paulgillis

Having spent the last 3 years in NUI. Maynooth getting a degree in Music Technology and Business I have developed a desire to write about Vocations in order to assist people that are not fully aware of the improtance of understanding the Vocational process

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Vocations 2

              “Music as a Vocation”©pg2011

              OCCUPATIONAL PLANNING STRATEGY

              Introduction

                    In looking at the “Occupational Planning Strategy” which I have applied, whilst evaluating for my future, there are several facts to be considered. Firstly, my future path is predominantly a “Vocation ”, next, where I came from and where I am going, lastly how I am going to get there. But, here it would be prudent to explain my reasons for following a “Vocation”, rather than seeking a conventional job. I have, since a very young age, been involved in music and writing; I have played, written, bought and sold music and musical instruments all my life. I have been writing stories and poems for many years, all inspired by a spiritual element. I felt from an early age that I was destined to work in music or media, not just to style my future on another , but to create my own niche, to advance and share my music and writing with the world. There has been an increasing demand on me, spiritually and emotionally, to make the transformation from Construction Industry to the Music Industry; this was highly influenced on a spiritual level by my surroundings, my culture and my views and beliefs and some is somehow related to a higher force . I am a free spirit and soon became aware of nature’s pure music (Naturesongs.com, n.d.), the birds, trees, rivers, wind and all the other beautiful sounds we ignore in our everyday life. In 2007, I began to write a book on “Music as a way of life ”, initially a series of notes on my thoughts and the progress I was making through my further education, eventually it became the grounds for a book, which I feel will benefit many in their search for a happy future.
                     I sought to understand the reasoning behind my opinion, desires and decisions. Having been exposed to different Business Theories for many years in the work-place, I started to look at certain theorists to help my analysis of my thoughts and feelings. Things started to become clear to me and account for my feelings when I find new inspiration from life and all the creations that we are exposed to. Now I needed to combine this desire with a feasible income that will sustain me and allow me to invest in my future, looking at Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs (Internet Center for Management and Business Administration, Inc., n.d.), I realised I had to following a very definite set of needs.
                     Having run a successful company for twenty years, following a life changing accident I decided there was more to life. All through my working life I have been involved with the “Music Industry”, realising it was a difficult industry to make a decent living at, I would have to wait some time to move into it as a way of life. Having reached a cross roads in my life where the Construction Industry had been changed in Ireland by greed and poor regulation (Irish Construction.com, 2011), it was no longer enjoyable, so it was time to progress. I now reached the stage where my family were now grown up and self- sufficient, and I welcomed the challenge to pass on the skills and knowledge that I have acquired over the years.

              The Challenge

                    As most are aware, the challenges in the” Music Industry” (Kusek, 2011) can be great, I welcome them with open arms, I started to design this career path some 38 years ago and had a very definite plan. Needless to say, I have had to revise this plan to suit the changing market and to take account of changing times, attitudes and the latest technology (MusicRradar, 2011). The big decision, now, is where to start, I am a Composer, Artist, and Writer and would be Novelist and this opens up several avenues for me. On completion of my degree, I will apply for a Master’s programme , this will hopefully allow me to lecture in colleges in my chosen subjects as a way of creating income, inspiration and passing on the skills and knowledge I have accumulated.
                    As in any business there are issues such as Promotion, Marketing, Finance, and the most important, in my view, is the Ethical stance one would take. In keeping with the theory that all people subscribe to a universal set of moral standards (Haverford Edu., n.d.), I cannot reconcile this in the context of media or arts, I have yet to see a journalist that follows an acceptable code of ethics. This would follow through in many writings in the papers or novels regarding everyday issues where so called facts, are twisted and have caused great distress and lasting damage to certain people .
                    Looking at Kohlberg’s 6 stages of moral development, in stage 5, the Social Contract Orientation (Haverford Edu., n.d.), it states that:

              ” people hold conflicting views and beliefs that all values are relative and should be tolerated”.

              This is lacking in the media, the only views that are tolerated, in most cases, are that of the presenter or journalist. I feel these attitudes need to change and that through my writings and music I can tell a story in an unbiased way. This is more in keeping with Carol Gilligan’s (Human growth.tripod.com, n.d.) Post Conventional view that:

              “One has a sense of responsibility to others and that one should attempt to preserve social networks”.

