Members inscho Posted November 2, 2006 Members Share Posted November 2, 2006 I just want to see what everyones opinion is on this, because its constantly on my mind. I'm fairly young (22) but time is passing quickly and it seems all of my projects are doomed for failure...I go through periods where I'm really enthusiastic and positive about it all, but then there are periods like now that make me wonder if I'm doing the right thing.....I have 2 years of college under my belt and keep pushing back school, because I always seem to have a project going around the time of registration... So when do you stop chasing the dream of making a living with music...to get a career and join the real world? For those older than me....what did you decide and how do you look back on your decision? are you a bedroom rocker, play in a cover band during the weekend, or are you still struggling to 'make it'? Do you have any regrets? and by 'making it' I don't mean radio hits...I mean making enough money to reasonably survive. because I know that the chance of making millions in music is near impossible. Drop some knowledge on me! Sincerely,Troubled in Tennessee Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TheAtomicJeff Posted November 2, 2006 Members Share Posted November 2, 2006 You're still young = finish college while youth is on your side. You won't be sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Tonemeister87 Posted November 2, 2006 Members Share Posted November 2, 2006 World all week, gigs on the weekend I'm just here to have fun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members KjStrat62 Posted November 2, 2006 Members Share Posted November 2, 2006 Your onlyy 22 . You got plenty of time. I'm 45 and a burned out postal employee. I still play guitar and in aband. I won't give up till i die!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members terry_nunn Posted November 2, 2006 Members Share Posted November 2, 2006 {censored} college. i wish i'd pitched it all in to pursue music full time. you can ALWAYS study later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members scott_335 Posted November 2, 2006 Members Share Posted November 2, 2006 i guess I threw it in when i my parents wouldnt cosign for college. I wanted t go to berklee, even moved to boston, but it didnt work out. I play in a band and everyhting, but I doubt plan on making money with music. Wow, that sucks to admit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members lostandfoundpdx Posted November 2, 2006 Members Share Posted November 2, 2006 well, i'm in the same boat as you, just a tad older... i'm 25, i blew off college three years in because i was in a gigging band and felt like it was gonna work out... which of course it didn't. now, i have no education (i'm a kitchen manager at a bar for gods sake) i play in a band with a bunch of 30 year olds who like floyd and dave matthews, attempting to drag them kicking and screaming into the real rock world. here's my solution: finish school, you REALLY should do that, just so you have the lame job in your pocket when you need it. do that by moving to portland, go to PSU, hang out with me and devi @ effector 13 when he moves up here and blow some {censored} up fuzz fabulous. mainly, move here, we'll start a rad jangly indie rock band and make millions of dollars, and pay off both our student loans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members erksin Posted November 2, 2006 Members Share Posted November 2, 2006 Finish school - ASAFP. Do you realistically see a way for you to make ends meet playing locally? Are you ready to hand over your financial well-being to the other guys in your band? Because thats who is going to determine your success - it's a team effort. Finish school, get a decent job and gig - if the band works out, quit your job. But finish school - its what is going to get you through the rest of your life... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sainty Posted November 2, 2006 Members Share Posted November 2, 2006 i think i'm going to give it 2 years after university and then it just becomes completely just for fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hbar Posted November 2, 2006 Members Share Posted November 2, 2006 Originally posted by Tonemeister87 World all week, gigs on the weekend I'm just here to have fun + bajillion. Work all week to fund whatever gear you want. If you've got skills and desire, there will always be people to play with, esp. at college. Luckily for me I had just taken up guitar before I went to college, so "doing music" wasn't something I had even considered. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Sir H C Posted November 2, 2006 Members Share Posted November 2, 2006 Think about the Flaming Lips. THey kept at it and were pretty much concidered done at about 35 when 2 years after the album came out, "She Don't Use Jelly" made it big. Boom, a career. Others like that are getting more and more common. So until you die, you should keep on making music. And the phaser sounds great. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NITEFLY182 Posted November 2, 2006 Members Share Posted November 2, 2006 See Im 21 and about to graduate. My problem is I cant find people talented enough to do what I want to do. Everyone in my band struggles to keep up when I write something complicated. I write a song and everyone says "thats awesome" and 4 weeks later they still cant play it. Im looking forward to graduating and trying to find a place where there are tons of people that can seriously rip and be dedicated like I am. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members The Great Waldo Pepper Posted November 2, 2006 Members Share Posted November 2, 2006 Never surrender your callings to "reality". If you do you will live the rest of your life with a deep pain you have to repress. Eventually you will be able to deny the reality of that pain as being merely "immature". You start to believe everybody else is by nature evil and become conservative. To paraphrase a hero of mine Kevin Danaher. "You can do a lot of things for money. But if you follow your callings and pursue your dreams chances are you will be good at it and in time money will come due to that." