What Should I Do With My Life?

[Timmy-Watts]

Ok...

WHILE you are completing your education and working whatever you have to do to feed yourself and possibly a future family...

Make sure you have a solid p-bass. Know it intimately.

Get your stuff together, musically. Open your mind to lots of styles. Watch the pros in your area. Learn the songs that bands in your area play. LEARN TO READ ANY CHART OR ANY NOTATION. Listen to anything and everything and learn it by ear.

Keep a professional, positive attitude.

After those key things, you just need to be in the right place at the right time. The only way to achieve that is to be in lots of places lots of times. Find a great teacher and get into music school that is in or near a good scene. That basically guarantees everything but the P bass and buys you time.

 

[hintz]

Not sure what the requirements are for joining the military as a band member, but that might be an option.
There are a lot of educational benefits that go along with being in the military, both while you're in and after your term is served.

I can tell you about this! Depending on which branch, college *before* getting in is *preferred* but not a requirement! What is required for the Army is okay sight reading ability(i know guys who can barely do it)and decent chops, but more so versatility in different styles and being able to navigate chord charts often with road maps like codas', etc...I believe the Air Force would be the toughest to get into and I know very little about their bands.

The Army, Navy and Marine Corps all attend AIT(post basic training or boot camp) at little creek naval base in Norfolk, VA with the Army having a 2 month program and Navy/Marines having 6 months!!

The difference between branches?! In the army you start out at E4 rank(even without college) where in the Navy or Marines you could be E1-E3 (so less money), I chose Army! You can get the Student Loan repayment or GI Bill, so I went with the former as I was in serious debt but most get the GI Bill.

I've been at it for 5 1/2 years and will be done at 7 years as I'm not gonna do a career! Its a interesting job but not for everybody, its really tough getting promoted(as you wont get promotion from being a badass player) and the schedule is very unpredictable, plus you have to really stay in shape physically as a requirement (real fun )...

But it will look good on a resume no matter what! If I could go back in time, I would've learned a trade or something as a good plan B, now I'm gonna be starting all over when I get out to find a regular job, wish me luck I'm gonna need it!! As far as learning recording at college(I've pondered this as well!) I'd say just learn it on your own!! Its cheaper and easier than ever to do it yourself nowadays, you don't need a mountain of Rack gear and a giant analog mixing board to get good recordings now!

As far as steady Gigs another option is to play for cruise lines, they used to hold auditions at my college but you gotta be able to sight read for that...


To OP I can relate, I'm not sure what I *can* do outside of music now and that's a scary thought for a 32 year-old, to not have a good plan *B*, so good luck

Edit: Yes, music school is *very* expensive, even with a scholarship!! Getting a good bass teacher(not a guitarist teaching bass!!) is your best bet, unless you wanna pursue education....

 

[Eidolon0274]

I can tell you about this! Depending on which branch, college *before* getting in is *preferred* but not a requirement! What is required for the Army is okay sight reading ability(i know guys who can barely do it)and decent chops, but more so versatility in different styles and being able to navigate chord charts often with road maps like codas', etc...I believe the Air Force would be the toughest to get into and I know very little about their bands.

The Army, Navy and Marine Corps all attend AIT(post basic training or boot camp) at little creek naval base in Norfolk, VA with the Army having a 2 month program and Navy/Marines having 6 months!!

The difference between branches?! In the army you start out at E4 rank(even without college) where in the Navy or Marines you could be E1-E3 (so less money), I chose Army! You can get the Student Loan repayment or GI Bill, so I went with the former as I was in serious debt but most get the GI Bill.

I've been at it for 5 1/2 years and will be done at 7 years as I'm not gonna do a career! Its a interesting job but not for everybody, its really tough getting promoted(as you wont get promotion from being a badass player) and the schedule is very unpredictable, plus you have to really stay in shape physically as a requirement (real fun )...

