How many of you are professional musicians? When I say that I mean really live out of your music. If you are I'd like to know if you made some kind of studies in music (or else, as a second option). I'm asking cause at the time of my life when I must really choose my path...
bro, i know a ton of musicians, i've recorded a bunch of cd's and played all over. i might know 2 or 3 people out of 50 or 60 that can just play and that's it. go for it, totally! but have a back-up plan. you're young so you've got time. my one friend played for John Mayer and Charley Hunter and we saw him one night on Letterman!
I would say degrees and education are definately NOT the way to go. All the best bands are self-taught and just went with it. Take the Beatles. They didn't have any education in music. John played his guitar as a banjo, tuning the first four strings to banjo intervals and ignoring the last two, then graduated to playing it as a guitar. Paul learned guitar AND bass on his own, by listening to his favorite music and mimicking it. He also had some help from his dad I expect. George sat for hours playing and playing until he got it all perfect. Ringo learned the drums in the hospital. Do you think they'd have been big if they had been professionally trained in their instruments? I doubt it. Learning that way you gain ability but lose soul. The Beatles had quite a bit of ability, but they had soul in spades. None of them were technically good musicians, yet they're the biggest band in history. Something to think about.
The percentage of competent musicians making a living from only music is really tiny.I do it,but in the last few years it has been a real struggle. It used to be possible to be a local/regional musician and be in the lower middle class.That seems to be ending. For the vast majority of musicians,it's a part-time job.It's a fun one,though! If you think (as objectively as possible) that you have the talent,desire,and dedication to be a full-time musician,then by all means aspire to it. If you have the means,go to college and get a music degree.Someday you might want a steady paycheck teaching.Something else to fall back on isn't a bad idea,either.A degree in something that you wouldn't hate doing. It isn't just talent etc that gets you there.Part of it is luck.The entertainment business isn't logical or sensible. If you're serious about it,you should be taking lessons and practicing your ass off right now.
I am taking lessons and I am practicing my ass off. No joke, I think I play more than 10 hours per weeks, I`m a bit obsessed, I already composed a dozen of riffs... Unfortunately...
I disagree. The people who make it big are almost always the people who just wing it. They don't make backup plans, they just go with it. Are you wanting to be a solo artist or a bandmember? What kind of music do you play?
Been playing sax for about 27 years overall, made my living doing it for about 8-9 years. It's not my sole source of income anymore, but I definitely still play pro (just got back from a gig in Long Beach right now, as a matter of fact). When I was in college, I was putting in anywhere from about 8-14 hours a day practicing, and did that for a couple of years. Some random thoughts: - Making a living playing music will open up some experiences that you otherwise might not have had in life. I've gotten to tour Japan, Amsterdam and Germany. - if you want to be a performance artist, you have no business taking classes. You need to be in a practice room going at it for hours and hours a day. - DO learn your instrument and do it well. Make SURE you practice and understand music theory right down to the core. You can be self taught, but if you're in a recording studio and someone plops down music in front of you, you need to make sure that you can do stuff like cite read, have a good sound, and play great time. If they don't like you, they may not tell you, but you won't get called back. - don't expect people to understand the passion or take you seriously - Be prepared for tax ramifications. You get 1099'ed for everything legit. If you make something like $400 (or is it $600? I don't remember) with any particular band, you are required to report it. - Be prepared to be competing for gigs with guys that have been doing this 20 years longer than you have, and they'll be making the same amount of money you will. - Be prepared that you will be given no health insurance. Everything there is an out-of-pocket expense. - It's hard to get credit. Just try buying a car if your income from gigging is spotty. There's more, but in general, understand that the music business is just that - it's about 90% business and 10% music. Playing great is only one small part of the equation. I'm not trying to discourage you from doing it, I'm just going by how I lived and what's happened to other guys that I know doing it for their living. It's not an easy path.
Thanks for the thoughts. I do play several hours a day so I think I'm on the right track. Definately a band member... I'm a guitarist, I play hard rock.
Such is my aspiration as well. But not hard rock, just plain rock. Being in a band pwns being a solo artist IMO.
too many guitar players out there! if you want to play in good bands drums and bass are the way to go.
I want to be a professional singer and songwriter but I'm not yet. I would rather do that than anything else though. I just need to work much harder at it for one thing. I should learn to play some instruments too. It would be better than relying on others to add music to my songs,so. Good luck to us all! Peace, Michelle
It all depends on what kind of musician one wants to be and cen be. Being a good performer is important nowadays because ppl ears don't tollerate the 60/70 imprecisions. So to study to get a good technique is not bad at all. Especially if you think to yourself mainly as a perdormer (bass player, guitarist and so on). Of course to be a good musicians just studing is not enough. In my opinion it is good just not to be less than anybody else. A good creative is an artist and an experimenter. In this case some schools and teaachers can really wash your brain. An excellent technique doesn't make the artist. Neverthless an artist must have a good technique. So my advice is study study study if you want to be a professional. But know that being a professional is not being an artist. Also keep in mind that you have to be really good in developing relationshipss. Alone you won't make much of the way. Good luck
