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My mom wants me to be something Im not
Hello,I've got a problem,kinda...I'm going to tell you whats this "problem" about...ever since I was a little girl I loved to sing and make up my own songs,and later when I was older I realised that singing and music is something that I enjoy doing and that it is something that I love...I tried to tell my mom that but she thinks this is just temporary and that later I won't care about this(she told me this 2 yrs ago)...but I still do.I am from a country named Bosnia and English is not my first language,but I knew how to speak it since I was 3 yrs old(and not many people are good as I am at English so thats rare here).My mom wants me to do something I dont want to,but thats something she wanted to do when she was my age,and she is excited that I would be able to live her dream...I want to be a singer and write my own songs,but she wants me to be a translator for companies and something like that idk...I dont know how to tell her thats not what I want,and that music is my passion without hurting her feelings...Please help me,I dont know what to do.
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Want to answer more questions in the Hobbies category?
Maybe give some free advice about: Music?
By all means, strive for your dream.
But do consider that it is very difficult to make one's living in the music business, and that luck and connections can matter more than talent. It is not a bad idea to have a day job, something that can pay the bills and keep you eating while you're trying to get the break you need. Working as a translator is not a bad idea, really; it's something you can essentially already do, so you don't need to set aside years of your life training for it; and it shouldn't consume too much of you time and mental energy, so you can keep doing your signing and songwriting.
Because absolutely, you should pursue your passion for music. But no matter how good you are, and no matter how much you want it, it may take you a few years to succeed at it, and you'll need to make a living in the meantime. There's another point to having the "day job" as well - having that secure source of income makes it so you aren't desperate to get a break, and that will make you less easy to take advantage of by unscrupulous people in the music industry.
In any event, even if you actually WANTED to be a translator and threw yourself into it with all your heart, it's not something you could do for long. Technology is advancing all the time, and we're only a few years away from devices you can hold in your hand which will translate from any language, to any language. When that happens, human translators will be obsolete!
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Your English is excellent and perhaps it is no coincidence that your mother would like you to work in translation, maybe of business English for a company I would guess? There are certainly more vacancies for this than there are for singer-songwriters. Now quite a lot of artistes, when they become successful, well-know and even sometimes world-famous will tell of the job they were doing when they started out. Sometimes it is just casual work like filling shelves in a supermarket. So how about taking the 'day job' just to pay the bills while you keep composing and working on your ideas in all the time you have over? Songwriting is not, I should think a 9 to 5 Monday to Friday thing? If and when the breaks and opportunities start to appear you can just give notice and quit the day job. You will have gained some useful work-experience and should be able to drop back into the same work if things do not go as quickly as planned or are not quite as lucrative as you would hope. Naturally, if the media career takes-off big-time you won't have time to work in an office as well. I hope you make it in the media/performing arts world of course. Some do. But it is good to have something to keep the cash coming in while you are starting out (the toughest time for any artist) and we should all try and have that 'Plan B' to fall back on. I would imagine if your mum saw you leave the office job because you had just secured a contract with a big advance she would not mind at all. Parents mostly just want their kids to be happy and secure, and it does not matter at all whether it is secure as a translator or secure as a singer-songwriter. She probably feels that the regular day job is a much safer option and that is why she is promoting it. Is there any reason why you have to choose right now? Can you run the two side-by-side for now? Choices are not engraved in stone, as you might say. You can reverse them at any time and embark on a new path. How about looking for some sort of work in media related companies? Record companies and TV and radio studios have many staff besides the performers. You would be putting yourself in the right spot to meet the people who can help you as well. Making contacts and connections. Ideally, are there any media organisations which would really like someone fluent in English and Bosnian? English is regarded as the universal language of business and commerce. Mainly because the Americans speak it! Good luck, and I hope you might find something in my reply which is helpful.
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Hey!
I my parents are the same. I'm really interested in the visual arts, but my parents keep telling to find a different passion or career choice. I know in my guts that art is what I want to do with my life. I think, from your mom's point of view, she wants you to be successful in life. In my opinion, I don't think there's a way to tell your mom what you want to do with your life, without hurting her, or getting into an argument. Trust me I've been through that one too many times. The thing is if you know singing is what you want to do with your life, NEVER EVER stop fighting for it.
I know this might not be much, but I hope this helps!
-Swimmer133
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