What, exactly, is a professional musician?

[LBS-bass]

Thanks to everyone who has contributed perspectives to this thread. I value all the input here.

As with many, life eventually got in the way and upon trying to return to it, found it's a completely different landscape full of people looking for a hand out to move their aspirations along, that no longer value what people like me may bring to their table.

This is where I'm at, as well. I guess I'm suffering from culture shock in the sense that being a musician now appears to be a completely different thing, with a different set of expectations, than it was back when I was playing as a job. And if I want to keep playing, I need to get with the program or, as someone else suggested, move to where the jobs are more plentiful. Full disclosure, I didn't live in this town back when I was playing a lot, so I don't really know. Maybe things here have always been this way. Most of the local musicians I know are too young to know anything else.

 

[Mugre]

"I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of people I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description; and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it."

 

[Thumpin6string]

If you don't know, ask the experts. According to the dictionary:

PROFESSIONAL (noun)

: someone who does a job that requires special training, education, or skill : someone who is a member of a profession

: someone who is paid to participate in a sport or activity

: someone who has a lot of experience or skill in a particular job or activity

 

[RexxRokket]

To me, none of what you listed matters.

A pro shows up on time.

When said pro shows up, that pro has good gear. Good gear doesn't have to be expensive gear. But it has to work and sound great.

A pro shows up knowing the material hands down..... unless it's a jam band.... in which case a pro shows up knowing how to play off of others.

A pro listens.

A pro knows what and when NOT to play.

A pro takes care of business and brings zero drama.

A pro considers all of the non-musical aspects of the band that move the band forward like marketing and customer relations.

A pro makes your band better.

You don't have to make a dime playing music to be a pro.

.....all in my opinion, of course.

1+

 

[quindecima]

Years ago, when I live in Simi Valley Ca, I was doing a some construction (My paying gig) in a house for a gentleman and we got to talking about stuff and it turns out he was a Studio pro. He told me it wasn't all it was cracked up to be. He practiced at least 4-8 hours almost every day (guitar) and when he went to the studio he said they expected him to play whatever they set in front of him perfectly every time. My first instrument is Piano and mostly Classical and I can look at a lot of sheet music that I would NEVER be able to play just sitting down at it.

Being a pro is more than taking money for the job!

 

[Rip Van Dan]

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?

I would say if making money making music was your only or at least your main income, then you are a pro. If you have a "day-job" or are retired and just do this part-time and you actually get enough money from it to upgrade your gear as you go, then you are "semi-pro".

I was a professional musician in 1971, 1972, and 1973. I made good money doing it. I had to put "musician" on my Federal and State Tax returns as my occupation. That pretty well defines "professional musician".

I'm retired now but play with two groups and gig almost every weekend. I consider myself semi-pro at this point. I get more money from my Social Security each month than I earn playing music right now though, so definitely not pro-level. Nonetheless, I'm actually expecting a new cab tomorrow that I paid for entirely out of gigging funds.

It's kind of funny, I have this great setup of an Eden WT500/800 amp with a DNS-410 that I can literally play any gig indoors or outdoors with, and yet I bought a little Eden EX112 cab.

I've been running my WTDI (DI with an Eden preamp built in) into a little 40-watt Peavey 112 at a small Brew Pub where we host an open mic on Friday nights. I didn't like the sound out of the backline Peavey until I made it sound like an Eden amp with my WTDI (much clearer). Well the short of it is that the backline amp actually belonged to somebody and not the brewpub. They took it home and the brew pub didn't bother to tell me. "Oh, you were using that?" said the owner.

Anyhow, I showed up and no backline amp. I only brought my full rig there once about 10 or 11-months ago and they about had apoplexy when they saw me roll in my 410 cab. The "no bass amp" wasn't really a problem though because I just plugged my WTDI into the FOH system and ran my bass through there.

Still, I'd prefer to have an amp behind me, so I ordered up an Eden EX112 cab in 4 ohm and will probably use my back up amp (Eden Nemesis RS400) with it on Friday just because it weighs less than my WT500/800 does. Back-up amp puts out 400-watts at 4 ohms and cab is only rated for 300-watts, but there's no way I would be able to run it wide open at this place, so it shouldn't be a problem. I also run it really clean so I'll be able to hear if it's stressing at all.

 

[Mili]

To me being a pro is not related to Money. It's all about knowledge and experience.
Unemployed James Jamerson still is a Pro.
If someone make a living with music and doesn't know about harmony, Rhythm ... he's not a Pro.

 

[cnltb]

A Professional musician can live off the money made through music. be that playing, writing, producing, teaching...( imho)

 

[Chickenwheels]

Professional to me is doing it for a living and constantly growing/adaptating/developing with the industry.
Sometimes it ain't fun.

 

[knumbskull]

It's been mentioned before, but not in this thread:

There are bands that tour the world, play to thousands of people and get print and TV exposure - who still have "day jobs" to make ends meet.

