Obstacles

    Most of the seats were empty. A saxophonist performed. He is a music major at a university. His recital occurred inside an obscure room on a campus in Massachusetts.
    He wore a wrist brace. Chances are, he’s dealing with a repetitive stress ailment. I’ll venture a guess as to the reason. Practicing the sax caused the injury.
    A pianist accompanied him. The saxophonist, I was later informed, paid for the accompaniment. That’s a common arrangement. Music students remunerate musicians, even fellow students, who assist them during recitals. The payments aren’t nominal.
    Obstacles stand in the way of most people entering a creative arts career.
    For the saxophonist, the wrist injury is an obstacle. Coughing up money for a pianist is an obstacle. Finding an audience might be an obstacle. The cost of tuition is an obstacle.
    Later, he’ll face more obstacles. They’ll be competition for employment. Performance gigs won’t pay much at first. If he composes music, he’ll earn a pittance in royalties. Blame it on music streaming services like Spotify.
    Will the saxophonist succeed in his career? Nobody can predict the future. But he does have something going for him. So far, he seems willing to pay his dues.
    Talent is rarely enough for achieving success. The other prerequisite is an ability to battle through obstacles.