Juggling work and playing...

SirCanealot · #1 10-21-2007, 06:17 PM

Does anyone else have problems juggling work and playing?

My covers band (first proper band) have recently been getting close enough to maybe get some half decent gigs (and maybe get a bit of cash for it). I'm really enjoying playing the music a lot, but my performance the last few weeks has been so up and down. To bad timing, and just down-right screwing up, I've managed to screw up some of everything.

Just, having a job is so annoying. My timing has really been suffering lately (being sick on and off for the last couple of weeks hasn't helped my body clock at all), and I don't have the time to sit down with a metronome and practice like hell to get it better. I barely have time to quickly learn the new songs and practice some of the old ones. Work isn't even exactly that busy (mostly office work, but I'm on shift patterns right now).

What do other people think about juggling work and playing? I'd really like to keep playing and hopefully get some cash back from my music soon (I recently spent a lot of money aquiring a Musicman Bongo!

), but lately band practice has been wearing me out like hell.

I like all our members (all good players too), I like the music, but I'm soooo tired. I haven't been a member of the working world for that long really (this is my 4th job), but I just don't know what to do with myself at the moment.

I feel like maybe just putting my bass down for a few months and just worrying about work and other forms of play (social life, video games, what have you) wouldn't be a bad thing, but considering how much I've spent on eqipment recently and considering how much trouble my band had finding a bassist, this seems very silly.

Has this happened to anyone else? Does it ever get any better?

jady · #2 10-22-2007, 04:16 PM

Nope, it actually just gets worse. I am playing in 3 bands and doing a ton of pickup gigs, I also have a 40 hour a week job and a few students. Add this on top of 3 kids under 4 and I am ALWAYS beat.

It is not an easy life gigging, it is a small price to pay though for the gift of being a working, gigging musician.

Suck it up, you could be delivering pizzas for the extra money

BillytheBassist · #3 10-22-2007, 04:35 PM

I have 60 hour a week job that is is very intense and, i'm remodeling my home a little bit at a time as well. I don't have a gig at the moment and i just play for personal enjoyment but, i find it hard to even do that with the time i have left from my job. You gotta do what you gotta do.

oldrocker · #4 10-22-2007, 05:36 PM

Work is important, and should come before Bass, unless you're a professional musician.

And family responsibilities are also very important and must come before ... well anything.

But Video games

IMHO

jady · #5 10-22-2007, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by oldrocker

Work is important, and should come before Bass, unless you're a professional musician.

And family responsibilities are also very important and must come before ... well anything.

But Video games

IMHO

+1

The only reason Bass is so high up on my list is that it brings home extra money that is needed. It is my 2nd job.....

I try to keep my priorities in this order

God
Wife
Kids
Work (day gig and bass equally)

It is very very difficult and yes, my video game time has suffered

jomahu · #6 10-22-2007, 08:25 PM

i work fulltime at a job and my schedule calls for a 4:30am wake-up call. sometimes i only get about an hour or two of sleep.

it's hard, man, but you make it work. as long as it's worth it.

Phalex · #7 10-23-2007, 06:31 AM

I've had a full time straight job longer than I've been gigging in bars. I have found that a lousy week at work makes for some amazing energy onstage for the weekend. Bass playing is therapy for my day job.

Skel · #8 10-23-2007, 06:39 AM

I think Jady has it right. You need to be motivated by the money if you're gonna work a full time day job and gig. But you can spread yourself too thin if you're doing, for example, 5 night a week gigs. That's burning the candle at both ends and it'll make you age like Keith Richards.

I would stick to weekend only gigging if you want the money, otherwise just do occasional gigs if you're doing it solely for the music.

lefty007 · #9 10-23-2007, 07:22 AM

I work 40 hours a week and play at least 2 gigs per week, plus one rehearsal day, and the occassional gig with other artist besides my band.

I do feel tired of the routine, mainly because I never have a full weekend to enjoy with my family - even worse if you are travelling.

But as mentioned before, that's the price you pay for being a musician. I'm not ready to just stay home and play music by myself.

And working as a musician full time can be quite a challenge unless you have really nice gigs. I play with a bunch of college graduates with jazz performance majors, along with "established" working musicians, and more often than not they barely making it.

A steady day job can mke a big difference in your life, and you won't develop a relationship with music where you "have" to play to survive.

Oh, and BTW, you are 22-years old. . . let up the video games.

OtterOnBass · #10 10-24-2007, 10:10 AM

I'm a video game junky too. If you need time, you need to quit. Also, stop watching TV. Passive entertainment is not getting us anywhere. Active entertainment, though it requires energy initially, will energize you. This is especially true of exercise -- if you get up early and run, you won't be drained, but energized from it.

Personally, I cycle from exercise and active hobbies to video games and back.

MrLenny · #11 10-24-2007, 10:17 AM

I have a day gig, work with 2 cover bands and maintain
2 properties. Suck it up.
You could be working in a Seven Eleven.
Oh the life of a weekend warrior.

Marcus Johnson · #12 10-24-2007, 10:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by OtterOnBass

I'm a video game junky too. If you need time, you need to quit. Also, stop watching TV. Passive entertainment is not getting us anywhere. Active entertainment, though it requires energy initially, will energize you. This is especially true of exercise -- if you get up early and run, you won't be drained, but energized from it.

Personally, I cycle from exercise and active hobbies to video games and back.

Great post.

Mr. Black · #13 10-24-2007, 11:37 AM

Totally, I have a 40+ hr a week gig... 4 / 10 hr shifts w/ 3 round trip transit every day.... My band is in Austin which is a 6 hour round trip. I make this trip every 2 - 3 weeks for practice. I am working on solo stuff to keep me busy between trips... I have a 3 year old son who bounces off the d@mn walls constantly (what 3 yr old doesnt?...). And, my wife is a burlesque performer who does various in / out of town gigs, and practices twice a week. Own property (which is a job all in itself...), try to catch the surf when it's decent, and get a little sleep here & there

.... I love it!

There's always the alternative..... A fat TV junkie.... I'll rest when I'm dead....

CamMcIntyre · #14 10-24-2007, 08:03 PM

I'd keep with it. You find ways to reduce the amount of time you spend doing things that aren't necessary.

For what it's worth, i'm in college [actually a jazz bass major], am in 18 credit hours, work 20ish hours a week, am in 2 bands, and have started seeing a girl. This sounds like mindless whining where i should be thankful for what i've got. Trust me, i don't want life any other way. I'm busier than ever, have less time than ever, and am craving sleep. I couldn't be happier [ok-minus getting better gigs].

There is a conflict between the 3 main ones [work, class/studying, practicing], but you make it work. For me, it's involved practicing the different basses at different times. I practice upright bass during the day before about 5PM and then electric bass after homework. Part of the logic behind that is so that i don't wake up people in my apartment building.

I don't cite the girl as a major time consumer-we aren't dating just yet and only see each other 1-2 times a week [once midweek and once on the weekend]. It helps that she's also a musician and we've told each other from the get go "music comes first." Tis great to meet someone who understands that.

However, if you think that bass isn't fun anymore, i invite you to put it down for 2 weeks to a month. If you can make it that long and don't go running back to it. I commend you, I can't do that. I go 2 days and i start getting ancy.

FuturePrimitive · #15 10-25-2007, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jady

Nope, it actually just gets worse.

I was just gonna say that, if I only had a full time job getting in my way I'd be on easy street! Now that my youngest is sleeping through the night (mostly) I'm able to pick up my dusty Jazz again and establish some regular practice time after about 3 years off. Of course, I'm just a hobbyist and have no rock star aspirations so that makes it a bit easier too.