If you can imagine yourself doing anything else...

What do you think about step ‘g’ in the following:

http://dannybarnes.com/blog/how-make-living-playing-music

Some jobs are physically and/or mentally tiring so there are some conditions I would say.

ps in previous post I wrote “not” rather than “now”- need my glasses!

and I meant to say step ‘h’, maybe ‘q’, too.

I would be wary of conventional wisdom and I would be wary of anyone else’s advice. My son has heard the conventional wisdom from many people that he shouldn’t pursue music as a career unless he can’t imagine doing anything else, and his stock answer is “I can’t imagine doing anything else”. But obviously that can’t be literally true. He can imagine doing lots of things. What he can’t imagine is doing anything that gives him as much fulfillment and pleasure and joy as music. So he’ll keep pursuing music unless and until it becomes clear that it’s not working. And then he’ll figure out his plan B if he needs to.

In the meantime, while it’s fine to read through Danny Barnes’ (or any other working musician’s) 29 steps on how to make a living playing music, I think you should only pay attention to what resonates with you. Every musician’s path is unique in some respects and there’s no “how to” guide. Honestly, Danny lost me at number 2 before we even got to the letters (2. if you don’t have the music where you want it art-wise, you might want to go work on that, this article isn’t going to help you much either. you will be better off by practicing and studying and working on your music instead. you will need to get the art pretty close to where you want it, before you should worry about making much of a living out of it.)

When I talk with my son, he’s never satisfied with his playing. He may be happy with how he plays on gigs, and he’s getting enough paying work these days that it would seem that others are happy with how he’s playing, but he’s never satisfied. His music is not where he wants it to be “art-wise” and maybe never will be. His view is that if he doesn’t keep improving for his entire life, he runs the risk of stagnating. So if he were to wait until his music was where he wanted it to be, he’d never have a career in music. Just one example of why you have to filter other people’s advice for what resonates with you and what doesn’t.

My D heard the “infamous” comment in theatre for the first time. I believe that there were angels singing a beautiful “ahhhhh” in the background as this piece of wisdom was bestowed upon her. And I thought “No kidding, Einstein”.

Sorry to sound so “sarcastic”. And it is an interesting discussion that should be kicked around particularly when a student is in high school and early undergrad (when there is still time to save themselves - lol).

But it isn’t just music majors that face this dilemma - it’s all the history, philosophy, psychology, art, political science etc majors. IMO you get out of school, have some great experiences gigging, travel and just in general “living the dream” (I mean seriously who at 23, 24, 25 wants to sit in a cube all day) and then let it play out. Either it works or it doesn’t or falls somewhere in between.

And having to pay rent can be a great motivator in expanding your idea of what you can and can’t do. If you have a bachelors degree, you’ll most likely find some way to shelter, feed and clothes yourself (even if you could never “imagine” that way at 16 or 20).

And while the Anthony Hopkins quote is certainly good and thought provoking, there is something false about it. There could be an “all or nothing” assumption read into it which is false if you have a bachelors degree (always a fall back). It truly isn’t music or nothing. I think most people get this but maybe not young people who can be more black and white in thinking about job prospects. I could see a student thinking if I get a music degree I have to make it in music or I’ll be unemployed forever! Not true. I think realizing the quote is referring more perhaps to a “state of mind” as opposed to “reality” is important. And of course you should never, never, never give up…until it makes sense…