Who here has guts enough to..

[nonsqtr]

Quit their full time job and decide to make music their career?

Been there, done that. Music is a lot more fun as a hobby.

How many people here put up with dip wad bosses, living paycheck to paycheck...

What, you don't think that happens in the music industry?

...and have finally decided to practice every day with their band and start to go on the road gigging with professional musicians?

It sounds a lot more glamorous than it really is.

huh? huh? anybody got enough guts to do this?

Yeah. So many guts they're spilling up into my brains.

 

[CJ_Marsicano]

Been there, done that. Music is a lot more fun as a hobby.




What, you don't think that happens in the music industry?




It sounds a lot more glamorous than it really is.




Yeah. So many guts they're spilling up into my brains.

You must really get off on saying "What if?" on a regular basis then. What a shame.

If music were just a "hobby" to me I'd be playing in some dipsh*t bar band halfassing through songs I don't like. If I had a dollar for every lame band I turned down for artistic/personal reasons...

 

[jive1]

If music were just a "hobby" to me I'd be playing in some dipsh*t bar band halfassing through songs I don't like. If I had a dollar for every lame band I turned down for artistic/personal reasons...

I'm the opposite way. If music were just a hobby to me, I would just play in some original band playing my tunes, regardless of how unmarketable my band is. I wouldn't care if I played gigs, or how many people I drew, or how many CDs I sold, or how much money I made. All that would mean nothing to me because it's just a hobby, something I did with my spare time that is for my recreation.

Because it's a profession, I don't get to do whatever I want. Just like my job as a web developer doesn't let me make the coolest websites, my profession as a musician doesn't let me play the coolest of tunes. I'm sure there's plenty of professional musicians who had to play "Mustang Sally" whether they liked the song or not.

Music can be a part-time activity, but it doesn't mean it's not a professional one. I still file my income, I part-take in the legalities of business, I have to manage and work with others, I have goals to meet, tasks to organize, things to create and develop, etc. In my experiences, I have found plenty of part-timers that were much more professional than their "full-time" counterparts.

 

[CJ_Marsicano]

I'm the opposite way. If music were just a hobby to me, I would just play in some original band playing my tunes, regardless of how unmarketable my band is. I wouldn't care if I played gigs, or how many people I drew, or how many CDs I sold, or how much money I made. All that would mean nothing to me because it's just a hobby, something I did with my spare time that is for my recreation.

Because it's a profession, I don't get to do whatever I want. Just like my job as a web developer doesn't let me make the coolest websites, my profession as a musician doesn't let me play the coolest of tunes. I'm sure there's plenty of professional musicians who had to play "Mustang Sally" whether they liked the song or not.

Music can be a part-time activity, but it doesn't mean it's not a professional one. I still file my income, I part-take in the legalities of business, I have to manage and work with others, I have goals to meet, tasks to organize, things to create and develop, etc. In my experiences, I have found plenty of part-timers that were much more professional than their "full-time" counterparts.

Not too sure how the scene is in VA, but here in Northeastern Pennsylvania there are a lot of part-time rockers doing just what I described - half-assing through the same small pool of covers. Desiring to do original material or have a cover repitoire outside of classic rock, Southern rock, hair-metal, or bar-band standards - unless you're willing to be in a "token" emo/nu-metal band and I am under the impression lately that things are being made even more impossible for those that choose to step outside of these boundaries (even though listeners and gig-goers around here are looking for something DIFFERENT).

Check this website: Link Removed. This is from my home area - what few bands do have originals in their set list (and have their own CDs out) are frequently discouraged from playing their own material. Disgusting.

 

[wblaze]

Over the past year I had the chance to quit the day job and pursue music full-time.

My day job is as a software tester, and I play bass in several local original bands. After a few years of networking, I finally got my "big break" and landed a gig working for a pop/rock band on a major label. Modest weekly salary (only when touring), per diem, cheap shared hotel room, paid rehearsals. I was able to take several leave of absence's from the day job, and was grateful for the awesome experiences I had touring. I did several 4-6 week tours with this band, playing all over the country, opening for an alternative pop/rock star with a medium level of fame.

After a couple of tours, the day job couldn't afford me any more time off, and I was faced with a tough decision. In the end I chose the day job, realizing that my pursuit of music doesn't have to include working for this particular band. I really wanted to pursue my own music, and also don't want to depend on staying on the road to make a living - it's a blast, but not for me. Though working as a hired sideman can be great, you are there to play parts as written, with a certain bass tone, have a certain look, etc. The tour salary wasn't much, but almost enough for a single guy living cheaply to get by - provided you tour a lot, and have a very flexible gig to fill in the gaps.
After having a full experience with this band, I was honestly feeling a little restless, and felt I was giving up too much by losing the day job, so I stuck with it.


I don't feel that I gave up my dream of playing music, but instead redefined it!

Music can be a part-time activity, but it doesn't mean it's not a professional one. I still file my income, I part-take in the legalities of business, I have to manage and work with others, I have goals to meet, tasks to organize, things to create and develop, etc. In my experiences, I have found plenty of part-timers that were much more professional than their "full-time" counterparts.

This is where I'm trying to get to as well! Though currently I'm having a hard time finding others with this mindset - I'm getting possible auditions, but with bands that are strictly a hobby, or that really want to "make it". Neither of which are bad, but I'm looking for something in the middle!

