https://nmbx.newmusicusa.org/going-it-alone-2/
Personally I think this fails to mention the problem directly, that composer remain in school exactly because of the economics of a career composing. PhD and DMA programs offer funding, stipend (however inadequate), teaching experience, a teacher, peer musicians or visiting ensembles, performance spaces and opportunities. School is a safe umbrella to develop as an artist without working at another job 40+ hours a week to afford the rent.
Such a shame that the difficulties of trying to be creative and break new ground outside of the mainstream are compounded by the difficulties of merely trying to survive (and yet I guess it could be argued that those challenges MAY help foster the outsider mindset that tends to find ways to break that new ground?). I just moved back to a town where, in the ‘80’s, artists and musicians who couldn’t afford to live in NYC (somewhat after the halcyon days Glass referred to there!) moved, and it was fantastic to be here then. Now it’s almost as expensive as NYC, and most of the artists and musicians have moved on, sadly…
As a poet who was NOT affiliated with any academic institutions, I found it a little frustrating–the “connections” that seem to help one’s “career” in what is now dishearteningly referred to as the "po’ biz" seem to be found to a large extent within academia (although not entirely). MFA programs are spitting out record numbers of poets, who are forced to compete with each other for tenured positions–the “publish or perish” thing. So I have sympathy for them as well.
I digress:) But yeah–I definitely see your point about the “safe umbrella,” even though I know very little about the world of professional composing.