              My reading of her statement would lead me to believe that the opinion you express should be heard by the general population and allow people to make up their own minds.
                    As my chosen path relies on fact, to a great extent, the question is will I sacrifice a creation for the sake of taking moral high ground, if an issue is controversial, and my answer is definitely not. I have been involved in writing some controversial songs and stories over the years, but, I was proved to be correct with my perception of the situation at the time . Due to the unethical nature of life, one can never be 100% convinced of any situation unless you have been an eye witness to that situation . As a songwriter, playwright, novelist, one writes of from history, present events and hypothetical situations, it is hard to follow any predesigned code of ethics in this regard, all one can do is to follow your heart, beliefs and give a fair account of the subject. If one looks at Moral standards (Jr., 2007), it is hard to reconcile them in the context of the Media or Arts, is it wrong to write about the victims of the Holocaust, or poverty, war, drugs or any other topical issue, not if it is written in a considerate way then it is showing a good ethical stance.
                    In the Creative Arts you must be prepared to put your work before profit and be prepared to work long hours . Some are lucky and hit the top rapidly, but it is only the few that do this, others have to struggle to make ends meet and mostly are led by compulsion or the love of their words. The question I had to ask, was, am I prepared to forsake a lucrative lifestyle, to forsake the perks and benefits of the mainstream business world to follow this path, the answer was, yes I am. Unlike a mainstream career, which is structured and stabile, a vocation is deeper, spiritual and free flowing. In my book , I describe the importance of Vocations and the sacrifices you may be asked to make to follow your vocation.

                   “Music is one of the loneliest paths for a person to take; you must have great faith in yourself and like your own company. It is not something that you can readily explain to a non-music disciple. Life is often driven by compulsion, by fear of failure, passion, or something that is indescribable. This element is the key to fulfilment in music. You must be prepared to be your own critic; you must learn to write or perform for yourself and set your own standards. You have to be able to keep your head when you don’t agree with criticisms from the public.” (Gillis, 2007)

                     One must firstly understand they have a gift which comes with responsibility. One must believe in one’s self, be their own biggest critic and fan, be comfortable with their own desires, one has to understand that their opinion is the most important. Many young people are not mature enough to benefit from such a vocation, as we often see within our religious communities,

                   “It’s great for a while but I feel it is not the correct path for me in the long term ” (Gillis, 2007)

              a common response from so called defectors. The music industry can be a lonely place if you allow it, but can also be one of the most rewarding and fulfilling places on earth. One must enjoy solitude and serenity to be fully comfortable in this Vocation. The questions that you need to ask yourself all centre around the following passage.

                    “The hours are long and the pay is poor but the feeling of creating something new is huge. The outlay tends to eat up any profits rapidly, money is always in short supply but you learn to improvise. I always use the comparison between a classical performer that reads music from a score and is not able to play without the score, and the composer/performer that cannot read music but only plays from the heart. This to me says it all, the person that is not as highly educated may more often have a passion that cannot be written in words, it is where they become the music they are playing or writing. An experience that cannot be repeated, by a performer reading from the score, it is a mixture of feeling and emotion, unique to the performer. This is a pure vocation and gift from a higher source” (Gillis, 2007)

                   A musician playing form the heart will put some of their own personality into the music; the music will take on a life of its own and come alive. This is something that cannot be written in a music score, or learned, you either have it or you don’t . I often refer to spirituality in relation to music; I believe the gift must come naturally from s higher source. A spark appears when you have an idea for a song, tune or piece of writing, and it smoulders during the process until it bursts into ignites on completion, and then you know it is a success. One cannot measure success in monetary terms, this would take away from the gift it takes to create, and one should measure the success by the reaction of the audience. One often has little control over the writing/tune they create as the inspiration comes naturally. We write as inspired and hope that at some time this may be of interest to a larger audience, it is R&D (University, n.d.) , producing a new product, it may or may not work at present but it may be useful at a later time .

