<p>It could be argued that very little about music is practical in the sense that some would argue that the odds of being successful are so small and being an art is not ‘practical’ as let’s say being an accountant is, but I assume you are talking about being able to make a career out of it and be successful at it. </p>
<p>In terms of making it as a famous musician, if you are talking the classical world I would tell you the odds of in fact doing that are next to zero. With most of the classical music world the road to ‘success’ , especially on an instrument like Piano, is to a large extent based in a lot of years of heavy duty practicing and learning, that it is to a large extent the amount of work put in (also known as the 10,000 hour rule and so forth). I can’t think, at least in the classical world, of a ‘natural talent’ who has made it in that world…</p>
<p>Outside of clasical music, it is a different world in my view. In terms of pop music, it is different, obviously, because there are many different paths/tracks there, and it doesn’t require someone with the level of training of a classical musician (lot of self taught musicians out there…). In pop music it is about a variety of things, skill as a musician is one part of it (there are plenty of “Gods” in rock music, for example, who are known to very few people and a lot of famous rock stars who as musicians, well, let’s just say they are okay). On the other hand, it is no easier to become ‘famous’ in pop music if you measure it in terms of the likelyhood of doing so (for every Rolling Stones, for example, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of bands and performers struggling to get noticed and so forth). I would say given your late start, it would be a lot more likely to make it as a successful pop musician then as a classical pianist:).</p>
<p>I don’t know a lot about recording engineering or music industry training, but one thing you should keep in mind with that is though it seems practical (since it involves a’ real job with real skills’ i.e recording engineering, producing, etc), in terms of practicality you need to look at the reality of the industry, which quite frankly is going through a major period of flux as well, The model is changing, CD sales have plummeted, and the industry itself is contracting, and more and more production is happening with the musicians themselves. While I think there is going to be a market for recording engineers and producers and agents and such, I also think that more and more the recording is going to be done by the musicians/groups themselves, and then the ‘record companies’ end up as distribution agents or marketing, rather then actually producing the product (or more likely, there will be some combination of self producing and in house producing). It would mean instead of being an in house person, hired by a company or something, you may end up more as an independent producer or engineer, marketing yourself and making in effect yourself ‘famous’ on that end…I also think you should do some research, try and find recording trade journals, read business articles and the like, and also of course look at the web site of music profession schools, since my advice is not from a music professional, just as observations looking in. </p>
<p>The best piece of advice I can give was given to me by someone who decided not to go into music, after pursuing it and actually trying to make it. He said that the answer to your question is to look at yourself, and say “I want to do this, it is seriously the only thing I can see myself doing”, and if you can wake up each morning and that is the answer, to go for it; but if you can see yourself doing other things, that as much as you like music or music production you can see other paths, it may be wise to choose them. Only you know the answer, but with music because it tends to be so difficult a path, it needs to be at the level of passion IMO to really make the attempt.</p>