Jon Levin, a fellow Piscean (I couldn’t resist throwing in that tidbit), has a second career of which some fans are unaware. Being an accomplished rock musician who was influenced by Randy Rhoads, Eric Clapton, and George Lynch, Jon Levin was not a fan of the grunge music scene in the 1990s, which prompted him to pursue a law degree instead of a full-time music career. Since graduating from law school, Jon has served as legal counsel for licensing programs, such as Orange County Choppers and Rockstalgia of Paidas Management, and fortunately for us, Levin has returned to playing music and currently tours with Dokken.
Being an international educational consultant who assists students in determining their futures, people tend to erroneously think that I believe every student should attend college. Not so. Not so at all. College is a good fit for some students, but then there are others who are better suited to learning a trade or pursuing a creative career. Teens and young adults who have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) tend to prefer careers where physical movement is part of the equation (like being a personal trainer or paramedic), and then others have specific talents, such as fixing electronics or playing guitar, that can evolve into successful careers. We live in a fast-paced, technologically-advanced age where students are no longer expected to follow a traditional trajectory of graduating from high school and heading straight to college. There are many programs available to non-traditional students where a skill or specialized education can be pursued past one’s early twenties.
It’s no secret that many musicians opt to forego high school and college in lieu of pursuing a career in music. I happen to think this is fabulous because I feel that the world is a giant classroom, and what better way to learn about people and life than to travel the world?
While writing this blog, a memory of a conversation I had with a past boyfriend came to mind. We were talking about musicians and he made a derogatory comment that all rockstars are stupid. Firstly, I do not care for the word “stupid” and I tend not to include it in my vocabulary. Secondly, this man’s comment was totally ludicrous, biased, and vastly unevolved. I happen to think that musicians are brilliant because they’re doing something highly creative that they love and are immensely passionate about. Additionally, these professionals’ creations uplift, heal, and bring people together. There’s nothing “stupid” about that!
Jon Levin was smart because he was open to exploring alternative avenues when he was faced with an obstacle. He looked around at the music scene in the 1990s, decided it wasn’t for him, and embarked on a journey that expanded his skillset.
