True story from a friend of mine, who’s an orchestra teacher:

Teacher: You’re fantastic.  Let’s talk about college music programs for which you might apply.

Student: Well, I don’t think music is all that practical.  I think I might study dermatology.  It’s very practical.

Teacher: What!? Do you even know what dermatology is?

Student: Well, uh, not really, no.

Teacher: Dermatology is popping other people’s zits.  Is that what you want to do for the rest of your life?

Student: Um, I hear that podiatry is also pretty good.

(No offense to any dermatologists who might be reading; my friend just had to make his point.  I knew this guy in college, and we both owe you our thanks.)

But I want to raise a quick, serious protest against the nonsensical idea that the arts aren’t practical.  So many people have this knee-jerk “oh, you’re a musician — eat a lot of spaghetti?” reaction, and it drives me crazy.  Especially when it deters talented kids from going into a career where they’d excel, and, in excelling, make us all better off.

We need artists, just like we need the thousands of other professions out there, just like we need lawyers (in fact, we need art and law for very similar reasons) or engineers or, of course, dermatologists.  And the arts are exactly as practical or impractical as each artist and his team.  Arts careers aren’t easy — good work never is — but if you treat your work professionally, if you build and market your skills properly, you’ll do fine.

That’s what you should tell the next talented kid who crosses your path.