A musician whose spouse has a good job. 
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What Constitutes a Professional Musician?
- Thread starter CoffeeLove
- Start date
A musician who is having severe financial difficulties in the current environment would qualify as a professional musician.
Not sure I would agree. I have a MUed from North Texas, 40 years as a full time music teacher, gig because it's fun, and hardly ever get paid to play my bass. I did play full time years ago, but consider myself way more of a professional now. When I retire, I hope to play gigs when I want to.
Good post. I understand where you are coming from, but let me add, I've never had and "Fulltime Pro" ever question me about it. Pretty much, when the notes start flying, that issue is put to bed.
I've alway been of mind that either you can do the job or not, and that other issues, such as talent, taste, experience, being prepared, are much more important than who is what. JMO. Have a good one.
Making a living from it. I used to make a meager living from it and considered myself a pro for quite a few years. Now it's a hobby and I am enjoying it more than ever
If you are paid to do a thing, you are a professional at it. There are plenty of professionals who suck.
That said, there's nothing wrong with being an amateur -- Olympic athletes are all supposed to be amateurs, and they're among the best in the world at what they do.
Sorry, not so. I've seen plenty people get paid for work they had no business being paid for because the quality of that work was so poor. I've seen repairs that had to be redone by someone else because the person who got paid to do it the first time did such a lousy job, then refused to make their mess right once they were done making it, and i've seen that from landscaping to corporate management.
And what about those who act like jerks and treat their customers with contempt?
IMO a professional is a cut above your average ham and egger. Every aspect of their performance, from high quality, timely production of work product to interaction with customers and coworkers are part of what qualifies someone as a professional.
i know master craftsmen who can't keep a job because they believe the quality of their work gives them permission to denigrate customers and browbeat coworkers. I also know some marginal performers who are good with the public and coworkers and stay busy churning out inferior work product. None of those people are professionals.
If you get paid you're a professional.
You're confusing being a professional with acting like a professional. The two are not the same thing.
The rules have always been very clear here. In canada at least.
Professional musician: primary career. More than a side job. Yes a 50 50 split still is considered a primary career. Non you don't have to list on income tax the title musician.... it is often listed as self employed, the correct legal title for any such career here.
Semi professional... that's where I was for the past few years. Not my main source of income, but still something I normally try to treat as a professional paid job rather than an unpaid hobby.
Amateur.... being unpaid, pretty much, in your musical endeavors.
Professional does not mean a specific genre or reading music.... those are specific skills for specific tasks in music.
Amateur does not mean you have fewer or lesser skills than a professional.
It simply is a description of your choice of career or priority of multiple concurrent careers.
I worked for much of my career with classical musicians who could read music better than nearly every non classical professional session player in studios.
If you're a professional, you have done what it took to begin making your primary income through your craft, and are always endeavoring to do what it takes to continue having that craft be your primary source of income.
It does not have to be your sole income, but it can't be less than half of your income or you are a semi professional.
That may not be requirements if the semi pro title, but it's absolutely the standard I and everyone I grew up around (musicians) believed and is so common as to be accepted by everyone I ever talked about this stuff with in person.
I was a professional musician for years and years. Then semi pro until recently when I've technically gone amateur... if enough paid work comes my way in the future, I'll be semi pro again.
Professional musician: primary career. More than a side job. Yes a 50 50 split still is considered a primary career. Non you don't have to list on income tax the title musician.... it is often listed as self employed, the correct legal title for any such career here.
Semi professional... that's where I was for the past few years. Not my main source of income, but still something I normally try to treat as a professional paid job rather than an unpaid hobby.
Amateur.... being unpaid, pretty much, in your musical endeavors.
Professional does not mean a specific genre or reading music.... those are specific skills for specific tasks in music.
Amateur does not mean you have fewer or lesser skills than a professional.
It simply is a description of your choice of career or priority of multiple concurrent careers.
I worked for much of my career with classical musicians who could read music better than nearly every non classical professional session player in studios.
If you're a professional, you have done what it took to begin making your primary income through your craft, and are always endeavoring to do what it takes to continue having that craft be your primary source of income.
It does not have to be your sole income, but it can't be less than half of your income or you are a semi professional.
That may not be requirements if the semi pro title, but it's absolutely the standard I and everyone I grew up around (musicians) believed and is so common as to be accepted by everyone I ever talked about this stuff with in person.
I was a professional musician for years and years. Then semi pro until recently when I've technically gone amateur... if enough paid work comes my way in the future, I'll be semi pro again.
its so hard to answer.
i guess getting paid is a pretty fair metric?
but in my mind i guess a "pro" means working professionally, but also having professional skills. ie a "pro" mechanic who can fix and car vs a talented hobbyist who can only manage specific tasks. or maybe can figure anything out but it takes more troubleshooting, etc.
skills like reading and training make a difference, but so many fine musicians know so little and just have insane ears and experience.
it's a gray area, and i guess i'm saying thats fine.
i guess getting paid is a pretty fair metric?
but in my mind i guess a "pro" means working professionally, but also having professional skills. ie a "pro" mechanic who can fix and car vs a talented hobbyist who can only manage specific tasks. or maybe can figure anything out but it takes more troubleshooting, etc.
skills like reading and training make a difference, but so many fine musicians know so little and just have insane ears and experience.
it's a gray area, and i guess i'm saying thats fine.
Sorry, but they are. Acting always gets exposed as such. It is the higher standard certain people hold themselves to in every aspect of a particular task that separate the pros from all others. Just being paid for something does not make one a pro.
I'm an asocial type with just enough bass chops to play a limited range of styles. I get paid to play bass But i am anything but a professional musician.
What makes one a professional? Definitely shorts and flip flops as stage wear. 
I play in a working bar band that typically plays three to five nights a week, and from what I can tell we are probably the most active in our area these days. I retired from my engineering career in April of 2019 and have been totally music since. Am I a professional? Hard to say. I show up on time, help set up, induce no friction, play and sing my parts with intent to serve each song, strive to continuously build my expertise, work on my physical image and stage presence, tear down, get paid. In between gigs I study and practice and occasionally fill in with other bands.
Professional? Well, to me that's just another label. I identify as a functional variety-band bass player. One of many. And I love it.
That's me in the white shirt and red bandana breaking a setup sweat, followed by an albeit blurry shot during the gig:
Professional? Well, to me that's just another label. I identify as a functional variety-band bass player. One of many. And I love it.
That's me in the white shirt and red bandana breaking a setup sweat, followed by an albeit blurry shot during the gig:
What? No. He's saying a music teacher is not a PROFESSIONAL MUSICIAN.
How on earth did you misread that? Does a music teacher make a living from playing music? No. Teaching music was, for me at least, roughly 80% talking, listening, watching, correcting. 17% administration and networking. 3% playing my instrument as part of the job.
