What, exactly, is a professional musician?

[LBS-bass]

This question is coming up a lot in my social networks, so I offer it to you. What does it mean to be professional? Can you have a day job to make ends meet and be a pro? Can you call yourself a pro if you take a little money for music but never made a living at it? Are you only pro level if you've made your living in music either now or in the past? Does it require a certain level of practice and commitment? What does it all mean?

 

[micguy]

You can spot a true professional musician at the grocery store. He’s the guy buying ramen noodles.

 

[LBS-bass]

Yeah, and if he doesn't have a significant other, he's homeless

 

[LBS-bass]

This is a serious question. It has a lot to do with the level of proficiency in live music now, as opposed to the level of proficiency required when I first started playing. And I don't mean reading. I mean showing up and suiting up and playing solos in the correct keys, not stopping songs in the middle because you didn't like something, and just generally not being a hobbyist.

My personal contention is that the market currently pays for hobbyist level music, and that's generally what they get. So is getting up on a stage and playing badly but taking home gas money now considered "pro?" Because nine times out of ten, that's what I'm hearing on stages in my town. What's happening in your town?

 

[Killed_by_Death]

pro = getting paid for it
but there are many levels of pro, all the way up to the players who can show up to a recording session, read a chart & nail it in the first take

 

[Wasnex]

This question is coming up a lot in my social networks, so I offer it to you. What does it mean to be professional? Can you have a day job to make ends meet and be a pro? Can you call yourself a pro if you take a little money for music but never made a living at it? Are you only pro level if you've made your living in music either now or in the past? Does it require a certain level of practice and commitment? What does it all mean?

It depends upon if you want the simple or extended definition of professional. The most basic definition is someone who gets paid for playing. But in some circles the term "professional" takes on a rather lofty definition that includes a range of characteristics and duties that members are expected to meet and fulfill.

I did a Google search for characteristics of a profession and this page was about the most succinct: Characteristics of a Profession

In order to meet the loftiest definition of professional musician you would need a formal education and to belong to a union and other musically related professional organizations. You would be extremely competent. You would be ethically guided towards providing a quality service to clients as well as maintaining the health of the profession.

Consider a continuum of professionalism with laymen and unskilled laborers at one end of the continuum and highly trained/qualified professionals at the other. Anyone who get's paid to perform to play music is a professional in my book, and some musicians exhibit a higher degree of professionalism than others.

 

[buldog5151bass]

If it's paying your mortgage/rent.

 

[LBS-bass]

I see some of the degrees. But from my perspective, I played out five nights a week between 1978 and 1989. I bought a house with my earnings from music. I was paid a reasonable wage for my efforts. To me, those were the things that made me and others around me professional. Some of us were well schooled, some less so, but we had a common thread in that we all had figured out how to make money in live music, money that was good enough to pay the bills and feed our families.

What it implicitly also meant was that we had to deliver a product to our audiences that they wanted to pay money to hear.

What got me started on this whole thing was a post a few days ago on Facebook where a friend was chastizing other musicians for not coming out and supporting other bands in "the local scene." He seemed to be saying that only through the warm bodies of other musicians would our collective dreams and aspirations be met. And then, with no trace of irony, he suggested that we shoudn't let money be a factor because "we all get in for free."

I'm like, how is that supportive, if you're not even spending what it takes to get us all gas money? And what incentive does a professional musician have to want to be a part of that kind of scene in the first place? This guy is touting himself as a promoter but I'm sitting there thinking job one of a promoter is to get your talent a paycheck. Am I really this much out of touch?

 

[StyleOverShow]

Over the holidays played for a house party that ended in an open mic. As usual, I was surprised at the talent in the crowd as folks came up and sang. Half were current stuff, others were standards.

At one point a woman came up and announced “these are professional musicians, you don’t have to know anything else except how to sing”. I was kinda proud of that moment, felt right and honest.

It’s not about getting paid so much as being able to handle the diverse requirements of playing live. Having great ears is better than reading most times.

 

[Ross W. Lovell]

It depends upon if you want the simple or extended definition of professional. The most basic definition is someone who gets paid for playing. But in some circles the term "professional" takes on a rather lofty definition that includes a range of characteristics and duties that members are expected to meet and fulfill.

I did a Google search for characteristics of a profession and this page was about the most succinct: Characteristics of a Profession

In order to meet the loftiest definition of professional musician you would need a formal education and to belong to a union and other musically related professional organizations. You would be extremely competent. You would be ethically guided towards providing a quality service to clients as well as maintaining the health of the profession.

Consider a continuum of professionalism with laymen and unskilled laborers at one end of the continuum and highly trained/qualified professionals at the other. Anyone who get's paid to perform to play music is a professional in my book, and some musicians exhibit a higher degree of professionalism than others.

Respectfully disagree.

Lots of professions neither require nor desire a degree.

I know far too many music majors that couldn't find the groove if they were driving in it.

For me, when I made more money for a couple of years than my "good" job, THAT in part, made me a musician.

That was also an incredible amount of work as I was the BL. It was far more work and responsibility than my day job, but in comparison, I was underpaid.
Like I said, did it for two years. I play for pleasure now and the extra cash is nice, plus I'm no longer single.

