Unintentionally Pro

[BryanM]

I was wondering if anyone could weigh in on this phenomenon for me, as I'm in a bit of a quandary. I've been playing bass for about a year or so now, guitar for a little over 10, and I dabble with keys and saxophone, among other instruments. About 4 months ago I accepted a spot in a local band that was shy a bassist even though I wasn't particularly looking for a band at the time.

I haven't considered the possibility of pursuing a career as a professional musician in years, and am in college working towards a B.S. in mathematics. I've already told the band that I'm in that I'm only on board so long as it stays local.

In addition to the band, I play out pretty locally at jams and open mics, just for fun. My issue is that as of the past few months, I'm starting to get regular (3-4 a month in addition to the regular band gigs) calls to dep for a night. I can see the potential to make reasonable but nowhere near great money doing this. I work part time at a regular job in addition to school. Even though I love playing live, I don't wanna get caught up being a pro. I know that it could very likely change a lot of things in life that I don't particularly want to go in that direction, and if I let myself go at it full-on then it'll most likely trump my other ambitions.

Has anyone else been in this situation before and whether or not you have, do you have any advice regarding whether it's the first step down a long road to start taking on more engagements and allotting more time to playing. I've really been torn about this lately. Thank you.

[IanStephenson]

You say you're in school with a part time job - I'd guess that dep gigs pay better than a part time student job, or at least have the potential too. Provided you stay in school, and can fit things in, you can take the gigs, and cut back on the other job.

If you drop out of school that's when you're making the commitment, and I wouldn't recommend it. If you can get your degree, then you'll be able to make good money in a day job, and top it up with good gig money at night, but never be dependant on that gig money. When you become dependant on that money THEN you have to start takingn on gigs you don't want to.

[fdeck]

It sounds like you want to continue pursuing the degree, and I think that's a good idea. Finishing an unfinished degree is probably one of the best investments a person can make, in money and time. Besides, math is a blast, and you are in an elite group of people who can even get to where you are at.

Apart from that, you share the typical "part timer dilemma" with all of us who are variously going to school, working day jobs, supporting families, etc. Even a full time pro has the dilemma, if you think about it, because they have to juggle their gigs and other life activities.

I played in school oriented bands until I went to grad school, then started getting some freelance gigs in the city where I was living. So it got to be a similar situation. I learned a few lessons rather quickly:

1. You definitely have to make some hard choices. What can you give up? I will make the audacious proposal that you should consider quitting the band, which may be costing you more in practice time than you are getting back in gigs.

2. Especially if you can read, it is possible that you can fill up your date book with freelance gigs, and wonder why you ever bothered with bands. That was my experience. Surely you can master sight-reading, if you can read a math textbook.

3. The next thing is to figure out how you will manage your calendar. I suggest always carrying your calendar (mine is a tiny printout of gigs and "black out" dates based on work and family commitments that I keep in my wallet). Decide what gig load you can handle.

4. You will have to keep playing a minimal number of gigs just to stay in the business, so people don't forget about you. But you don't have to take every gig. When turning down a gig, never give an explanation. Just say: "Thanks for thinking of me, but that date is bad for me."

5. Don't rule out bands and musical styles that are not your first choice. The primary goal is to keep your date book topped off at a desirable level -- and to network with the other musicians who have also not ruled out anything.

6. Gigs will ebb and flow. If you play 3-4 gigs a month, Poisson statistics tells you what the variation will be from month to month. So you have to make the rest of your life flexible enough to accommodate the ups and downs of playing gigs.

7. Prepare to tell your future spouse/partner that you are a part time freelance musician, and what it involves, including the random nature of last minute gigs. This is something he/she has to know about you, because it affects her life.

[wld3]

Originally Posted by fdeck

It sounds like you want to continue pursuing the degree, and I think that's a good idea. Finishing an unfinished degree is probably one of the best investments a person can make, in money and time. Besides, math is a blast, and you are in an elite group of people who can even get to where you are at.

Apart from that, you share the typical "part timer dilemma" with all of us who are variously going to school, working day jobs, supporting families, etc. Even a full time pro has the dilemma, if you think about it, because they have to juggle their gigs and other life activities.

I played in school oriented bands until I went to grad school, then started getting some freelance gigs in the city where I was living. So it got to be a similar situation. I learned a few lessons rather quickly:

1. You definitely have to make some hard choices. What can you give up? I will make the audacious proposal that you should consider quitting the band, which may be costing you more in practice time than you are getting back in gigs.

2. Especially if you can read, it is possible that you can fill up your date book with freelance gigs, and wonder why you ever bothered with bands. That was my experience. Surely you can master sight-reading, if you can read a math textbook.

3. The next thing is to figure out how you will manage your calendar. I suggest always carrying your calendar (mine is a tiny printout of gigs and "black out" dates based on work and family commitments that I keep in my wallet). Decide what gig load you can handle.

4. You will have to keep playing a minimal number of gigs just to stay in the business, so people don't forget about you. But you don't have to take every gig. When turning down a gig, never give an explanation. Just say: "Thanks for thinking of me, but that date is bad for me."

