Craft

Featured on yesterday’s Diane Rehm Show was Richard Sennett, cellist and sociologist, who discussed his new book, The Craftsman. The discussion focused on the idea of what it means to be a craftsperson, not in the narrow sense of being a carpenter or wood worker, but in the broadest sense of mastering a skill, be it playing an instrument, computer programming, or teaching. The interviewer asked at one point, “Does…the workshop, however you define it, [have] to have a moral as well as a technical dimension?” Sennett’s reply: “I think it does. I think there has to be a point at which people who are making something, or making it work well, have to say, ‘should I be doing this?’” He went on to say that this perspective is inconsistent with the notion of acquiring the skill in the first place. Should it be an ethical imperative, for instance, to play in tune as a young musician? There are of course two answers: No, in the sense that it takes time for the musician to initially learn the skill, but ultimately, yes. Sennett’s perspective is that one should not be engaged in the activity in the first place if one is not able to meet some minimum performance standard.

The obvious question from here seems to be, how does one know whether or not one meets this minimum performance standard. Fortunately, with most crafts, there are all sorts of built-in sources of external validation. For the classical singer, there is the degree or certificate one receives from the conservatory or other training program; one is validated with every competition win or placing, and ultimately, auditions (ideally) result in employment. But, of course, this is the prototype, and not everyone so neatly fits this model.

As an amateur (read: I don’t earn anywhere near most of my income from singing) classical singer, I think about Sennett’s point quite often. At this point in my development, the two things I seem to need most are experience and confidence. No, my technique is not 100% there yet, but I have faith that I’m on the right path, and that it will eventually be there. I have an excellent teacher, and I'm also a quick study. But, given the age at which I got started, the traditional sources of external validation are largely closed to me. In theory, I suppose I could earn a degree, but practically speaking, just when would I be able to do this and support myself? At this stage of the game, I will be too old for most competitions when my entire package is what I’d consider to be ready. So, here’s the dilemma: Yes, I’m serious. But how am I supposed to gain that necessary confidence if the avenues for acquiring it are largely blocked for me? It takes experience to get more experience, and it takes confidence to get started.

One big advantage for me that not everyone in my position is fortunate enough to have is the opportunity to perform roles, at least for now (it's never good to take the future for granted). So, come to think of it, I am getting experience! Maybe my approach should be to try to avoid getting too caught up in the conventional mindset about all of this. One size doesn't fit all in this case. The culture is what it is, and I cannot change that. But, the trick is to be creative about finding and making opportunities for myself. So far, I've been lucky (and smart) enough to do this.