As far as your "continuum" with unskilled at one end and skilled at the other, that too, I respectfully disagree.

Far too many professions have "unskilled" people with both degrees and years of experience masquerading and billing as though they were professionals.

Don't even get me started on "unions" and professionalism.

Again, RESPECTFULLY, disagree.

 

[buldog5151bass]

I have a side business making custom vintage baseball bats - I'm known around the country as someone in the industry, and for the quality of my work. But I make a few grand a year. That doesn't make me a professional. IMHO.

 

[Ross W. Lovell]

I have a side business making custom vintage baseball bats - I'm known around the country as someone in the industry, and for the quality of my work. But I make a few grand a year. That doesn't make me a professional. IMHO.

It might!

You are already batting with the big boys, sorry couldn't resist.

You might need a different business plan IF you wanted the extra work and responsibility that comes from that choice.

Take your bats out of the picture, replace it with say, custom guitars, or hot rods, you'd then be a pro, albeit one that that doesn't make a formal living but still professional.

Don't sell yourself short!

 

[bholder]

I'll go with others - if you're paying your bills with your playing, you're a pro. If you're getting paid at all, but not supporting yourself, I guess I'd say semi-pro. Take with a grain of salt, coming from a complete un-pro.

 

[JGbassman]

Various degrees of being a professional, but in a nutshell, it's one that makes their living playing music. I have friends that play three times a week in a small bar or winery, solo act, that are making a reasonable living. I have other friends that tour with or are active national artists packing arenas on a nightly level. Both are professionals in my book. Just different circles.

 

[buldog5151bass]

It might!

You are already batting with the big boys, sorry couldn't resist.

You might need a different business plan IF you wanted the extra work and responsibility that comes from that choice.

Take your bats out of the picture, replace it with say, custom guitars, or hot rods, you'd then be a pro, albeit one that that doesn't make a formal living but still professional.

Don't sell yourself short!

I'm one of the two biggest manufacturers in the country (just little ol in my workshop), and I think I'm very good at what I do, but to me if it isn't your primary income source, it's a hobby.

You may think Gene Simmons is an absolute hack, but his music is his profession.

 

[LBS-bass]

Over the holidays played for a house party that ended in an open mic. As usual, I was surprised at the talent in the crowd as folks came up and sang. Half were current stuff, others were standards.

At one point a woman came up and announced “these are professional musicians, you don’t have to know anything else except how to sing”. I was kinda proud of that moment, felt right and honest.

It’s not about getting paid so much as being able to handle the diverse requirements of playing live. Having great ears is better than reading most times.

Professional musicians have parties. They aren’t always getting paid but most are always having fun if music is on the menu

 

[Wasnex]

Respectfully disagree.

Lots of professions neither require nor desire a degree.

I know far too many music majors that couldn't find the groove if they were driving in it.

For me, when I made more money for a couple of years than my "good" job, THAT in part, made me a musician.

That was also an incredible amount of work as I was the BL. It was far more work and responsibility than my day job, but in comparison, I was underpaid.
Like I said, did it for two years. I play for pleasure now and the extra cash is nice, plus I'm no longer single.

As far as your "continuum" with unskilled at one end and skilled at the other, that too, I respectfully disagree.

Far too many professions have "unskilled" people with both degrees and years of experience masquerading and billing as though they were professionals.

Don't even get me started on "unions" and professionalism.

Again, RESPECTFULLY, disagree.

IMHO you really aren't disagreeing with me since I defined the term as simply someone who get's paid to play music. But I do think the continuum is useful as there are varying degrees of professionalism and also varying ways of viewing professional/ethical conduct.

Musician doesn't really fit squarely in the academic definition of a profession. (IMHO) The term (as defined) is really reserved for lawyers and doctors and other occupations that require certification in addition to education.

Totally agree that a music degree is no guarantee of competence. I never completed my associates and I played professionally with lots of people who held post graduate degrees. I did complete three semesters of music theory, Sol Fege, and other associates level work that provided a decent foundation for self study and development. As a professional, I developed to a point where I was often more prepared for rehearsals and performances than my more educated peers. But it took over a decade to reach this level. For a period of time I was also in charge of hiring and I know for a fact that music programs are churning out millions of graduates who can't play their way out of a wet paper bag.

Under the academic definition, a mechanic is more a trade than a profession, and requiring ASE certification is a way of professionalizing the trade.

 

[LBS-bass]

The continuum is useful, I agree. There are different "hangs" based on what you know and who you play with. What would work for me as a pro wouldn't necessarily work for a standard jazz trio back then or a bunch of classical players.

 

[joebar]

IMO, it has the least to do with money.
I think it has more to do with the whole package and of course, great chops for whatever situation arises.
I see tons of guys that call themselves ‘session/hired guns’, that are terrible players.
They play a lot but they never rise above the mediocre gigs; the better players know to stay away from them.
To me. A pro musician serves the song and nails it. All the time.

 

[Wasnex]

The continuum is useful, I agree. There are different "hangs" based on what you know and who you play with. What would work for me as a pro wouldn't necessarily work for a standard jazz trio back then or a bunch of classical players.

I classical violinist would surely need different skills and training than a rock bassist. Compare a brain surgeon to a family doctor...I would think they require different skills and training as well.