Members techristian Posted September 16, 2014 Members Share Posted September 16, 2014 IF YOU KNEW THEN, WHAT YOU KNOW TODAY........ would you still be a musician? If , before you ever picked up your first instrument, you were told that you would spend long hours practicing your craft , and then driving somtimes 50-100 miles or more for a paying gig, just to get MINIMUM WAGE or less, would you still be a musician? If someone told you that the Internet would open the floodgates to FREE MUSIC ....would you still be a musician? If someone pointed out , the backbreaking moving , setting up and tearing down process.....would you still be a musician? After you have played your instrument for 20 years or more and you see a 10 year old kid on youtube that sounds better than you......would you still be a musician? Yes we can't go back and do it over, but if you knew then what you know today...would you still be a musician? Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vito Corleone Posted September 16, 2014 Members Share Posted September 16, 2014 Yes. 100%. Absolutely. Without question. I got in the business for the desire to play music and perform on stage. "Making it" or getting rich from it was a carrot on a stick that was out there, but that exists with almost any business venture. My happiness as a musician was never dependent on how wealthy I could become from doing so. I've also never had any big issue with being able to make enough money playing music to support myself when that has been what I've chosen to do. Or be able to make enough per gig that I feel fairly compensated. Maybe it's because that's not really my priority goal? If you're playing music because you're adding up the hours you put in to see whether you've reached "minimum wage" or not, then you're in it for the wrong reasons. And if you're doing ANYTHING for the wrong reasons, you'll never be successful at it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ernest Buckley Posted September 16, 2014 Members Share Posted September 16, 2014 IF YOU KNEW THEN, WHAT YOU KNOW TODAY........ would you still be a musician? If , before you ever picked up your first instrument, you were told that you would spend long hours practicing your craft , and then driving somtimes 50-100 miles or more for a paying gig, just to get MINIMUM WAGE or less, would you still be a musician? If someone told you that the Internet would open the floodgates to FREE MUSIC ....would you still be a musician? If someone pointed out , the backbreaking moving , setting up and tearing down process.....would you still be a musician? After you have played your instrument for 20 years or more and you see a 10 year old kid on youtube that sounds better than you......would you still be a musician? Yes we can't go back and do it over, but if you knew then what you know today...would you still be a musician? Dan Good question Dan. As a Church musician primarily I don`t have the same struggles as most. My instrument is in one spot and I don`t travel to different locations too much and even if I do, the instrument is there. I also make a pretty nice living doing what I do so I can`t complain. However, I`m also a songwriter and the part about the internet deeply troubled me at one time and if I`m honest with myself, it still does at times. There was a time in my career prior to 2003 where I felt that I could make a living as a songwriter and performer but then I hit 30, file sharing became the new craze, and other priorities like family and owning a home took over. I met my wife through music and most of my friends. I have a pretty good life thanks to music so I can`t complain. I don`t regret my involvement with music, it has been a tremendous companion and tool on this journey called life. As I mentioned in another thread, going into music for $$$ is the wrong reason. That goes for any career. Obviously you have to pay the bills but your passion should drive your career choice and then the $$$ aspect takes care of itself. I firmly believe that because I have seen it happen over and over again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sventvkg Posted September 16, 2014 Members Share Posted September 16, 2014 I don't think any of us picked up our instruments or were compelled to be artists with ANY OF THOSE THOUGHTS IN OUR HEADS. Only a non-artist part timer thinks like that. We play because we are compelled to and always have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil O'Keefe Posted September 16, 2014 Share Posted September 16, 2014 I would have worked harder, gone to an Ivy league school, and gone into banking or Wall Street. I would have still been a musician (I consider it to be part of who I am, and not just something I "do"), but I probably would have made a lot more money... and to be fair, would probably have been even unhappier... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Anderton Posted September 16, 2014 Members Share Posted September 16, 2014 I started playing guitar because I loved the sound of classical guitar and thought it would be great to play it any time I wanted and hear what I wanted to hear. Hmmm, doesn't sound that different than what I said in one of the threads that was deleted, when I mentioned making music so I could hear the kind of music I wanted to hear. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted September 17, 2014 Members Share Posted September 17, 2014 I'd be surprised if anyone says no. I record strange sounding music anyway. I never got into it to make money or be famous or any of that. That I had a small bit of success along the way was just a by-product of loving to play music. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dendy Jarrett Posted September 17, 2014 Members Share Posted September 17, 2014 NO QUESTION ABOUT IT!! I don't think I ever thought I would get "rich" being a drummer, but I have been able to turn my passion for drums into a good career in the MI industry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members AlamoJoe Posted September 17, 2014 Members Share Posted September 17, 2014 I ain't no musician...I'm a guitar player..And a full time Refrigeration tech...If I had it to do over again I'd have practiced more so I could have thrown myself into music instead of deciding too early in life that I'd starve being a musician..No doubt I'd have starved...Been then I wouldn't be so fat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Notes_Norton Posted September 17, 2014 Members Share Posted September 17, 2014 YES Being a musician is not something I have a choice about. Being a musician is not what I do, it's what I am. I am a live musician, and although I've done some recording (including first