what can i do with my life?

how old are you...do you know how difficult it is to become either a musician or an artist...ever heard of the term ''starving artist'' or ''out of work musician''?..the ones that make it in the music business are incredibly dedicated and willing to sleep in vans and lug their own amps in and out of venues as well as being their own promoters and booking agents..they also must practice and rehearse for thousands of hours in shitty warehouse eating pizza and macdonalds at 2am on their way home for 2 hours sleep before they get up and go too a shitty day job as a security guard at a tobacco warehouse so they can buy the next effects peddle or yet another 15 dollar set of guitar strings because the cheap ones break while on stage at a fucking high school because you need the 500 bucks to pay bail for your stupid drummer that is addicted to heroin...besides..you sound incredibly fucking lazy

 

What's the difference between a pizza and a musician that doesn't get radio play?


A pizza can feed a family of four...

 

This isn't meant to be an insult, just truth. If you think you're too good to sweat you are either completely clueless or completely worthless. You could try stealing money to buy lottery tickets but don't get the instant kind...you could break a sweat rubbing the film off the numbers

 

no no no. creative minds should not join the military. they will try everything they can to take that creativity away from you. Its in their best interest to make sure there are no free-thinking individuals enlisted.

Just relax. You're a sophomore in high school, right? Don't sweat it. Here is a secret...most grown up adults don't know what to do with their lives. They just don't want anyone under 18 to know that, its a giant conspiracy, so shhhh.

Also, there is nothing wrong with manual labor. If you want to pursue something creative, manual labor is a great supplemental income while you're trying to achieve your dream.

 

Not the army - please not the army - The object there is to break you down and rebuild in as a soldier - doesn't necessarily mean bad - just not you.
How important is stuff to you? If you're not into stuff then you really won't need much - find some putsy job so music and art can be your life - My son has decided on that - art and music - but he works at Best Buy so he can eat - and he has a degree in computer graphics. Lives with 2 other guys and drives our old 1995 Pontiac - and that's the way he likes it.
If you're into stuff you better find a trade - ie electrician, plumber, carpenter. Don't put down sweat man - if you love your art, music and yourself you may just have to learn to love it.

 

I've said it once, I've said it a million times 1% of professional musicians are making a living playing music. Out of that 1% only 1% of them are "Rock Stars" and even they are millions of dollars in the hole because they don't have any business skills. I walk past some of the most talented musicians I've heard daily in the BART stations who have the skills as musicians but lack the other shit that doesn't have a damn thing to do with musical ability such as a marketable image.

Being a good musician isn't enough in this day and age. You also need people skills. If you can't get 3 or 4 people to get along well enough to have the same artistic goals then you are sunk. Then there is the bullshit tolerance skills because not only do you need to be able to put up with stupid ego bullshit from people in your own band you also have to put up with it from booking agents and other bands. Then there is the fact that most gigs don't pay shit. The most I've made on a gig was $100 to split among 4 people. Most people in bands make their living on Merch like t-shirts, hats etc. Then booking agents will double book shows because musicians are notoriously flaky and will break up before the day of the gig because of schedualing conflicts or just plain interpersonal bullshit.

Here's a couple of videos of a world class player I took lessons from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ya-SAuuWqEg"]YouTube - john mclaughlin - blue in green -

After playing with this Trio and Billy Cobham's band he ended up playing bass through a Pignose in BART stations in SF as an illegal immigrant to pay bills. He did come back so to speak. Here's another video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPrw5j5o3qE"]YouTube - Garaj Mahal @ Mystic Hot Springs ~ Witch Doctor ~

He drives a beat to shit mini van and teaches out of a shared studio in West Oakland. This guy is a world class player. He actually turned down a chance to teach at Berklee College of music in Boston upon his graduation.

By all means be a musician. Stick with bass because it is the ultimate non-glory position and everybody needs a bass player. But realize that education is important because one thing the world doesn't need is another stupid musician. I'm well read on numerous subjects because I hate that stereotype.

Don't count on being a rock star. In order to do that you don't necessarily need to be talented. You only have to be sellable i.e. have the right haircut, clothes, and a little charisma. You'll end up spending more on clothes then gear and become another self centered asshole. The world has enough of them too.

It seems like you have your head in the stars but you don't have your feet planted. Easy pickings dude. Everybody here seems to be giving you the cold splash of reality but you don't seem to be hearing it.

Stay Brown,
Rev J

 

I was reading this article about Jimi Hendrix that came with a vinyl album of his that I bought a few months ago. This women who worked at a record label he was eventually signed to went out to lunch with her boss and Jimi one day. Because Jimi went from a poor, black, army drop out kid, to Jimi Hendrix so quickly, he apparently lacked some real people skills according to her.

She said he didn't even know how to order food at the restaurant. She told him to look at the menu, Jimi told her what he wanted to eat and got her to order for him. Apparently he ate with his hands too.

 

But Hendrix was also kicked out of Little Richards band (he was "Too Flamboyant") and the Isley Brothers band too.

Jimi also had a Marketable Image, and Incredible Charisma. He was also surrounded by "handlers" with business smarts who were considerably tougher than he was to protect him from the uglier sides of the business. Even at that he was once kidnapped by Mafia Goons.

