My advice to my kids (I have three, aged seven to seventeen) is to pursue what they love and are interested in, but not to limit themselves to just one love or interest. I am passionate about music, but if that's all that interests me, my life will not be as rich and meaningful as it could be. Besides, I think that people who have wide-ranging interests and activities make better musicians as well.

I'm a full-time government official (in environmental protection), and a part-time musician, and I enjoy both. I have the freedom to adjust the ratio of one to the other as my needs and circumstances dictate. That's not a bad situation, all in all.

I have spent brief periods of my life as a full-time musician, and while I loved the music, the business is something to be tolerated at best. If you want to go into music, do so; if you want to go into the music business, go ahead. But recognize that they are two different things; figure out which one is the one you really want, and focus on that. The music business, in my experience, is largely about low pay, late hours, smoky bars, sleazy bar owners, drunken patrons, and always searching for the optimal balance between art and commerce. I believe that it is possible to be a full-time musician without being a full-time music professional.

I also think people need to recognize that there's no safety in playing it safe. Today's hot career field is tomorrow's wasteland, so you may as well do something you love, because it's tough to predict what will ultimately prove to be a real money-making enterprise. I know a lot of people who have gone into a profession that they didn't really care much about, just because it was deemed the "smart choice" at the time they were making their decision. It rarely works out the way they want it to. In the final analysis, I think people should encourage their kids to do whatever they're interested in (as long as it's healthy and not destructive), and as many things as they're interested in. If they get this kind of unconditional love and encouragement, they'll find a niche for everything in its own good time. This is more than building a career; it's building a life, which is really what you want, right?