist. His second love? Music. I can SO relate!

By the by, here's an interesting article about careers other than playing in an orchestra. Young, unknowing, flute major me, I always thought that the only other possible path was to become a high school music teacher. Yeah, at 18 years of age, I lacked imagination AND knowledge.