But it will look good on a resume no matter what! If I could go back in time, I would've learned a trade or something as a good plan B, now I'm gonna be starting all over when I get out to find a regular job, wish me luck I'm gonna need it!! As far as learning recording at college(I've pondered this as well!) I'd say just learn it on your own!! Its cheaper and easier than ever to do it yourself nowadays, you don't need a mountain of Rack gear and a giant analog mixing board to get good recordings now!

As far as steady Gigs another option is to play for cruise lines, they used to hold auditions at my college but you gotta be able to sight read for that...


To OP I can relate, I'm not sure what I *can* do outside of music now and that's a scary thought for a 32 year-old, to not have a good plan *B*, so good luck

Killer Hintz...

 

[hintz]

Killer Hintz...

LOL!! Haven't heard that in awhile!

 

[Jeffrey Bryan]

First you have to define what "going pro" means for you. Write it down with every aspect of it. Would you play someone else's bass-lines? Would you sign to a major record label that has restrictions on the music you write? Or do you prefer to keep your integrity intact for the full 100% and try "going pro" with your own music? I'd say try a lot of things to figure out what YOU want. Scratch the surface on as many things as possible to find something you can enjoy for the long haul.

The most important advice I can give you with anything you're about to do; "branding" yourself and your art. What sets you apart from countless others? What is your strongest (selling) point? Your signature moves & sound? Your design & style? Your (nick)name & slogan? Besides all this; always look ahead and set your goals but never forget to enjoy the moment.

 

[pcake]

have you talked to some art and vocational schools to find out what their requirements and costs are, what they teach, whether they offer placement? you could work part time to defray your costs, and the counselors might have a way to get some kind of grant to help pay your tuition. you could also talk to your high school counselor. sometimes that turns out to be useless, but sometimes they have some practical and handy suggestions on what schools or experience you can get into to help with your goals, perhaps what funds are available.

also some things sound better in theory than they turn out to be in practice. see if you can spend some time at a recording studio, see what they do, how they do it and whether it works for you. i liked someone's idea of interning to really find out what it's like, because sadly working at some things in real life is nothing like one expects it to be - or that's been the case for me. you can also learn a lot about recording and producing online, and you don't mention if you work, but if you do have some income, you could get a portable recording and mixing set-up together and perhaps could do some recording for local bands' demos to get a small resume together. but going indie in recording/mixing and maybe producing means you'll also have to learn to market yourself in some way, and that's an entirely secondary thing to learn - although worth it.

the thing is, you say you want to record or produce. you won't learn anything about that in art school - at least, not any art school i've heard of. sso best to figure out which direction is something you could do every day and feel excited about and still pay the bills. what do recording engineers earn - is it within your expectations? you can browse classifieds to see what the pay is, where the jobs are, whether there are enough jobs in the areas you want to live, and just get an idea of what's expected.

and for starters, google is your friend. learn more about working in the fields that interest you - what it's like, what it pays, how many hours you'll put in, whether jobs are available. you'll probably learn a lot just doing this, and then you'll be ready for the next step.

good luck to you, and keep on playing

 

[foolforthecity]

Not sure what the requirements are for joining the military as a band member, but that might be an option.
There are a lot of educational benefits that go along with being in the military, both while you're in and after your term is served.

That 's actually a great piece of advice if one can actually qualify to get into a music program in the military. I know a guy that was in the Air Force Band - a tuba player- and he said that the thing about being in the military band was how far you could take things in your own hands in terms of your personal growth. They had studios for practice and recording, all kinds of time to work on music other than the material for the main act itself, and a person could branch out and do just about anything as long as they showed some aptitude, conviction, and was able to work with others. He said you could be totally immersed in music of all types and work with people from all walks of life. The key is being able to meet the qualifications for entry, and he no longer knew what that was and neither do I, so you might want to do a bit of research and see if that's a possibility.

