Careers in music??

[a e i o u]

I am having a really hard time figuring out a future plan. I am 20 years old and have been going to our local community college just taking random classes within the liberal arts degree hoping that someday a great idea is just going to hit me and i am going to know what i want to do for the rest of my life. I haven't had many different jobs so I don't have much experience. I liked working at the coffee shop, that was cool, I absolutely hated working in the factories.. thats about all I've been doing since I was 15. Another problem is I am extremely apathetic and it makes me even more depressed than I already am which makes it really hard to try to focus on pretty much anything. However, one thing that has held true thus-far is my love for music and having an open mind towards it and being able to pick out something that is awesome in any type of music ect. but i am no prodigy. i am no better at writing than any average bassist or guitar player who does it as a hobby. I feel as though I would like my job if it had something to do with music but I am scared to even bother getting into it because I know I am not talented. I guess what I am wondering is, for those of you who have music careers, what do you do? Do you have to be natural born amazing at it or is it something you can learn? I am interested in recording but fear it is impossible to make a living off of it. I am also interested in being the guy who actually makes guitars or installs the wiring. I could also be into repairing amps ect. I just think something to do with music would be great compared to learning a trade or just joining another factory. My parents are giving me a ton of pressure about me having to chose something to stick with and it has to be something that i can make a living off of. any thoughts??

[Snarf]

If you're 20 years old and don't have much instrumental skill, then playing music for money isn't going to work. Not gonna lie to you.

If you're interested in being a tech/luthier/whatever, that's actually a really good idea. You can make a decent amount of money on that, and be working with instruments and testing out your work.

[tplyons]

I personally don't want to do anything I love for money with no option for anything else. I would love, however, to tour as a bassist, play sessions and temp for gigs, however, I don't want to stress over my passion.

This is why I'm pursuing a bachelors degree in business management. So I can wear a suit during the day, and let off steam at night.

[BassChuck]

Its pretty difficult to make a life of music (like earning enough money to have a house, family, life) without teaching. I'm not suggesting that you do that, but consider it.

What advise would you give to someone who said the things you are saying, but substitute "tennis" for music.

[J.D.B.]

I suggest you listen to "Joe's garage, acts 12&3." It's about what can happen to YOU if you choose a career in MUSIC.
Josh

[metallicafan18]

I'm only 14, but I'm going into highschool next year, and I'm supposed to tell the school what career I want, or at least about what career. I'm going into either music recording or music business management. Sounds fun!

[Luther Blissett]

I don't have a career in music, but I worked for the radio, so maybe that's close enough.

earning money with your own music: even if your talented, you still need a lot of luck, and even then, it's not a very steady and secure source of income, so maybe you have to be honest with yourself and take that one from your list.

For any other way of making a living in the music business, there are lots of options, be it from a technical perspective (builing instruments / equipment) or from an organisational point of view (record stores, record companies, radiostations, publishers, etc... ), but for all these jobs, there is a lot of competition as well.

However, if I can give you one advice: get a degree!!! be it in electronic engineering, woodcrafts, creative writing (somebody needs to write those darn press info thingies) or business management. A degree will help you to get a steady and a good job, with better pay and benefits. And with a degree, it will be easier (though still not easy) to get a job in a sector you like. Oh, and in hindsight, you'll see your college years will be amongst the best of your life. Life stops being simple once you join us, blue collar people.

good luck

[gweimer]

Career in music?

• Pay attention in those business classes. They're going to be your bible.
• Get formal education - sight-reading, improv, scales, modes, the whole shebang
• Don't concentrate on a band - work towards being a journeyman
• Learn to follow directions, regardless of your personal opinions
• Learn to like peanut butter
• Never lose your love of music

After all that, you still have a slim chance of making it, but at least you'll have tools that will put you ahead of so many others.

[Bassmanphat]

You might also want to entertain the idea of auditioning for a theme park gig or a cruise line. There isn't a huge potential for a full time career (except maybe the cruise line if you like sea sickness and crappy food), but it's a good way to make some extra cash playing over summer or winter break before you go back to classes.

[lhoward]

Originally Posted by Luther Blissett

I don't have a career in music, but I worked for the radio, so maybe that's close enough.

earning money with your own music: even if your talented, you still need a lot of luck, and even then, it's not a very steady and secure source of income, so maybe you have to be honest with yourself and take that one from your list.

For any other way of making a living in the music business, there are lots of options, be it from a technical perspective (builing instruments / equipment) or from an organisational point of view (record stores, record companies, radiostations, publishers, etc... ), but for all these jobs, there is a lot of competition as well.

However, if I can give you one advice: get a degree!!! be it in electronic engineering, woodcrafts, creative writing (somebody needs to write those darn press info thingies) or business management. A degree will help you to get a steady and a good job, with better pay and benefits. And with a degree, it will be easier (though still not easy) to get a job in a sector you like. Oh, and in hindsight, you'll see your college years will be amongst the best of your life. Life stops being simple once you join us, blue collar people.

good luck

Put the above, bolded remark in the 'best practices guide' to enjoying playing music as an avocation. There's very few working, successful musicians that can have a wife and kids with a home, mortgage and a white picket fence. From my experience (40+ years), I've seen very few families that can survive a successful music career. So if you have any intention towards having a family, like most normal people, you might want to decide on a good, degree-based day gig that you can enjoy so that you can also have an enjoyable avocation of playing music.

Lloyd Howard

[Luther Blissett]

ah, I almost forgot:

If you love music, and you want to make a living out of it: maybe you should consider a degree in audio engineering. There's always a need for good sound engineers (though there is a lot of competition as well). But in my experience, good engineers always find a nice job sooner or later. And it's a key role in the music sector, and there's plenty of room to be creative in that job.

good luck