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Had to make a career choice recently.

#21
I've done both, and playing music full time wasn't all I hoped it would be. It was good for awhile, but after some time, it becomes a job just like any other. And a low-paying one with no insurance or benefits at that. The "prestige" hired gun gigs aren't much different than the bar gigs in terms of money. I'm always shocked when I find out how little some of those pay. But if your dream is to play bass for an A-lister one day, then playing a lot of those is the only way to do it.

I'm not sure how old the OP is, but age would influence a lot of the decision for me.
 
#28
Working in a kitchen is rough. I don't know how anyone can manage to balance a career in the food business and playing music. My wife is a pastry chef by trade, and I can see the exhaustion she deals with. Especially when she was working at a fine dining restaurant. Working in a kitchen also a young person's game. I'm also acutely aware that the only people who make REAL money in the food business are executive chefs and restaurant owners. So I can see from a money standpoint why you might want to make a move.

I hope you can connect with the right musical opportunities as you make this change. Good luck, Mark!
 
#29
My story
I've been a weekend warrior for almost 50 years. I've been employed at the same place 45 of those years. I've been very fortunate to have been a machinist, machine reapair and maintenance tech, along the way I went to college and earned 3 degrees, which were funded by my employer at 100%. In 2010 I moved into quality control. I am an ISO auditor, and do some traveling between our division to do internal audits. Was my journey always fun, no. But here I am with a great life.
Two things I'd like to pass on to the OP
1 Happiness must come from inside.
2 if you going to play music for a living, you had better love music more then you like to eat.
I was giving #2 from a group of full time musicians we split gigs with back in the 80s.
I wish you well in your search.
Duke
 
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#30
Trying to balance work life and personal life - fundamental struggle. And trying to find a job you enjoy or at least can tolerate, and still feed your family - another fundamental struggle. You do the best you can. You hope it works out till you finish the race. I figure I've got about 10 more years left in a demanding, tough, stressful job I work at about 60 hours a week that I enjoy. Not love, but enjoy. And it should provide me with a comfortable retirement. So I'm pressing on.
 
#32
My situation is similar, but not for the same reason. My change isn't due to wanting to focus on music, but to relocate to place I'll be happy living. I'm currently in my "2 weeks notice" period at my current job. It's a very good job with good benefits and job security. But it requires me to live in a miserable small and very isolated town. I've stuck with it for 9 years, but I reached a point I was just too miserable and watching my life pass by me while not being happy isn't worth any job. I start my new job Aug 22nd, and I did take a small pay cut, but this is still a very good job as well, with likely better upward mobility long term, I'm thinking. The most important thing though is that it's allowing me to relocate to the city I've wanted to live in for the past decade. The other cool thing is, although I'm working for the U.S. leg of the company, it's an Australian company and I'll being spending the first 3 months in Australia right off the bat, with more opportunities to return their down the road.
 
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#33
I know that feeling...I'm 24, been playing in an original rock band for a few years, we made some waves in the local scene but in the end it's just "rock" and people want more. So I've more or less separated myself from that and am writing a concept record to be bigger and broader...

That being said I work 40 hours in a cafe running the place which I can love/hate depending on the day.

I'm an intelligent guy, currently starting bodybuilding again but I'm stuck in terms of how to use my skills as a means of income.

One thing I might suggest to some people with ambition is to create a vision board. Pin images of things you want no matter how big or small just as long as you can believe it to come to you, and you will be surprised at how it mentally changes your thought process and pacing. If you understand the law of attraction, stay positive, look after and love yourself the things you want in life will come if you let them.

Again, the reality of in the moment situations and emotions is the challenge of life.

I am thinking of leave Australia for maybe Europe to explore the music/culture filled world over there, or LA....
 
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#34
Mikaelbass said:
One thing I might suggest to some people with ambition is to create a vision board. Pin images of things you want no matter how big or small just as long as you can believe it to come to you, and you will be surprised at how it mentally changes your thought process and pacing. If you understand the law of attraction, stay positive, look after and love yourself the things you want in life will come if you let them.
Click to expand...
People may laugh at this and think of something so simple is just silly. But I can testify the above method actually worked for me. I placed my images just adjacent to the bathroom mirror so I would see them every morning right after waking up. Undoubtedly, the best return on any investment I ever made in my life.
 
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#36
slobake said:
I was working 60+ hours a week for a large corporation managing a crew of 18-24 people. It was a horrible place, lots of politics, deceit and backstabbing.
Quit that and started a wholesale bakery, something I love. People loved my products but I am a lousy business man. Had that business for a year or so until I ran out of the money I had put aside. Sometimes I worked from 3 am until 9 pm and got up the next day and did it again. I loved every minute of it and have no regrets.
When I was done I went back to my old trade in telephony but not in management. I was much happier.
Click to expand...

Telephony management? Been there, done that. I certainly do not miss it.
Best of luck!
 
#37
nixdad said:
Telephony management? Been there, done that. I certainly do not miss it.
Best of luck!
Click to expand...
I don't miss it either.

Salesperson trying to make his/her quota: "Oh sure we can do that, we will have it done by tomorrow."

Harried overworked telecom installation manager "YOU SAID WE COULD DO WHAT? THAT WON'T WORK!"

Salesperson who hasn't met his/her quota "I can't meet my quota because the installation department does a terrible job."
 
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#38
slobake said:
I don't miss it either.

Salesperson trying to make his/her quota: "Oh sure we can do that, we will have it done by tomorrow."

Harried overworked telecom installation manager "YOU SAID WE COULD DO WHAT? THAT WON'T WORK!"

Salesperson who hasn't met his/her quota "I can't meet my quota because the installation department does a terrible job."
Click to expand...

HA! The nightmares are returning as we speak.

I was always amused by the "top producers" who thought they could submit sloppy, incomplete paperwork with the attitude of "I sold it, it's your job to fix it and make sure it gets installed" (so they could get paid.)

I also had many good people working for me as well. The ones with the bad attitude and bad behavior did not last.
 
#39
nixdad said:
HA! The nightmares are returning as we speak.

I was always amused by the "top producers" who thought they could submit sloppy, incomplete paperwork with the attitude of "I sold it, it's your job to fix it and make sure it gets installed" (so they could get paid.)

I also had many good people working for me as well. The ones with the bad attitude and bad behavior did not last.
Click to expand...
"Don't bother me with details just get it done."
Called out a salesperson once on a boldface lie. When I called her on it she said, "You just don't understand what lies are. That wasn't a lie that was just bending the truth a little."
I said "Okay, we are done here."
 
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#40
slobake said:
"Don't bother me with details just get it done."
Called out a salesperson once on a boldface lie. When I called her on she said, "You just don't understand what lies are. That wasn't a lie that was just bending the truth a little."
I said "Okay, we are done here."
Click to expand...

I fully agree, and like your style.

Geez, I don't miss that crap, and certainly don't miss the hours.
 

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