Why did Georg Philipp Telemann’s family discourage him from becoming a professional musician?

Georg Philipp Telemann’s family discouraged him from pursuing a career in music because, during that era, being a professional musician was considered neither an attractive nor a remunerative occupation.1

Despite this opposition, Telemann—the son of a Protestant minister—taught himself to play and compose for a wide variety of instruments, eventually becoming one of the most celebrated composers of the late Baroque period.1