 

[BBQV]

To me, professional means making a living as a musician. But you can have a professional attitude about your playing even if you have another day job.
At least that's how I think about it in Swedish, words might have subtle differences in value depending on language...

 

[drumrtommy]

I am very fortunate and blessed to be able to provide for my family teaching drum lessons and doing various gigs. I would consider myself a professional musician, though I still have plenty to work on and strive for.

I would love to be an accountant, but I do music because I have to.

 

[retslock]

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?

I used to be professional, that is, I earned my living playing music. To me there is no other criterion. Levels of competence don't define the term because there are many levels within the realm of professionals.
However, we have come to use the word to suggest a high standard befitting someone who does it for a living. A professional is someone who's profession is music, simple as that.

 

[Slevage]

If you get paid — you're a professional—-

per the IRS
Even if you have 10 other sources of income.

Skill level does not come into play.

 

[OldStrummer]

Even though I've played guitar for over 50 years, I am in no way a professional. My guitar teacher, on the other hand, I consider the consummate professional. He's got a Masters of Music from Pennsylvania's University of Fine Arts, and can pick up a sheet of music and nail it, first try. He gigs occasionally, but has a full-time job (as a guy in a guitar shop recently said to me when I told him I was picking up the bass, "Oh, so you want to get paid!"). Just because he's not on stage every night or in the studio every day doesn't diminish the fact that he is a professional musician in every aspect.

 

[smtp4me]

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

^^^ This. By definition, pro = getting paid/playing for money, amateur = not getting paid/playing for pleasure.

 

[mellowgerman]

I would agree that it's somebody who makes their income or a large part of their income by way of playing music. There's also the concept of "acting like a professional" but that is different from "being a professional." I can act like a baker, but that doesn't mean I know how to bake a good cake. On the same token, I can be really good at baking cakes, but that doesn't necessarily make me a professional baker.

Separate from my take on the matter, according to Merriam-Webster, there's the adjective and there's the noun:

professional
adjective
pro·fes·sion·al | \ prə-ˈfesh-nəl, -ˈfe-shə-nᵊl\
Definition of professional
(Entry 1 of 2)

1a: of, relating to, or characteristic of a profession
b: engaged in one of the learned professions
c(1): characterized by or conforming to the technical or ethical standards of a profession
(2): exhibiting a courteous, conscientious, and generally businesslike manner in the workplace
2a: participating for gain or livelihood in an activity or field of endeavor often engaged in by amateursa professional golfer
b: having a particular profession as a permanent careera professional soldier
c: engaged in by persons receiving financial returnprofessional football
3: following a line of conduct as though it were a professiona professional patriot
professional

noun
Definition of professional (Entry 2 of 2)

: one that is professionalespecially : one that engages in a pursuit or activity professionally

 

[jamro217]

Ten years ago when the Great Recession hit lots of people in all fields lost their jobs. Some of the first to go (as usual) were those deemed expendable. Musicians, vacation resorts, disposable income industries... Does that mean all of those folks who collected unemployment benefits were suddenly stripped of their "Professional" titles? I don't believe that. I think when you read an ad looking for "Pro attitude and equipment, blah, blah, blah" it means no wanking wannabes with toy instruments and no clue how to play. Read up on some of the blues musicians who toughed it out for decades with barely enough to eat, pawning their instruments, etc. They were pros, but not in the sense we'd think of it today. Then there's The Wrecking Crew. Consummate professionals. I used to find it annoying when there'd be someone on TV that was the flavor of the month and I'd think of people I knew that had loads of talent and never made it out of the local scene. Life isn't fair.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

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

Not buying, pinching them....lol.

 

[Turn Em Loose]

To me, none of what you listed matters.

A pro shows up on time.

When said pro shows up, that pro has good gear. Good gear doesn't have to be expensive gear. But it has to work and sound great.

A pro shows up knowing the material hands down..... unless it's a jam band.... in which case a pro shows up knowing how to play off of others.

A pro listens.

A pro knows what and when NOT to play.

A pro takes care of business and brings zero drama.

A pro considers all of the non-musical aspects of the band that move the band forward like marketing and customer relations.

A pro makes your band better.

You don't have to make a dime playing music to be a pro.

.....all in my opinion, of course.

Interesting thread. And after reading a page or two it hasn't devolved into a bunch of trash talking. Good going, TalkBass!!

I like this. Basically, do what's required and asked while giving 100%, 100% of the time while on the clock. Though I would say there has to be an exchange of money/money earned to be "pro".

I think attitude has a lot to do with being a pro. No drama. No drugs/alcohol. Having respect for the client. Having respect for the audience. Having respect for the gig. Having respect for the profession.

And I do think you can be a pro and not make "a living" off of music. I'd like to think of myself as a pro though I am a looong way from being able to support a family. But I do make money and my musical income has contributed, and continues to contribute, to the family. Paid of our cars, put money in savings, etc etc.

My two cents. Which I will use a deduction on my 2019 taxes.