Musicians Choose Artistic Discomfort

Jerry Seinfeld tells a story about the Glen Miller Orchestra that illustrates choosing the artist's path over conventional comfort.

"Let me tell you my favorite story about showbiz. Glen Miller's orchestra was doing some gigs somewhere. They couldn't land where they're supposed to land because it was a snowy night, so they had to land in this field and walk to the gig. They're dressed in their suits, ready to play, carrying their instruments.

They're walking through the snow, it's wet and slushy. In the distance, they see this little house with a light on inside and smoke coming out of the chimney. They go up to the house and look in the window. Inside they see this family - a guy and his wife (she's beautiful) and two kids. They're all sitting around the table, smiling, laughing, eating, and there's a fire in the fireplace.

These guys are standing there in their suits, wet and shivering, holding their instruments, watching this incredible Norman Rockwell scene. One guy turns to the other guy and goes, 'How do people live like that?'

That's what it's about."