 

[bassliner50]

If you want to go in the direction of music, specifically bass, you must learn to read music well. Also get lessons on DB. For me, music was an avocation which I pursued continuously on the side while working as an engineer for a large corp to support finances. Now that I am retired (yes I am that old) from my "real" job, I play constantly, all genres with accomplished musicians and love it. It still brings in a steady stream of dough, but nothing you can send your kids to college with. Learn to read music, learn theory. Don't just fart around with it. Network with other compatible musicians of all ages and stripes....Good luck.

 

[denhou1974]

Get educated first.
Set realistic goals.
Put your 'wants' aside for a few years (e.g. - that new Xbox One isn't really important).
Choose a career that will pay enough to be comfortable and support your hobbies.

 

[Ric5]

I know this sounds like an extremely in-depth question to put on these forums but I really don't know who else to go to. I obviously love to play bass and just create art in general. But I have no idea what to do after high school. I would love to work in a recording studio, maybe even be a producer. I was looking into studying audio production and music but all art schools are extremely expensive. If I were to continue my schooling I'd only want to go to an art school. Even if I wanted to go to a regular college I don't have the grades to get into anything worth it. My questions for you are: Are there any affordable art schools? Are there better ways to study audio production than college? Should I skip schooling altogether? How does a bassist go pro? Are there any plans/ways that you know of that would get me successful through music? PLEASE SHARE!

When I was your age I wanted to go to college and study art and music and become a pro bass player ... then I figured out there really wasn't money in doing any of that ... so finally in my mid 20s I went to Architecture school and made a nice career for myself. I turned out to be good in art and music, but that does not pay my bills ...

Today music pays about the same as it did back then ... no adjustment for inflation which means it pays worse ... For many a career in music is a fast track to poverty. Get a career that pays well so you can afford nice basses ...

 

[buldog5151bass]

There is a reason the phrase "starving artist" is heard. There are a lot of people trying to get in, and the number of jobs keeps shrinking.Do NOT neglect option B if you want to eat.

 

[Bodeanly]

At 17, I did not want to go to college either. However, one of my friends needed a roommate and he had one of those social anxiety disorder thingies. Long story short, I didn't know how much I wanted/ needed college until I went. Loved it so much that I got a job there.

 

[twinjet]

I know this sounds like an extremely in-depth question to put on these forums but I really don't know who else to go to. I obviously love to play bass and just create art in general. But I have no idea what to do after high school. I would love to work in a recording studio, maybe even be a producer. I was looking into studying audio production and music but all art schools are extremely expensive. If I were to continue my schooling I'd only want to go to an art school. Even if I wanted to go to a regular college I don't have the grades to get into anything worth it. My questions for you are: Are there any affordable art schools? Are there better ways to study audio production than college? Should I skip schooling altogether? How does a bassist go pro? Are there any plans/ways that you know of that would get me successful through music? PLEASE SHARE!

I posted a thread on the forum requesting details for questions similar to yours. Check it out. From what I've learned, it's not the best way to ensure financial stability.

 

[dalkowski]

I have little to add here, except my personal experience. Scroll down for the TL;DR.

I'm 52 and am an amateur bass player, fortunate to be able to pick up some pocket money playing with a couple like-minded and talented guys. I started playing at 14. Some years-long gaps without playing in that time. Married 20+ years, father of two high school sons, work from home as a freelancer.

At your age, I wanted to pursue a career in something music/audio-related—recording, production, etc. I was fascinated with sound. I worked in a music store—to this day it remains the favorite job I've ever had. But mom & dad never saw music as something more than a hobby and disabused me of any notion of creating a worthy life and career around this thing that I love(d). They were the givers of wisdom and the law, so it never occurred to me to challenge them. Looking back, I could have stood up for myself if I had the balls to do so, but I didn't back then.

Got a BA from good college on the folks' dime and I'm forever grateful for that. Created a career (actually fell into it) and built a good reputation that's allowed me to work for myself instead of a company.

