This was something that spouted out of a statement my sister made when I mentioned to her the cost it takes for me to jam daily before gigs; that being a musician is something only for the privileged in our country, let alone this city.
And it is somewhat true - the ones who enjoy the freedom to be heavily involved with music usually, not strictly but it happens to be that most of the time they come from families that are well-off and/or the modern-thinking types. The kind who won't fret over why their kid doesn't go pray on Thursdays at the Krishna temple and chooses to plaster his walls with posters of AC/DC or Pantera and refuses to cut his hair. More tolerant parents, in terms of providing their kids moral+monetary support.
Its kind of an obvious observation, though there are times when I have felt those that are better off financially seem to have it relatively easier. When I mean 'rich kids', they're usually the kind that would probably visit some country with family as part of vacation time. Someone that can afford a bit of luxury in life.
While I belong to the middle-class who live in a modest house in the suburbs, I have seen that richer kids end up faring better simply because they have more access to things like good equipment and they end up learning the ropes faster. Its easier for them to convince their parents to invest in quality music gear for them, which would have been spent instead on an iPad or a Playstation. I'm not accusing them of depriving others or that its unfair, it makes perfect sense. If I were a fellow with parents ready to buy me what I like from time to time, without flinching at costs, usefulness and the sorts, buying gear and spending time to improve yourself as a musician sounds like the most sensible and natural choice one could make.
I find it awkward to explain to my father (and still avoid) on how awesome it would be to own some sort of interface to mix music on. Music is just a hobby at the end of the day in his point of view. It doesn't make sense to invest in something that studios use if I am just a hobbyist. The argument has some value to it that's sincere yet harsh and real.
When you take away these obstacles, its much more liberating for a budding rocker. A dad enrolls his son in a top-notch guitar training institute, the fella learns to read notation, switch from fingerguitar to picks, tell if the guitar lick belongs to what scale and mode, then he gets a nice shiny new guitar, a Line6 POD that costs as much as a brand new PC, a Mac to record his music on, the things keep going on. Its easier when your parents understand the basic essence of what you're doing. They actually help you get better at it.
Freedom for me means the ability to choose from almost any option available and obtain/achieve it. When a person has more privileges, he automatically feels more free as an individual. This isn't strictly money-wise freedom - I'm talking on a much broader sense here. There's a right to choose from plenitude, even if some of those options are not moral. Freedom is almost an omnipresent theme in the music culture and ideology since forever.
That doesn't necessarily mean that you're going to be the next Jimmy Page if you're loaded with money. I've seen rich 'scene kidz' who do nothing but suck at being musicians despite having gear worth thousands, as well as people coming from impossibly difficult upbringings breaking into playing and composing great music, so true to the original spirit of blue-collar rock n' roll. And yes, there are always people like me, sitting right in the middle, looking both sides, seeing which meadow is greener so that we can jump safely to that side. Middle class mentality, as they say! Hahahaha! I can think of another person right now who is a guy from a modest background, but has absolutely no expenses for alcohol or cigarettes and the usual paraphernalia musicians tend to indulge in. That saves him quite a bit, and living like a caveman let him buy some really really awesome shit, while improving exponentially at doing what he does.
Privileges are to be acknowledged and thanked for. Nothing else really. Its not unjust, its not extravagant, its nothing negative or 'evil' as people are so quick to associate with big money. As long as the music is fine and honest, none of that shit matters. On a personal note, I think it helps that I hang out with people with different lifestyles. Sometimes I sip overly expensive beer with people, sometimes I order cheap truck-wallah fuckall whiskey with another bunch of people. I'm hanging out with cosmopolitan youth at a music venue and an hour later I am returning home on a local with modest, simple folk. Gives me more perspective.
My final conclusion - privileged or not, if you're fuckall and chodu at making music, you're probably going to stay that way. Unless you really work hard on changing it.