5. Don't rule out bands and musical styles that are not your first choice. The primary goal is to keep your date book topped off at a desirable level -- and to network with the other musicians who have also not ruled out anything.

6. Gigs will ebb and flow. If you play 3-4 gigs a month, Poisson statistics tells you what the variation will be from month to month. So you have to make the rest of your life flexible enough to accommodate the ups and downs of playing gigs.

7. Prepare to tell your future spouse/partner that you are a part time freelance musician, and what it involves, including the random nature of last minute gigs. This is something he/she has to know about you, because it affects her life.

This was a great read.

[BassChuck]

Originally Posted by fdeck

7. Prepare to tell your future spouse/partner that you are a part time freelance musician, and what it involves, including the random nature of last minute gigs. This is something he/she has to know about you, because it affects her life.

A thousand amens.

[BryanM]

Thanks for the replies. Regarding quitting the band, I actually have, sort of. I called a meeting with everyone and told them I'm not in it for what they are. Most of the band members are willing to do whatever it takes (playing for beer and press, etc.) on the notion that it will pay off when they "make it" and I've told them that if I'm going to approach it like a pro, then that's not for me. I'm not the greatest player, but I make sure to always have a backup of everything, I give notice if I can't play a gig, and all around undertake every commitment in as professional a manner as I can, and I think that's what makes me seem invaluable to these guys. When I told them, their first reaction was outrage, then after consideration they sat me down to seriously consider what I was doing, and I explained where I stood, I agreed to stay on until a replacement was found, but no attempt to find a fill-in or replacement has been made. I've already turned down much better paying gigs for the band, and I do sightread fairly proficiently as well as comping to charts even better, so even living in a small city, I have no issue finding decent gigs.

To what fdeck said, I agree wholeheartedly with all points, and have already sort of resigned myself to the fact that no matter what, I'm always going to be a semi-pro/dep.

[fdeck]

You know that "staying on until..." is the same as "staying on." I suggest: a) A definite drop dead date after which you are not available for rehearsals; and, b) a date after which they hire you like any other hired gun for their gigs. The lack of a rehearsal bassist will be uncomfortable enough for them that it will compel them to find a replacement. Otherwise, one of their guitarists can always pick up the bass in the time-honored tradition.

By the way, I never heard the term "dep." Where does that come from?

Sounds like you're on your way to being a sought-after bassist.

[IanStephenson]

dep=deputise

http://www.thefreedictionary.com/deputise

[LiquidMidnight]

Originally Posted by BryanM

I called a meeting with everyone and told them I'm not in it for what they are. Most of the band members are willing to do whatever it takes (playing for beer and press, etc.) on the notion that it will pay off when they "make it" and I've told them that if I'm going to approach it like a pro, then that's not for me.

Good move. Real pros don't play freebees for "exposure" and such, because real pros aren't that naive. I believe in paying one's dues, but there is a right way to do it and a wrong way to do it. You don't get to the top by letting promoters and club owners take advantage of you.

With that said, definitely stay in school. I've had opportunity to pursue music on a more full-time basis. It's not something that I've ruled out, but it's not even a consideration until I'm done with grad school. It has been a great way to make cash while in college. I see so many cats pursue music; then when their projects fall apart, they don't have any sort of education to fall back on. Therefore, they work crummy jobs until the next good gig comes along. It often does eventual come, but it can take years. Don't let anyone tell you that there isn't money in music, however. In fact, there can be a lot of money in music, even for just playing covers gig after gig. The problem with getting income from music is how fickle the business can be. There's where a lot of people get screwed. It kind of goes back to that scene in Pulp Fiction where Marcellus Wallace tells Bruce Willis's character that some people thought that "their asses were going to age like wine."

[Stumbo]

Originally Posted by fdeck

You know that "staying on until..." is the same as "staying on." I suggest: a) A definite drop dead date after which you are not available for rehearsals; and, b) a date after which they hire you like any other hired gun for their gigs.

+100

[Anti-Product]

Great thread...you are in the position that I find myself wanting to be in (I'm not in college yet, but about the same), so obviously I can't give good advice, but going on my own instinct, I would say definitely stay in school and keep taking on gigs. In my opinion, that would be the best of both worlds-good secure day job (and I assume you like doing math), so it's not a complete drag, and then pretty decent money and the fun of playing music on weekends and stuff, almost like a serious hobby or something. But I would definitely go with the stable job-all the full time musicians I know are juggling a lot of different things just to keep afloat, and I think it's one of the harder professions to break even in..from what I've heard and seen, you are busting your ass just to keep afloat. And it's not like you have to give up music completely, or even mostly.

[Nakedfish]

Originally Posted by IanStephenson

You say you're in school with a part time job - I'd guess that dep gigs pay better than a part time student job, or at least have the potential too. Provided you stay in school, and can fit things in, you can take the gigs, and cut back on the other job.

If you drop out of school that's when you're making the commitment, and I wouldn't recommend it. If you can get your degree, then you'll be able to make good money in a day job, and top it up with good gig money at night, but never be dependant on that gig money. When you become dependant on that money THEN you have to start takingn on gigs you don't want to.

+1