But after high school followed a pattern of self-destructive behavior that continued well into my 40s. Not suicidal or cutting, but heavy, heavy drinking and psychologically hurtful acts toward myself and those who love me. Marriage-jeopardizing stuff, eventually. At the behest of my wife (who should be up for sainthood), I started seeing a shrink and over time came to realize that, if my life is a bus, then I've been a passenger, not the driver. When I surrendered my idea of a career — my passion, what I wanted to do with my life—my troubles really started. I spent 2/3 of my life doing work I wasn't passionate about, that didn't feed my soul, and acted out by committing an ongoing series of hurtful choices. Making bad choices was my way of feeling in control of my life

TL;DR
So I'll tell you what I tell my sons: We only get one quarter to put in the machine. Our time is too damn short to get stuck in an unsatisfying life. If you have a true passion for something, you can build your life around it. I see people doing it every day. If I could do it over again, I'd live in more modest conditions if it meant I could do work that made me happy in my heart.

Take control. Explore ALL your options (some guys here mentioned military; I know a couple guys who went that route and there's a lot to be said for it.). Ask every question that comes to mind. Network. Talk to everyone and anyone you meet who's in the field, because you never know who knows whom, who's going to throw you a bone, who's going to open a door and give you a break. But be patient. If you're working at Taco Bell during the day for pay so you can sweep the floors at a recording studio at night for free, that's called paying dues and it's OK. As long as you keep your eyes on the prize and keep stepping toward it.

Also, education.

The bus of your life might not always be an express, and the route might change. But do all that you can to be the driver, not a passenger.

I wish you health, happiness and the best of everything.

 

[kopio]

Find what makes you feel the most alive in life and pursue it! If that's bass then you need to shed, shed, shed....practice 4-6 hours daily so that you can play and read anything at the drop of a hat.

Get some sort of education in the process...if it truly is music, then go to a community college and study Theory and Sight-reading. Get to where you can play anything at anytime.

Just realize that whatever your passion is, your going to have to commit yourself 100% to it if you want to be successful.

My first time through college I was a music major with an emphasis on performance. I was a talented cat, but I never wanted to sell my soul to the practice room. I could have made it, but I chose to do other things that made me happy. I dropped out of school after a couple years.

My second time through college I found a new passion, and spent the hours mastering it (4-6 hours per day)...it's paid off that I am now doing what I love every day (I'm a pastor). As an added bonus, I still get to play my bass in live situations at least twice per month with our worship team. I've managed to straddle both of my greatest passions and I count myself truly lucky for it.

Also understand....at 17 you might not have found your one true passion yet!

 

[wrench45us]

back when college was affordable, we had 4 years to figure out what we wanted to do and some of us didn't do all that well at that. I was fortunate to get into software development just at the time when nobody had 'computer credentials'. That doesn't happen anymore.

My wife's nephew went to college for art and a few years later went back to chiropractic school. I'm not sure he'll ever get out from under the debt load he has.

Community college -- a lot of places teachers at these aren't just academicians and have real jobs and can offer some real life guidance.
Expect this process to take a few years to sort out. Community college provides some opportunities to figure it out

 

[skwee]

Ashtray and hrodbert696 just completely nailed it.

 

[Plutonium244]

There are some great thoughts here on this thread, and I agree with many, but will add my 2 cents. Sorry for another long post, but your life decisions need as much info as possible, I think. Take it or ignore it, but here's my advice.


First, DEFINITELY have a back up plan. Go to college if it is AT ALL possible for you. Starting at a Community college is a FRESH START and what you did in high school grade-wise makes little tono difference. What you do NOW is the ONLY thing that matters, and you can do it!

In college, you can study anything you want and get top professional advice. Study things that can lead to a job-- but also, take those music classes, art classes, architecture, whatever interests you. I think in college, when exposed to a lot of different things, is where you figure out where you want to be in life. Don't "pre-decide" and thus limit your options. I kind of wish I'd taken a few architecture classes, later in life I realized I'd have been good at it, made good money, enjoyed it. Don't limit yourself but expand yourself in school. Are are only limited by what you're willing to experience and work hard at.