              Changing World

                    The “Music Industry” is ever changing due to global influences, new technology, and progress in computers. I.T industries have transformed the music industry and made it more accessible to a larger group of people. With the introduction of MIDI allows for an expansion of music to new heights, Synthesis has added a new dimension to the music industry and allows for the creation of sounds that may not have been possible before. It comes with new challenges and demand for further education, the use of these methods requires a great commitment to learn new skills that will compliment ones Vocation. Can you cope with the changes, are you prepared for continuous re-education?
                    “If, when you read the questions below, you cannot answer 5 out of 6 questions positively, than you may not be suit to a” Vocation in Music”.
              1. What draws you to music as a career?
              2. Have you a deep sense of passion in relation to all music?
              3. Do you feel a higher power is driving you to the music and directing you towards a certain style?
              4. Can you imagine life without any music in it?
              5. Are you motivated by money or is it just a means to fulfilling your dream?
              6. Have you the dedication to spend endless hours engrossed in creating music or in performing possibly for low rewards?
              7. Where do you see music bringing you to in life, a rock star/performer, a music composer/songwriter, a music critic, a sound engineer, a teacher or none of the above?
              If you answer between: 1-3 positively, you may not have a calling/Vocation
              Between: 3-5 positively, you may have a calling/Vocation but may not be ready to accept it at present
              Between: 5-7 positively, go for it, you definitely have the calling/Vocation and it is time to progress it. ” (Gillis, 2007)

              New Technology and the Future of Music

                    In this era of new technology, there are a new requirements within the industry, it is highly technical, but, can be a lot more fun. For example, I am currently working on a music score for a series of plays , in the past a project such as this would take months of solitary writing to get to a recording stage, now I am co-writing in real-time with people in London, Canada and Australia. We use the internet to run our programs and we can all work on the same piece at the same time thanks to the advancement in what could be classed as the I.T side of the business. There a huge saving of time and money, this will improve with the launch of a new era of “Cloud Computing (Muehlfeit, 2010)” where programs will be installed on the “Cloud” and everyone will be able to arrange group access to allow for this type of production. This process is currently available from Microsoft for Office 365 applications (Microsoft, 2010)
              I.T is playing a larger part in music, than ever before, the use of computers created a new era where composers/songwriters could work on music and edit work before printing, this has revitalised the profession and the interest in music. The new programs allow for writing, modulation, Synthesis, Recording and Final Production, new technology allows for better market placement (Wahl, 2008) and with a volatile market at present, this technology is essential to any small organisation to be competitive. Now with the help of a Mac Computer and a copy of Pro-Tools software you can record in anywhere, to a professional standard, at a very low cost. If we take the “Irish Music Genre” for example, the American Market with some 40 million people claiming to Irish descent (Answers.com, n.d.). This is a huge market and allowing for 8% market share this allows for a first year sales potential of 640,000 units our main access to this market is via the internet.

              Ethics

                    Many would say, it is an alien concept to place ethics and creativity in the same sentence, as they can often be opposites, I disagree. The music Industry, like any industry, has its share of unethical practices. But the onus is on the individual to ensure they work within a code of ethics, even if it is just best practice or fairness to others opinions, feelings or values. Ethics is of course heavily reliant on culture , what one culture sees as being ethical another may not.
                    I do not believe it is possible to follow a vocation without having a deep respect for ethics, I also believe that the ethics are self-derived from your own personal beliefs and experiences, autonomous will ( Philosophy pages .com, 2001), a non-Vocationalist may not fully understand the significance of the beliefs of a Vocationalist. I do not conform to any recognised religion, but saying that, I am a very spiritual being . I look at the suffering and joy in people and write their stories hoping to allow them to deal with the issues that are causing pain. I would never write to cause harm or pain to others, as I would not like them to do that to me often seen in the teachings of Thomas Aquinas.
                    Music has a deeper meaning than the 8 notes of the scale , it is about putting a little piece of you into every song, tune, or writing, and it is about allowing your surroundings and spirituality to inspire you. Many think it is something that you can learn from books, I disagree, it is in one’s soul, this is very apparent from the music of the Afro-Americans in the south of America during the last century , their music was spiritual and from the heart, songs created by illiterate people that have lasted for ever. It brought to life, stories of oppression and degradation; it healed old wounds and created new alliances with other nations to progress their cause.
              Ethics must encompass all aspects of the profession from the initial conception through to the production and sales. Other ethical issues relating to some aspects of the industry, can be seen in the article by Johannes Gerhard Achatz, Music and the Digital, and Ethics“ A case study on uniqueness, values and responsibility in digital music” (Aachatz, 2003), published by the University of Jena, Germany.