 

[Bruce Lindfield]

Quit their full time job and decide to make music their career? How many people here put up with dip wad bosses, living paycheck to paycheck and have finally decided to practice every day with their band and start to go on the road gigging with professional musicians? huh? huh? anybody got enough guts to do this?

I'm with a lot of people here - music as a career seems a lot more glamorous than it actually is ! I was in a band that had a contract with EMI in the 80s - but they stopped promoting us and we were basically stuck for 2 years, unable to do anything!

"dip wad bosses" are much more prevalent in the music industry - although they're usually called A&R men or some such!

In my current day-job I am respected as an expert, am allowed to be flexible in my working hours/location and am well-paid! Whereas, in many professional gigs I have played, I have been treated on the same basis as the people who came to clean the toilets or serve sandwiches - or worse!

As in - go and sit in that room for the next 3 hours and don't talk to the guests or disturb them in any way and don't touch the food or drink until all the guests have had theirs!!

 

[P. Aaron]

Not too sure how the scene is in VA, but here in Northeastern Pennsylvania there are a lot of part-time rockers doing just what I described - half-assing through the same small pool of covers. Desiring to do original material or have a cover repitoire outside of classic rock, Southern rock, hair-metal, or bar-band standards - unless you're willing to be in a "token" emo/nu-metal band and I am under the impression lately that things are being made even more impossible for those that choose to step outside of these boundaries (even though listeners and gig-goers around here are looking for something DIFFERENT).

Check this website: Link Removed. This is from my home area - what few bands do have originals in their set list (and have their own CDs out) are frequently discouraged from playing their own material. Disgusting.

The scene you describe isn't really that unusual anywhere. All the radio stations where I live talk about "live and local" and "Original Detroit Rock" but, it's largely lip service.
If the local scene ain't workin' for you, venture forth to other regions and see what happens.
But don't knock those of us that play covers. I'm not realizing my total musical dream, but the audiences are good entertainment for me. Getting paid helps too.

 

[Davehenning]

Check this website: Link Removed. This is from my home area - what few bands do have originals in their set list (and have their own CDs out) are frequently discouraged from playing their own material. Disgusting.

Well, from the looks of what I quickly glanced at on that site, those bands are playing gigs where the bookers/owners understandably do not want original music. The band is being payed to play songs people know to help expedite the process of selling large quantities of lager. ie. they get drunk, dance, sing along and spend money. I would not call it disgusting, I would call it just running a business.

 

[nonsqtr]

You must really get off on saying "What if?" on a regular basis then. What a shame.

Well, the point was more that I get to remain in control that way. If you're working for someone else when you're doing music, then suddenly you lose a lot of control. Instead of getting to play with a mix till you're happy with it, now suddently you have deadlines, and limits on how much studio time you get to use, and worse yet, they might get someone else to produce your stuff, and that person might twist your music into something that's completely opposite to what you had in mind. Remember the old Billy Preston song, "they took my simple song, and turned it into a symphony?"

That's the kind of thing I had in mind. These days, I produce all my own music. I sell the "finished product". I don't have to deal with the personalities in the music industry (well, most of the time). I can bypass the middlemen in that process, and go directly to the end user (the "client"). So from my point of view, that's largely equivalent to executing music "as a hobby". In other words, from that standpoint, I'd do things just the same as if I were just goofing around in my home studio. The only difference is, that someone might end up buying the song eventually, instead of it sitting on a CD somewhere in my house.

And, I can choose to tour or not tour, when I want. I don't have any contracts that say I have to produce two records a year. I can produce one, ten, or none at all if I want. I don't know, my creative mind seems to work "when it wants to", not when "someone else wants it to". I've learned that about myself, and of course everyone's different in that regard. Some people seem to be able to call that stuff up "on demand". Me, I've learned that whenever I get the urge, I go to the studio. It works "for me", 'cause I have several different things I do in terms of day jobs (one of which is to be a studio tech, but there again I work "as needed", which means I get to remain in control over my schedule and my activities). That's worth a lot, that way I get to spend time with my family when I want to, and when they want me to. The record industry would have to pay me an arm and a leg to get me to give that up, and it doesn't sound like they're willing to do that.

 

[puttz buster]

Yep, been doing 4-5 covers gigs a week for the last 4 years. the work is out there for shure, alot of excellent paying ones too.
Given up playing originals for the time being though, Its hard to serve 2 masters. Get in there and do it because there is plenty of gigs, even if you have to play different styles and bands

 

[CJ_Marsicano]

Well, from the looks of what I quickly glanced at on that site, those bands are playing gigs where the bookers/owners understandably do not want original music. The band is being payed to play songs people know to help expedite the process of selling large quantities of lager. ie. they get drunk, dance, sing along and spend money. I would not call it disgusting, I would call it just running a business.

For me it became really disgusting. After over a decade of playing other people's choices in covers one gets unsurprisingly tired of being part of a human jukebox, which is why I've turned down just about every offer I've gotten to play in such bands lately. I think after a near-lifetime of being a sidemouse I deserve to be in charge for once.

 

[DWBass]

Quit their full time job and decide to make music their career? How many people here put up with dip wad bosses, living paycheck to paycheck and have finally decided to practice every day with their band and start to go on the road gigging with professional musicians? huh? huh? anybody got enough guts to do this?

I wouldn't do it but if I lost my job, I would turn to music fulltime in a heartbeat! I wouldn't quit my job though. I like having health benefits.