College is a pivotal time in life-- don't WAIT for things to happen. You can easily get a degree in, say, law, but then dump it all and go live on a commune. You CAN'T live in a commune for 7 years and then decide to be a lawyer, etc. A friend of mine who went to a fancy guitar school told me, the first day they told him "if you want to make money in the music business, go to law school" Music can be a passion but your choices, except for the very lucky and VERY good, are, play music full time and barely scrape by, or have a job that lets you have a family and a stable life, and play on the side. A studio guy I know, who is very good, says he feels trapped because its too late for him to get as good at another profession as he is at recording/engineering, and the pay is just meh.

Remember that Brian May of Queen has a PhD in Astrophysics. Remember that Tom Schulz of Boston got a Masters in electrical engineering at NIT. These are just two examples, there are TONS of musicians who also have college degrees including advanced ones. You CAN go to college, AND learn your art and craft.

Also, college is RIDICULOUSLY FUN. Just sayin'.

If you want to be a pro bass player, I agree with what others have said-- LEARN your craft, do the HARD WORK, learn to read notation, be an open book, learn to master ALL styles including stuff you just don't like. I learned probably more by playing stuff I didn't like, trying to emulate key bass lines on real bass, etc, in short, going against my own natural grain, than I ever did coasting doing stuff I liked. Don't be a prima donna, don't think "I can do it MY way and get rich and famous, I don't need to know how to play other people's dumb music". Know that there are NO SHORT CUTS-- if you go for it, you'd better be practicing 6 hours a day and book-learning everything in music you can.

As for me, after I got a college degree, I played all across the country and internationally for years but still only just scraped by, it was hard! Then I decided I wanted a family. I got a real job, and I was able to get a decent one because I had already put "money in the bank" for a rainy day by getting a degree. I do not regret that when I was 35 I opted for a family and a stable life. I still play a lot! Money aint everything, but it aint nothin' either. Don't shoot yourself in the foot, I can tell you companies do not give the same opportunities to 40 year old new college graduates that they do to 22-28 year old recent college grads. Be prepared for a future you cannot envision now.

The short version: go to college by starting at a CC-- it's a fresh start! Your HS grades mean nothing, only what you're willing to put into it NOW matters. CC can lead to 4-yr, can lead to a n advanced degree. Or, learn a trade-- they will never be able to outsource welding or plumbing to India, the toilets are here! I know I dpn't make $75/hr playing bass, but my plumber makes that much.

Expose yourself to as many different hings as possible in college-- you may have never even thought about the thing that will be your calling, until you happen to to try it by chance.

Be an open book, be a sponge, learn EVERYTHING you can-- all styles, sight-reading etc. Be humble, don't think you can take any short-cuts-- you are not a special snowflake! If you REALLY want to be a pro musician, you have to do all the things you'd rather not. Are you disciplined enough?

GOOD LUCK in your choices. Life is a crazy adventure, and there are no do overs so don't let yourself find an excuse to do less than your VERY BEST, whatever you choose.

 

[AltGrendel]

 

[Nic.]

Second, I would be a little cautious about laying plans based on the careers of successful musicians of an older generation. There are a lot of "how did the pros make it" threads on TB, and they generally wind up with descriptions of the careers of guys who are now in their 50s or older who got into the business back in the 70s or 80s...

This, and this:
Survivorship Bias

It's a long article but I think it's really important to keep in mind.

Tl;dr - Hearing what other people have done, especially success stories, is really useful, but it needs to be put in context.

I mean, we hear about how all the pros use P basses, but we don't hear of all the P bass users who aren't pros. Same thing with your career decisions, nothing can really be isolated.

I hope you find the best decision for yourself, but as someone in my mid 20s who's been struggling with decisions for quite a while, I'd say what's most important is not whether you make the best decisions, but whether you can live with those decisions, and whether you can pick yourself up and move on when those decisions go sour.