For those who are torn between academics and music - here’s a story showing it is possible, if not easy, to pursue both equally.
"Have you ever felt torn between two different career interests? Has someone told you that you could be a scientist or an artist, but not both? Perhaps you focus on one over the other because you feel you don’t have enough time to pursue both. Well, it is possible to combine different career paths—but it takes creativity and effort to pull it off.
"After earning a bachelor’s degree in psychology and French literature from the University of Toronto, Viskontas decided to focus on her opera career. She spent a year in France trying to find work as a singer, but her fascination with science persisted. She left France for California, where she received her doctorate in cognitive neuroscience from UCLA, studying memory. Never content to stick to just one thing, she also received her Masters of Music in voice from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.
“Viskontas could not and would not choose one career over the other, so she didn’t. Instead, she used her training and knowledge in both science and music to craft her own, unique career trajectory.”
http://ww2.kqed.org/quest/2016/05/27/is-it-possible-to-be-a-scientist-and-an-artist/