              The Vocation

                    As many may be aware, a vocation is more on a spiritual level in music, I feel I can best describe my vocation by a passage from my book:

                   “Whilst walking through the Phoenix Park on a warm summer morning, I became aware of the sounds of Gods own music playing in the background of the hustle and bustle of the day. The birds and the bees, a dog barking a deer calling, creating an orchestral effect, in tune and in time with each other. Then, to hear a light breeze blowing through the leaves of the tall majestic trees, the angels singing to me, calling to me, directing me to compose my next work of art (Gillis, 2007).”

                   This, although possibly hard to comprehend, gives a clear positioning of a vocation. A vocation is a call from a higher source and is something that is set in one’s destiny, you cannot control or change a vocation; it will win out in the end. Many fail to realise that that one can’t jump into a Vocation, it is something that has to be a part of the framework of life in relation to you career.

              Conclusion

                    When I noticed at a young age that I was different and had different direction in my life, from my peers, something I could not understand at the time. I began to develop a strategy for life, I felt that life had at least four cycles , the first being youth, this encompassed childhood and education into puberty. Money was not something you needed a great supply of as you were too young exploit it. The next stage is the completion of education and the beginning of working life, at this stage the popular choice is to make as much money and have as much fun as possible. The third stage is commitment/contentment where one can enjoy the fruits of your toil and live a relatively comfortable life. The final stage for me is the most important time, when one can find peace in one’s soul and follow one’s dreams, no pressure from the monetary demands of life, from family and a time, when a job for the sake of money is no longer fulfilling.
                    In summing up the facts, I would note that most people would have an insight into their vocation before they embark on life’s journey. I believe it is something that grows with everyone differently and over a period of time. Although, as I have already said, I do not believe a vocation to be heavily laden with theory, as it would take away from the spiritual aspect of it, I do believe certain theories can be followed and certain others would be ambiguous. In relation to operating your vocation as a business, in so far as you need food and shelter, Maslow’s” Hierarchy of Needs (Business Balls. com, n.d.) fits well”. It would be ideal if we could live without the need to exploit a vocation, but such is life. One could also look at Max Webber’s (Danielle Lindemann, 2003) “Protestant Work Ethic”.

                    “A person following a working path feels that to reach the highest spiritual height possible it is imperative that one works hard and tirelessly in pursuit of the ultimate reward”.

              I do not believe this theory was borne out of any work practices, and would question its nature . The theory is solid if applied in a truly ethical way.
                     One theorist that I do feel had a lot to offer in this respect was Karl Marx, although I am not a socialist and do not believe in communism (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, 2003), I find the theory behind his thinking solid. Someday, everyone would or should be equal; this to me is part of the human element of society. In Ireland, and possibly in most countries around the world, have seen what excessive capitalism can do to a society, causing greed and divisions resulting in a “Them and Us Society”. This is not a good place to be, for the artistic people. A Vocationalist will be of the school of thought that promotes equality; it would be ambiguous for them to think in any other way. Yet we can only afford to take certain thoughts from Marx theories after the fall of communism in the late 1980’s (U.S State Dept., 1990). This would lead me to offer the view that a small amount of most theories could possibly work better than one full theory. My final thought to end on is a passage from a song “The Spirit of Manhattan”©pg2007 I wrote whilst I was inspired by a spiritual connection, during a visit to Ground Zero in New York in 2007.

              “The souls of our ancestors looked on in horror
              They knew the extent of the carnage that day
              Their spirits they gathered
              Among the great dust clouds
              To direct the poor souls
              On their journey that day ”
              ©pg2007

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