Where does music fit in to your career?

[birminghambass]

Hey TB. As my 21 year old son approaches college graduation I'm left wondering "what if"? He's an astounding musician. Tons of awards, free college, played all over the world, etc. He's going to be a professional musician. His path is one that I started 30 years ago and then quickly turned away from. I've had great gigs over the years, but I've always had a "day job". At 23 I was offered the bass duties in a band that ended up touring the world and being somewhat famous. I turned it down because I got a 9-5 at a genetic lab (my degree). I knew guys who did it, it wasn't the life for me. How many of you guys/gals were once full time pros? As in, your main source of income was being a musician and had no FT job?

 

[srosenthal13]

I went with "aspired", but music was a path to a 31 year (and counting) music-adjacent career.

 

[red_rhino]

I've made a living from it for very short periods of time, but just enough to keep myself from starving. (Which is probably why I got over it. I love music, I hate the music business.)

 

[jdjk7]

I guess "never wanted" is closest for me.

I'm fine having a day job. I enjoy playing at a high level, but I don't think I'd really enjoy the rat race of trying to make it solely as a musician.

Same reason I didn't go to music school. I could've, but I didn't want to find myself thinking my music was a chore.

 

[monsterthompson]

I often say that not being successful as a musician is something I appreciate more and more as I age.
I'm glad my bands never "made it big." While the younger years of rock stars looked glamorous to me, I'd loathe becoming an aging performer. I'd be frustrated if I was still in smaller projects and hauling gear to gigs. Being interested metal limited my path. As cool as some legends are/were, I don't want to be strapping on leather pants and playing songs about the devil when I'm 60+, no matter how big the checks are.

I'm not saying my day job is heaven, but I'm okay with hating a 9-5 grind. I'm not okay with that for music. I feel like I made the right choice for me. I know a few pros. One has had a good run at it and is still going strong performing and teaching. Another is pivoting to a different career path as he realizes the road ahead as a musician isn't what he wants to do. So, I can see arguments for playing it safe with a ay job, or taking a shot at it, with the possibility of pivoting later in life. Each and every person will be different.

21 year old me wouldn't have stopped playing music to wear a suit and tie at all hours, but I also had a feeling I wasn't cut out to be a pro and I wasn't willing to gamble on my own success. I made the right bet.

 

[Bertr]

My brother in law was a pro in London (retired - he´s the one who directed / conducted Mamma Mia for years in the West End). Well Yes, THAT was really good. But for most of his carreer it was not easy, and certainly not predictable financially. One thing one has to remember: Music always comes after food, shelter, clothes in people´s priorities. Renovating houses (as architect or brick layer) or wind turbine / solar specialist might not be glamourous, but with climate change and energy crisis, my bet is that it is a 'safer' carreer.
That being said, if he has no people who depend financially on him, why not.
But from what I have observed, to make it like Jools Holland or Sting is a one in a million chance. And it becomes a day job.
Even Neil Sedaka had a rough patch in the 70´s. And he impressed no less than Arthur Rubinstein.

 

[Shenron]

Never wanted.

My parents (now retired) have both been in performance arts, one of them professionally and the other as an amateur only, so I had seen examples of both. A profession requires a lot of compromises, very simply you should expect to be doing things on someone else's terms in exchange for money, while in a hobby you are a lot more free and unhinged. Success in your profession also becomes a psychological requirement, while just being able to dedicate yourself seriously to a hobby feels like success. I loved two things since high school: high tech and music. I was definitely better at the first, but also less prone to do the second on someone else's terms, so becoming a professional musician was never on my mind.

Think of it this way: high tech engineering is my wife, and music is my mistress. I would always compromise to make my wife happy, but my mistress better make me happy and do what I want or I get another one!

(disclaimer: that's just a stupid quote, and I am a very faithful husband)

 

[Colin Cunliffe]

When I told my dad I wanted to be a musician, he just asked "what I was going to do for a proper job". He let me join the Army as a musician and it took me 6 or 7 years to realise that "who pays the piper calls the tune". I was working when everyone else was out having a good time, it helped knowing that I was helping them have a good time but that soon wore off when humping gear down three flights of stairs at 2 or 3 am.

As an amateur I'm back in love with music making, I now conduct a wind ensemble, and Mess around with my collection of instruments as and when I want to.

By the way I'm now 70 but think about my dad everytime I have to get a plumber or an electrician in to fix a small job. DAD YOU WERE RIGHT, I SHOULD HAVE HAD A PROPER JOB.

