I’m an amateur, and always will be.

am·a·teur/ˈamətər/

Noun: A person who engages in a pursuit, esp. a sport, on an unpaid basis.

Adjective: Engaging or engaged in without payment; non-professional.

However, I prefer to understand the word through etymology. It comes from the Latin, amatorem, meaning “lover” and the French, amateur, meaning “lover of”.

Money is a heartless, modern parasite that has latched onto this beautiful word, lowering its passionate fervour into materialistic coldness. A musician, no matter how successful they are, or how rich they become, must always be an amateur. Without the love of the music, there is no point, and no real success.

A shabby looking man sits on a rickety wooden stool. His fingerless gloves make little difference to the effects of the pinching cold. But he takes up his guitar anyway and begins to play, sweet, sweet music. The air around him warms to the tones, his fingers dance upon the strings. His tussled mop flops over his eyes for a moment as he bobs his head to the steady beat. Dimples form around his lips as the crease of his smile stretches across his face.

This man is an amateur, but with music, he is the wealthiest man in the world.