Cart 0

Income Inequality

David Berger

11/10/19

 

We read about it in the papers every day: income inequality in the U.S. is at a level not seen in a century. In this morning’s Times there is an article that breaks it down by occupation. It seems that doctors are the highest tier in the top 1% of earners, and specifically dentists. That’s right, dentists. I immediately thought about my own dentist. He’s a very nice man. He even has classical music coming through his office speakers. I think he’s a good dentist. I kinda doubt if he’s one of the top five or ten dentists in the world, though. I have no idea how much money he earns, but I assume it’s 3-5 times what I do. There’s something wrong with that.

 

I’ve worked diligently for 60 years at my craft. I set out to be the best arranger and composer of jazz and jazz-related music (American Songbook, some Broadway, some film, etc.). I’m not a household name, but I am known to easily a million people worldwide. How many people have even heard of my dentist? Maybe 1,000? So why the extreme income gap?

 

The obvious answer is the same as the answer to why the arts are the first thing to be eliminated in school programs—they’re not essential. But is that true? They are essential to my life, to my very existence. I’m not alone.

 

Without music, life would be a mistake.
-Friedrich Nietzsche

 

I never thought of Nietzsche as much of a music lover. But I was wrong. Between philosophizing, he composed music. He lived before there were record players, radios, TVs, and the Internet. If he wanted to hear music, he would either have to go to a concert or create it himself. In his world, music was either a communal experience or a creative one, or both.

 

In today’s world music is a cheaper commodity than toilet paper. I have to go to the store to buy toilet paper and hand over my hard-earned cash in exchange for this essential, but uninspiring part of my existence. On the other hand, I can listen to a phonograph record, CD, or mp3 for free—all by my lonesome. It doesn’t cost anything, and I don’t share my experience with any living thing.

 

Of course, I’m a bit different from most Americans in that I own a piano and can sit down at it and create my own music. Actually, I hear music in my head all the time. There is always a score accompanying my dreams at night. I don’t think a day has gone by since I was 12 when I haven’t listened to music, and the days have been very few that I haven’t played music. When I encounter music I like, I am transformed. My needs are met. I am still in this world, but the petty annoyances and injustices of my everyday life are out of my consciousness. I am focused on an emotional ride that operates on a higher plane of consciousness—the perfection of Bach and Mozart, the passion of Beethoven and Stravinsky.

 

When I hear Louis Armstrong, immediately a smile comes to my face and my insides dance. Duke Ellington reminds me of how rich life can be if we dare to imagine. Miles Davis and Billie Holiday transform their pain into beauty. When I listen to them, I inhabit their world and experiences.

 

I had a dream last night that I was at Jilly’s, where Frank Sinatra was entertaining a group of 10 of his friends at a table and asked me to join them. They were eating dinner, but I was just having drinks. Sinatra engaged me in conversation, and the rest of the table watched and listened. After a while he asked me how much money I make. I said that I’d had a bad year, and told him the amount. He responded that I probably couldn’t afford to pay for the meal they were all sharing. At that point Dean Martin sat down and devoured a plate of langostinos in three bites without saying a word.

 

Don’t ask me what that dream meant. Something to do with Sinatra being interested in me and inviting me into his world. He recognizes my talent, but I’m not an equal. What is it about Sinatra that appeals to billions of people? I think it’s basically two things. The first is that he is a great actor—he makes us believe that he is the guy in the song. We feel his pain, his joy, and everything else. Secondly, he is a tough guy who shows us his tender side. This he shares with Johnny Hodges. When they perform ballads, they are not prissy. They own the opposites.

 

I digress. In this modern world of ours, we are at once in touch with everyone, but rarely interact in person. Church attendance is down, as are live shows and concerts. I live in a building with almost 500 people, and outside of the 11 men who work here, I only know the first names of less than a dozen people. Of them, I only know three of their last names. When I grew up, I lived in a community of 96 houses. I knew the first and last names of nearly all those 500 people and their dogs, and they all knew me. I delivered their newspapers and played with the kids. I shoveled their snow.

 

Now when we use the term “friends,” we are not sure what that means. I have 5,000 Facebook friends. Maybe I know 1,000 of them. Of the rest, some are fans of my music, and some I have no idea who they are. I need to be on Facebook for business purposes. I’m not under the illusion that those 5,000 friends actually care about me. Not like the people I grew up with.

 

When I see people from my past, there is a connection—a space that we shared. That is much harder to create online, on the telephone, or any way that is not tactile.

 

Many years ago Al Cohn said that our music (jazz) is not for everyone—it’s for a small percentage of the population. During my childhood, jazz was popular. It was on TV, in movies, in concert halls, and in clubs all over. Over the years, the ranks of true greats have thinned and our culture has been debased, both of which have taken a heavy toll on the music and its popularity, but does that make it worthless?

 

My royalty checks from streaming and download services are pitiful. People still hear my music on YouTube, but that is free. Why pay for something if you can get it for free? If I could stream my dentist’s services for 2/100 of a cent, would that make him less of a dentist? So far, he is safe. So far, because AI is coming, and it’s coming soon. First to be replaced is the hygienist who cleans my teeth. Maybe she should start practicing the cello. A little humor there.

 

We live in a capitalistic system. We are paid based on supply and demand. This has more to do with marketing than with value. What it comes down to for each of us is to decide what gives our life meaning. I don’t need billions of dollars to be happy. In fact, I don’t need millions. Sure, it would be nice to have those kinds of resources, but I’m not willing to do what that would entail.

 

I want to spend my days in the world of music, not the music business. Trump would call me a loser, but I get to do what I love every day of my life. I decided to be a jazz musician when I was 12 years old. I’ve never regretted it. In fact, it wasn’t a decision at all—it was just being who I am.  My friends said I was lucky that I knew. They were right. I’m still lucky. I get to enjoy what I love and share my joy with a community of other musicians and listeners. As for money—the universe will provide.