call sax at a local studio), the decline of the recording industry doesn't affect me. I almost had that recording contract once, but our lawyers and Motown couldn't agree on money. It seemed that out of our royalties would come the inflated recording and promotional costs and we'd have to sell well over a million records to break even. So when I think of all those one-hit or one-CD wonders, I think of them in a different way than most others do. I make a living playing live music to live audiences. It's not the sob story most people paint. At least for me. I live in a house on a half acre lot about 200 feet from the east coast of the mainland of Florida. It's paid for in full. ... I drive new cars but run them until they cost me more than new payments.... I take vacations every year (last year I spent 3 weeks in Spain and Tangiers).... I've played with famous stars and was treated like an equal, not a fan.... I've had the pleasure of spending quality time with many beautiful females and I hope it was as good for them as it was for me.... I found the best one playing in another band and married her.... I'm living life on my own terms, and not as a subordinate to anyone else.... Most of all, I'm living a very happy life. I'm not rich, and like most people, I would love to have more money, but if I had to do it over again, I'd do it the same way. A wise person once said, "If you make a living doing what you would do for free, you will never work a day in your life." Other than the 2 'day jobs' I had while testing out how the normal world lives, I've never worked a day in my life. Practicing is not work for me. Lugging gear is not any worse than going to the gym (I call it speaker-cise). When I was a tot, my favorite toys were those that made music. I learned things on those little toy instruments by ear. I now play saxophone, flute, wind synthesizer, guitar, bass, drums, keyboard synthesizer, vocals, and computer. I make music every day. Even though I was first sax in the all-state band every year I was in school (and thought I was pretty hot) I've learned that there will always be a lot of players that play better than I do. That doesn't bother me at all. I know that there are a lot worse too. And I know that next month I'll know more than I know today. If I live to be 200, there will still be more to learn. I'm old enough to retire, but I have no plans on doing so. As long as I can still fog a mirror, I'll be playing music, and as long as there is an audience to play for, I'll be gigging. Why? Because I can't imagine not wanting to play. So if I knew then what I know now, would I still be a musician? Definitely yes. Notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Goober(s) Posted September 17, 2014 Members Share Posted September 17, 2014 the OP doesn't at all describe my experience, except the part about working hard. I'm a musician and couldn't be happier. Highly recommended Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members techristian Posted September 18, 2014 Author Members Share Posted September 18, 2014 I suppose I hate to admit it, but music is woven through every fabric of my body. I design software, but it is music software...I built a drum but I could have never done it without my music experience. I record music videos because of music, and made a few CDs. I was hooked on music ever since I bought my first 3" reel to reel recorder when I was only 7 or 8 years old. I even met my wife of 31 years because of music.....and if I never make another penny, I will still practice my drums waiting for that "big gig". In my old age (20 years from now) I will be thankful that the drums are playing a part in keeping me mobile !!! Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members onelife Posted September 18, 2014 Members Share Posted September 18, 2014 [.... Most of all, I'm living a very happy life. I'm not rich, and like most people, I would love to have more money, but if I had to do it over again, I'd do it the same way... contentment is true wealth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Notes_Norton Posted September 18, 2014 Members Share Posted September 18, 2014 contentment is true wealth I am a very lucky person. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members philboking Posted September 20, 2014 Members Share Posted September 20, 2014 From my viewpoint as a Buddhist, expectations and desires stand forth as the ultimate cause of all discontent and unhappiness. Giving those up freed me to do what I do without worrying about success or acclaim, allowing me to concern myself with creating music as art without having to trip over my ego. If I had to start over, I'd have made a different set of mistakes instead of the mistakes that led me here, to what I am now. Ultimately I can't see where it would have been all that different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moderators Lee Knight Posted September 21, 2014 Moderators Share Posted September 21, 2014 Exactly. ^^^ We do what we do. I love what I've done and what I do. It changes but I don't think I'd want to go back... and re-try. I just try, and do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted September 21, 2014 Members Share Posted September 21, 2014 Is anyone going to answer, "Nah....if I knew what I knew today, I never would have become a musician"? I mean, has anyone's sole motivation ever been to make money playing music? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Notes_Norton Posted September 21, 2014 Members Share Posted September 21, 2014 Speaking for myself. I enjoy the money I make as a musician, and of course would love to make more, but money was never the motivation for becoming a musician. The love of making music was and is the motivation. It's my second favorite thing to do, and I get to do it for a living. Notes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members UstadKhanAli Posted September 21, 2014 Members Share Posted September 21, 2014 Exactly. I doubt there's a single person here who would feel otherwise. I've always operated under the general aim of creating music that I love to create, then trying to make money from that. And I enjoy receiving money for creating music. I don't feel this validates me...creating satisfying music does. But it always feels great to receive money for something that I love doing anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Iamthesky Posted September 22, 2014 Members Share Posted September 22, 2014 I would have made very many different choices. They would all have lead to me being a serious musician much, much sooner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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