I guess I’ve always considered it to be a blessing, to be able to have time to spend with my kids during the day and — especially when they were little — for me to be able to get out and work at night, to be with adults. I’ve found over the years that I wind up spending more time with my kids than people who have normal 9-5 jobs who come home at 6 or 6:30 and whose kids go to bed at 8. A lot of the time, I’m loose during the day.

–Cherie Rosen

I would say it’s both hard and easy. It’s challenging to keep your priorities straight in terms of when you need to be a professional and when you need to be a mother. But I also find that it’s wonderful. One of my kids is very much into the theatre arts and loves to accompany me to work when she can, and she’s getting a lot out of it. And my other child is also very musical. So it’s very gratifying to see them enjoying the music that they’ve inherited — both of their parents are musicians; my husband is a musician, too. Certainly the schedule is a challenge. But actually I find that, although I don’t get enough sleep, I’m able to be with my children when office mothers are at work. I’m there when they get home from school. If I have to do a show, then I’m off to work and I’m tired the next day, but at least I’ve been there for them. So the schedule can work out in your favor.

–Sariva Goetz

When my children were young I found myself being encouraged to do something else for a living so that I could be home at night. I looked into going back to school but I ended up falling back in love with playing the horn — I felt that I would be a better role model for my kids if I actually loved my work. My parents sure didn’t love their work! I mostly feel incredibly lucky to be able to make a living playing the horn and I just hope that there will continue to be work for us all.

–Leise Anschuetz