Older Post Newer Post


  • 클락카지노 https://gamja888.com 카지노사이트 on

    やぺねんにふぜすまつ 클락카지노 https://gamja888.com 카지노사이트 *0R 필리핀카지노 맥스카지노쿠폰 스피드바카라 더존카지노먹튀 우리카지노 슬롯머신 잭팟시티슬롯 식보게임사이트 온라인카지노슬롯머신 바카라시스템배팅 강원랜드다이사이 https://gamja888.com 카지노사이트주소 바카라사이트 비바카지노쿠폰 바카라이기는법 우리카지노계열 솔카지노 카지노게임사이트 에볼루션게임 카지노추천 카심바슬롯잭팟 로얄카지노 바카라보는곳 블랙잭주소 더나인카지노먹튀 온라인슬롯잭팟 바카라잘하는법 바카라잘하는방법 카지노사이트필리핀아바타카지노 온라인바카라 카지노사이트주소 플러스카지노 슬롯머신777 카지노슬롯머신 카지노게임 메리트카지노먹튀 바카라필승전략 비바카지노주소 https://gamja888.com 바카라잘하는방법 슈퍼카지노 바카라사이트 온라인카지노 포텐슬롯주소 오공슬롯 바카라분석법 포텐슬롯 더나인카지노먹튀 카지노사이트주소 온라인바카라게임 카지노다이사이 카지노다이사이 슬롯사이트 바카라페어 슬롯머신777 포텐슬롯주소 카지노검증사이트 샌즈카지노 온라인바카라 슬롯머신 카지노베이 포텐슬롯주소 바카라사이트 바카라 포텐슬롯사이트 탑슬롯먹튀 바카라사이트 포텐슬롯 https://gamja888.com 생방송바카라 온라인카지노 바카라사이트 스핀슬롯 블랙잭주소 온라인블랙잭 바카라시스템배팅 카지노 온라인바카라 비바카지노주소 007카지노 카지노게임 카심바코리아 https://gamja888.com 바카라게임사이트 카지노베이 비바카지노주소 비바카지노주소 Q카지노 바카라게임사이트 온라인바카라 카지노사이트 카심바주소 포텐슬롯사이트 mongoangulam998 메리트카지노 바카라추천 마이크로게임온라인다이사이 포텐슬롯사이트 생중계카지노카지노사이트주소 애플카지노 바카라검증사이트 에볼루션게이밍 스피드바카라 슬롯머신 mongoangulam998 인터넷바카라 온라인카지노 스피드바카라 클락카지노 https://gamja888.com 카지노사이트 바카라잘하는법 카지노게임사이트 온라인도박사이트 더존카지노 바카라 COD카지노 카심바슬롯 타이산게이밍 라이브바카라 붐카지노 온라인바카라 필리핀아바타 에볼루션게이밍 비바카지노주소 카심바슬롯 카심바슬롯 카지노베이 실시간바카라 카지노사이트 잭파시티먹튀 mongoangulam998 포텐슬롯사이트 클락카지노 https://gamja888.com 카지노사이트 바카라시스템배팅 잭파시티먹튀 카지노블랙잭 실시간바카라 제왕카지노 포텐슬롯사이트 우리카지노계열 바카라사이트 카심바코리아 포텐슬롯주소 바카라검증사이트 바카라 잭파시티먹튀 바카라사이트주소 해외온라인카지노 플레이슬롯 바카라배팅법 온라인바카라 바카라사이트추천 파라오카지노 れがぼゅゎ 온라인슬롯사이트 메이저카지노 카지노사이트 카지노게임사이트 ぐぉきまぬあべみやお

  • https://Instagrme.net - 더나인카지노 on

    맥스카지노
    카지노사이트
    인터넷카지노
    카지노주소
    바카라게임
    안전카지노
    카지노하는곳
    카지노추천
    비바카지노
    라이브카지노
    실시간카지노
    퀸즈슬롯
    온라인카지노
    온라인바카라
    모바일카지노
    인터넷슬롯머신
    우리카지노계열
    바카라 전략
    바카라사이트

    맥스카지노
    카지노사이트
    인터넷카지노
    카지노주소
    바카라게임
    안전카지노
    카지노하는곳
    카지노추천
    비바카지노
    라이브카지노
    실시간카지노
    퀸즈슬롯
    온라인카지노
    온라인바카라
    모바일카지노
    인터넷슬롯머신
    우리카지노계열
    바카라 전략
    바카라사이트

    https://youube.me/
    https://gamja888.com/
    https://instagrme.com/
    https://youubbe.me/
    https://Instagrm.me/
    https://instagrme.site/
    https://instagrme.live/
    https://naverom.me/
    http://facebookom.me/

  • Roland Butta on

    I think that what someone else is paid is irrelevant. We know before we start out in business or profession roughly how much we are likely to be making so many years down the line. Complaining about how much more someone else in a different line of work, suggests you made the wrong decision.

    I made enough to live on and have a few treats along the way. We had perhaps 4 or 5 real holidays during that time. Since retirement we have had none.

    I enjoyed my work. Others in my profession earned more but were in a different branch. I don’t and didn’t think I was badly off. I learned an instrument and have enjoyed playing with others of like mind. My life has been as full las I wanted it to be. I have a very modest pension, a Labour government stole a third of it, but I have enough to live on modestly.

    Let’s face it I am lucky to have more than some who don’t have homes or enough to live on.

  • Frits Schjøtt on

    A true humanist speaking. Thank you, DB

  • Frits Schjøtt on

    A true humanist speaking. Thank you, DB.



Leave a comment