 

[JamesGrant]

Missing an option - music makes some of my income. Has been as high as 40% per month (2 to 3 gigs per week) and low as 15% (1 gig per week). When I left my previous job I was gearing up to do electrician work Monday -Thursday and music Thursday - Sunday so had built up the calendar over the previous two years. But then someone suggested I interview for a nice wfh office job with a massive multi-national, great money, zero stress, loads of flexibility. I got that job and I'm now a LOT less tired/fatigued! (I have close to zero drive to climb or even look at the corporate ladder). That was a year ago and now I'm trying to only do 1 to 2 gigs per week, which is working well. I love making music and I love getting paid to do it, and I LOVE not having to bust my buns to earn a decent living without worrying about health/holidays/global pandemics, etc etc

 

[Nebadon2000]

When I first started playing in cover band 1975 on Long Island (most clubs did not allow originals)
It was my only income and easily supported me my wife and son till 1980

I did have opportunity to play with talented original band that had Tour setup on West Coast

But not being able to sing and seeing many talented starving Musicians decided to get secure Job and take care of family

Moved to Virginia Beach fortunately got a job in High End Hi Fi store so music was my living so to speak for 22 years and I enjoyed going to work everyday basically a dream job

But from then on I was weekend warrior actually did 3 to 5 Gigs a week for 20 years with one mildly successful original band from 2002 to 2009 then back to Covers mostly only weekends

 

[lomo]

I didn't learn to play until 23 years ago at 40. I salute all who earn their living through music, but that would never have been a path for me. Music is my hobby...... for fun, distractive therapy and diversion. If I depended on it to make a living it would likely become a source of stress, and I'd be subsisting on a diet of ramen noodles and dumpster diving. Know thyself, particularly thy strengths & weaknesses

 

[2saddleslab]

None of the above. Been playing 40 years and was full time for a little over 4 of those [early years]. Now retired, music is happily my main focus.

 

[dune]

I went on the road at the end of 1983 and made my living as a professional musician until 1998. In retrospect, I was pretty lonely and miserable on the road. I had inherited PDD (persistent depressive disorder) from my father, though I didn't know that at the time. Like many other denizens of the road, I self-medicated with drugs and alcohol. It was only through the grace of God that I lived long enough to get sober, and once that happened I realized that without the (non-stop) "party", playing other people's music for a living was just a job - and one that I no longer cared for. Going on stage had gone from highlight of the day to lowlight - "Let's just get this over with." I did my last 3 years on ships and that was still novel enough that I could have eked out a couple more but I had become certified as a personal trainer, lucked into an opportunity to give that a shot "on land" and it worked out.

One thing that a lot of folks who haven't done it (or aren't musicians) miss about making a living from music is that it often requires one to play music that they would never play voluntarily, or even listen to. Nobody in the top-40 road band I was in ever really wanted to play "Wild Wild West" by The Escape Club (KMN) but there we were. Our motto used to be (cleaned up version): "Forget art, let's dance!!!"

My last year as a full-time pro was in the "orchestra" on the cruise ship. I knew I had arrived when the MD dropped a chart on my stand that said "Bagpipe Medley". One of the other guys always said "Time to go make the donuts." as we were heading for the stage or the pit.
Ah, those were the days.

 

[mambo4]

the truth for me is a combo of "aspired" and "never wanted"
I was always happy with my day job, but tried to give my best pro effort in music.
Musical "success" was not required, but I was not willing to be the failure point.
Recorded several albums and EPs, even got some radio play on the local station.
Never made any real money at it though, so thankfully I had other skills to pay the bills.

 

[brianrost]

I have always been a part-timer, despite years playing in bands with full time pros. Now I'm retired from my day job, but music isn't my main source of income, Social Security is.

 

[mikeoso]

I never wanted a music career. I was able to fold it into my work though. As a high school history teacher, I kept a guitar in my classroom, and used it to bring songs of the times to my lesson plans (e.g. Follow The Drinking Gourd, Night They Drove Old Dixie Down, Union Maid, Brother Can You Spare A Dime, For What It's Worth, Talking Vietnam Poltluck...like that). I'd hand out lyric sheets and we'd discuss the meanings of the songs after I sang them. Reduced the dry academic feel of the material, helped keep the students engaged. Also gave me an outlet. Other teachers sometimes asked me to come to their classes to share.

 

[Zooberwerx]

Hobbyist / enthusiast here. That being said, I've always wanted to play in a "cool jazz trio" that you see in every last-shot of a typical pharma commercial.

Riis

 

[Pdaddy1978]

I started out with all kinds of high-fallutin ideas.
But ultimately, I realized I wanted a wife, kid, and a home.
Most of the guys who wanted nothing but music had to forgo those things.
So I ultimately decided to chase my bliss while working full time.
It was.....hard. But rewarding.
Now, I have a wife, kid, grandkids , and a home. And many of my contemporaries have cycled through several of each.

 

[HolmeBass]

I tried playing music exclusively for a couple of years when I was young. Even practicing got to be a job! I missed problem-solving and technical work.

So I kept music as a moon-lighting gig, mostly weekends, pick up a few $k a year to pay for gear, and it keeps me off the golf course.

 

[skier 913]

Hey TB. As my 21 year old son approaches college graduation I'm left wondering "what if"? He's an astounding musician. Tons of awards, free college, played all over the world, etc. He's going to be a professional musician. His path is one that I started 30 years ago and then quickly turned away from. I've had great gigs over the years, but I've always had a "day job". At 23 I was offered the bass duties in a band that ended up touring the world and being somewhat famous. I turned it down because I got a 9-5 at a genetic lab (my degree). I knew guys who did it, it wasn't the life for me. How many of you guys/gals were once full time pros? As in, your main source of income was being a musician and had no FT job?

Diversity is the key against 1 thing bringing you to a halt. But that's not saying getting so spread out that you never get far in any one direction. Always follow your heart and gut feelings.