Hendrix
Elvis
Jefferson Airplane
The Greatful Dead
The Doors
John Lennon
Michael Franti
James Brown

All of these performers have FBI files. They have been surveilled, had their phones tapped, been arrested, and harassed. The question for the OP is do you think you can handle this?

Stay Brown,
Rev J

 

rev..a hundred bucks between 4?what year was that...damn brother...you did choose a diffrent line of work,no?...i am assuming you are a guitar player...dont you know that drummers will work for food?...you could have paid him off with french fries and a beer?

 

listen i dont want to do ANYTHING else i do have fair people skills accually most people i meet say the same thing "your weird... but your the cool kinda weird its not a bad thing though" ive allways been told this and i look like a modernized bob dylan in his younger years
i wouldent mind working at mcdonalds or something to just get by... as long as i can get a ramen noodle for the night, water a lighter and extra money for other stuff i can survive... and id deffinetlly like it i dont even need a real home id like a van! i wouldent have much to do other than play bass get high and go to work... id like living a low life

 

Check back in here after a few years and let us know how life is treatin' you. You are one of those people who can only learn by experience so get out there and do it. Since your mind was already made up why on earth did you even ask for advice. At 16 you already know more than the combined experience of many men and women 3 and 4 times your age. With that kind of advantage you should be able to do anything. I won't even wish you good luck...you won't need it. You do have my sympathy though.

 

i cant tell if your serious or not lol
but i am taking you guys's advice its like... i allready have the giant marble cube sitting infront of me... now im letting you guys help me chip at it to make it into something speical... thats whats happening :/ my mom and dad got mad when i told them my plans... my moms gonna put me on the street for a week or something and let me be a hobo for a lil while to see what im getting myself into...
ima bring my bass, a lighter, and a bag of one extra pair of clothes a penceil or 2 some paper and a knife cant wait

 

OK Kid. I've met at least 50 of YOU in the past 15 years. Here's my full advice:

First, it was suggested that you get a tutor and bring your grades up. Definitely do that. Education is a must no matter what you do. You may hate it now but it will make life easier in the long run.

Second, you said you are already taking bass lessons. Tell your bass teacher that your goal is to get into music school. Have him teach you what the requirements are to getting in. It is alot of work but worth it. If you have a local community college that has a Jazz Band and some theory and ear training courses take them. While you're at it take some voice lessons too.

Third, go to music school. The best in the US are Berklee College of Music in Boston and MI (Musicians Institute) in LA. These places give you the tools and skills to make a living as a musician and the contacts you can make there will make making a living as a musician easier. Remember though that music schools are about "Skills" not "Creativity".
Also while you are there take some Recording Classes, Music Business Classes, and Voice Lessons (More about the latter in a minute).

Finally, when you get out of school (if you were smart enough to take the other advice given to you) you should also have some contacts in the business. Look into joining the AFM (American Federation of Musicians). The dues are about $250 last time I checked but it gets you benefits. Union Scale for a Session Musician is about $30 an hour. You remember all of the Voice Lessons I suggested well if you play bass and sing that is doubling and is about $50 an hour. Plus all of that education that you got playing bass you can then make about $80 an hour giving bass lessons. Plus with all of those musical and personal skills you developed you can also play in a couple of bands.

As for living on the street to see what it is like. Since you come across as an arrogant little know it all with no street smarts to save your life. First you will get a beat down and your bass will be the first thing to go. Then the cops will bust you for vagrancy you better hope that you don't have any pot with you because that can lead to arrest for posession followed by probation until you are 21. Since you "Don't like to break a sweat" and have no job skills to speak of you will probably starve to death or piss off someone else who is a professional street person or "Hobo" who has no respect for human life and will probably beat you and leave you for dead in such bad shape that they have to use your fingerprints and dental records (that is if he doesn't knock out all of your teeth before he does) to identify your body. That is if they find the body.

The average fine for Pan Handling is about $250 if you cant raise that you at least get 3 hots and a cot until you go to court or beg your parents to bail you out. Then mom and dad will show up with the "I told you so" look on their faces and you now owe them $250 that you don't have because you are obviously too good for work.

Stay Brown,
Rev J

 

Isn't this what they do already?

 

Only if you are a sheep.

 

You're not Bob Dylan, you're not Kurt Cobain, and you're not John Lennon. You're just young and apathetic because you have absolutely no idea what reality is really like due to the small size of your scope.

The real world sucks. Either get a job, or go live in a van and reach for that hobo dream. By the way, vans need gas, repairing, and insurance payments. All that shit requires money, and lots of it. It's also becoming increasingly difficult to live in one's vehicle as cops crack down on that sort of thing when they see the foggy windows in the morning which are a dead giveaway.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_YK9wVK6IQ"]YouTube - What to expect out of life...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nhgfjrKi0o"]YouTube - I LIVE IN A VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER

 

Lunar, man. What are you doing draggin reality into this for? Myth and self deception are the anchors of American life...will you get with the program..:mickey:

 

lol

I'm Canadian my friend. We have a different version of reality than America does. It's less scary and more realistic.

 

I've heard that from lots of people. I'd love to experience it sometime....but I've also heard about your winters!!! eek