HUGE Dilemma, chance of a lifetime

HugheJapackage · #1 09-11-2009, 01:07 PM

Ok so I'm 18 and I'm finishing up my last year in high school and I've been talking with a band needing a bass sub for their midwest tour and they seem interested. My dilemma: Do I stay here finish up school and pass up a big chance to live my dream? Or do I go on the road take a chance(and finish my classes online)? I have NO idea what to do and thought maybe I can get some GOOD advice from my fellow TBers before I ask anyone else.

Noonan768 · #2 09-11-2009, 01:18 PM

Are they signed? Are they touring with anyone big? Does it have potential to be a permanent gig?

CayceG · #3 09-11-2009, 01:19 PM

Finish school, no doubt. Few things are more important than a good education.

akaTRENT · #4 09-11-2009, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HugheJapackage

Ok so I'm 18 and I'm finishing up my last year in high school and I've been talking with a band needing a bass sub for their midwest tour and they seem interested. My dilemma: Do I stay here finish up school and pass up a big chance to live my dream? Or do I go on the road take a chance(and finish my classes online)? I have NO idea what to do and thought maybe I can get some GOOD advice from my fellow TBers before I ask anyone else.

bass sub?

sounds like your dream is to just go on the road? finish school. youll get a ton of chances trust me.

If they want to pay you though...

coolrunner989 · #5 09-11-2009, 01:28 PM

You can always finish school. I'm in college, and if I had a chance to go on a serious pro tour I'd drop my classes in a heartbeat. An education does wonders for job opportunities, be sure to finish school, but if you have a legit tour to do I'd do it.

dmusic148 · #6 09-11-2009, 01:32 PM

Finish school. If you don't do it now, you probably never will.
The tour will start and end, with or without you, and probably won't lead to anything anyway.

UncleFluffy · #7 09-11-2009, 01:33 PM

Taking a year out between HS and college is often a pretty good idea, as long as it's just a year and your financial situation can handle it.

Just make sure you do go back once the year's up, that piece of paper is a passport to a lot of life's opportunities.

Grantrudd · #8 09-11-2009, 01:37 PM

IME, unless the band makes some serious money, tours drain the bank account pretty damn quick. it would probably not be worth dropping out of school, dropping your social life, pissing off your parents and probably a few other things. finish up school, see how the band is doing when they return, and try to get in then.

dalkowski · #9 09-11-2009, 01:38 PM

Please finish school. That's your REAL "chance of a lifetime."

Best wishes.

AndyLES · #10 09-11-2009, 01:46 PM

Go on the tour - you can always, ALWAYS go back to school* but you don't always get the chance to tour.

*keep in mind, though, that it's harder to get back into the school mindset the further you are away from it. There's the only drawback...

one question - are you getting paid? Or receiving at least a per diem (daily) stipend?

UncleFluffy · #11 09-11-2009, 01:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by UncleFluffy

Taking a year out between HS and college is often a pretty good idea, as long as it's just a year and your financial situation can handle it.

I Just re-read the OP and want to clarify my answer:

If you're talking about doing this in the middle of a year at HS, then it's not such a good idea.

If you're talking about finishing up this year, taking a year out to see the world and do interesting stuff, then going to college, I'd be all for it.

DeluxeRed · #12 09-11-2009, 01:48 PM

"Sub"? "Chance"? Unless you're Ronnie Wood being asked to join the Stones, you'll earn LESS on that "tour" than the difference between 1 year of HSD job vs. non-HSD job (hell, Trujillo probably earns less). So if you're thinking about earnings potential of one over the other, there's no question: stay in school. And no one's gonna let you in on their fun, really. You'll always be the outsider/sub being paid a wage.

I'm not saying don't chase the dream. Just get some more foundation beneath you (education) and save your energy for being a full part of a sure thing.

**Thor** · #13 09-11-2009, 01:48 PM

Attend to your education.

tycobb73 · #14 09-11-2009, 01:53 PM

I wouldn't quit school to become some band's hired gun.

waynobass · #15 09-11-2009, 01:58 PM

How long is the tour? Probably just a few weeks, and then you'll be back home as a high school dropout.

Also, it doesn't say good things about the guys in the band that they want to rip a kid out of school, just for their convenience. Maybe they can't find an adult to play bass with them?

Joe Gress · #16 09-11-2009, 02:00 PM

School first.

HugheJapackage · #17 09-11-2009, 02:02 PM

Sorry if i didnt clarify but yea itd be a subbing gig but theyre looking for a new bassist so if it went well i'd end up permanent. And yea they're pro and the tour is i think a month or 2. I would be payed.

And it wouldnt really be dropping out. I need one semester i could do online

AndyLES · #18 09-11-2009, 02:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeluxeRed

"Sub"? "Chance"? Unless you're Ronnie Wood being asked to join the Stones, you'll earn LESS on that "tour" than the difference between 1 year of HSD job vs. non-HSD job (hell, Trujillo probably earns less). So if you're thinking about earnings potential of one over the other, there's no question: stay in school. And no one's gonna let you in on their fun, really. You'll always be the outsider/sub being paid a wage.

I'm not saying don't chase the dream. Just get some more foundation beneath you (education) and save your energy for being a full part of a sure thing.

Yeah, but a High School diploma ain't worth jack nowadays. He'll probably be earning the same, with or without it, bagging groceries at the local A & P.

Yes, education is important (I'm an English tutor and I'm in the middle of pursuing my Masters in English Education, grades 7-12). But again, you can ALWAYS go back to school, even right after the tour ends.

Turn down this gig, and you may not get many others. Sorry, but that's what I've seen numerous times. Without risk (and in this case, a minor, temporary one at that), there simply is no reward.

REAPER52 · #19 09-11-2009, 02:05 PM

SCHOOL And then find another school

Insouciance · #20 09-11-2009, 02:06 PM

Seems to be a mixed bag of replies. I personally would say do the tour. School WILL ALWAYS be there. Touring won't. If you have an opportunity, take it. Would you rather have done the tour, learned a lot of lessons, then realized it maybe wasn't for you (then return to school), or grow to be middle-aged and angry asking yourself what if? Maybe that Disney, "chase your dreams," naivete in me isn't dead yet, but school will always be there, so just don't burn any bridges. That way you can go back to school, at which point more doors will be opened.

If it seems right, do the tour. Just make sure the guys are trusting, and not looking for you to be flavor of the week, and string you along and drop you at a later point.
My two cents.