Mt. Whitney:
There is a Mt. Whitney in America.If(like I did)you type the words Mt. Whitney in the google search,a link to something like this will come up:
Mt. Whitney, the tallest mountain in the lower 48 states, rises like the phoenix from the western rim of the Great Basin Desert of California. At an elevation of 14, 495 feet, Whitney looms high above Death Valley, the lowest point in North America at 262 feet below sea level, less than 100 miles to the east.
Located within the Sierra Nevada Mountain Range of Sequoia National Park, Mt. Whitney is situated on the east side of the Great Western Divide, a chain of mountains that runs north/south through the center of the park, and is therefore not visible from any of the roads to the west.
But Mt. Whitney can be easily viewed from nearby Lone Pine, California on U.S. Highway 395, which runs north/south along the eastern foot of the Sierras. Highway 395 can be reached via Interstate 15 near Victorville, California, over Tioga Pass in Yosemite National Park (summer only) or by coming south from Reno, Nevada. There are no roads across the Sierras in Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks.
Now,about the gigs;
You have to look at everything [U]in the context[/U] it was said.You're the one who insisted that it's not arguing about this or that point,but to you guitar is fun and when you do get paid....(you didn't even finish about what happens when you do get paid)...and went on to give that$50 example and what you did with the money(bought everyone pizza) and why you did what you did(you're a nice guy).
Here's where the context thing comes in:
I said that to make a career out of playing guitar(making music,generally speaking) is work.To counter that point(from your point of view),you brought up the $50 thing.In that context,$50 gigs are not a career.
A friend can ask you to play at their party.Just like that.I mean,you're friends,and you happen to play guitar,blah blah blah.A record company,on the other hand,will not swing you a deal just like that,as easily as a friend would swing you a gig at their bash.
You'll have to go through the stages other people go through in their careers,you can't escape it.And it has always involved hard work.Loads of it.And if you've got some sort of "anti-establishment" tricks up your sleave,I reckon pulling them off will even be more work than the normal path many musicians take(getting signed by some label,making records,touring,stuff).
Basically everyone who plays guitar plays,and will tell you,for fun.
Which is all true.And is one thing.
A career out of it is another thing.And that's totally different.
There's plenty of ballers who are better than many of the guys in the NBA right now.But the difference between the former and the latter is that the latter put in the extra effort needed to be a pro(outside of being able to ball),while the former just balled(and still ball,perhaps in those street games I see about on movies and NBA Action stories)for the sake of balling.And nothing else.
[Edited by kingdavid on 11-12-2002 at 03:16 AM]