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Dr.Picklebottom Posted November 2, 2006 Members Share Posted November 2, 2006 finish school and really learn. i mean keep your head up and actually learn dont just fade into the scenery and just sit there. playing in a band on the weekends will pretty much mean youre halfassing school and the band. after youre out and see what job opportunities are available to you, you can see if you enjoy working a 9- 5 that pays well. people that are able to support themselves with music are rare. dont want to be dream killer, but thats the truth. i love music and always will but i dont want to be poor to prove it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members inscho Posted November 2, 2006 Author Members Share Posted November 2, 2006 Originally posted by Sir H C Think about the Flaming Lips. THey kept at it and were pretty much concidered done at about 35 when 2 years after the album came out, "She Don't Use Jelly" made it big. Boom, a career. Others like that are getting more and more common. So until you die, you should keep on making music. And the phaser sounds great. see that is definitely something I have considered...I mean my favorite songwriter is 34 and is just now starting to become known...its very encouraging. I have to get out of the mentality that if things don't happen they are never going to happen....but for some reason the thought of going back to college seems like giving up. and that is great news about the phaser, you are a god amongst men! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GuyaGuy Posted November 2, 2006 Members Share Posted November 2, 2006 Originally posted by inscho I just want to see what everyones opinion is on this, because its constantly on my mind. I'm fairly young (22) but time is passing quickly and it seems all of my projects are doomed for failure...I go through periods where I'm really enthusiastic and positive about it all, but then there are periods like now that make me wonder if I'm doing the right thing.....I have 2 years of college under my belt and keep pushing back school, because I always seem to have a project going around the time of registration...So when do you stop chasing the dream of making a living with music...to get a career and join the real world? For those older than me....what did you decide and how do you look back on your decision? are you a bedroom rocker, play in a cover band during the weekend, or are you still struggling to 'make it'? Do you have any regrets?and by 'making it' I don't mean radio hits...I mean making enough money to reasonably survive. because I know that the chance of making millions in music is near impossible.Drop some knowledge on me!Sincerely,Troubled in Tennessee i don't know why you're making it an either/or thing.you study. you make music. that's it. we've had numerous threads (http://acapella.harmony-central.com/forums/search-function's-not-working) about bands on indie labels (of any kind--metal, indie rock, etc.) who were huge successes and also working 9 to 5's. the guy from Neurosis commented that he makes more money as a schoolteacher than he ever did as a musician. i've also frequently quoted the Shins interview where they said after their first huge US tour and critically acclaimed album they had to go back to Albuquerque and look for jobs at the local record stores. so all i'm saying is that the chances of you making it so big that music is your income are indeed slim--esp if you're not interested in playing local blues bars every night and so on, which i don't think is your bag. you can be a hit in the music world and still need a job. there's a story told by composer Philip Glass. his Einstein on the Beach was being performed at the Met for the first time in the 70s. it was over budget and he was driving a cab to pay the bills. he picked up a swanky lady who saw his name on the badge and commented "my, do you know that you share a name with a VERY famous composer?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gil1 Posted November 2, 2006 Members Share Posted November 2, 2006 Why is going to school the mark of "the end of playing music?" If anything, I think a day job gets in the way of music more. I went to school, and played in a band constantly at the same time. I wouldn't take a class if it started earlier than 10:00. I went to band practice 3 times a week and played out. Do both. But I would finish school. I know too many people who are 40 and work at Guitar Center or Starbuck's or something because they didn't finish school. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members NITEFLY182 Posted November 2, 2006 Members Share Posted November 2, 2006 Word on the school and music deal. My band usually plays at least one show a week, sometimes more. Often I have a full day of class, load up, play a show, and go home to wake up for another 8 am class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Devi Ever Posted November 2, 2006 Members Share Posted November 2, 2006 Originally posted by catalinbread To paraphrase a hero of mine Kevin Danaher. "You can do a lot of things for money. But if you follow your callings and pursue your dreams chances are you will be good at it and in time money will come due to that." I was really struggling to write some succint advice, but then I read that... and well... there you go. It's the god's honest truth. devi- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members inscho Posted November 2, 2006 Author Members Share Posted November 2, 2006 Originally posted by gil1 Why is going to school the mark of "the end of playing music?"If anything, I think a day job gets in the way of music more.I went to school, and played in a band constantly at the same time.I wouldn't take a class if it started earlier than 10:00.I went to band practice 3 times a week and played out.Do both. But I would finish school.I know too many people who are 40 and work at Guitar Center or Starbuck's or something because they didn't finish school. well to support myself I would still need to work a fulltime job in addition to fulltime school there isn't much room for music related stuff....which means for about 2 or 3 years I more than likely won't be in a band or gigging.... EDIT: and after getting out of school I'd probably be close to 26 and I don't know if I'll have the same enthusiasm that I do know... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members gil1 Posted November 2, 2006 Members Share Posted November 2, 2006 Oh, well, my folks paid for school, so it was pretty clear to me what to do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members GuyaGuy Posted November 2, 2006 Members Share Posted November 2, 2006 Originally posted by inscho well to support myself I would still need to work a fulltime job in addition to fulltime school there isn't much room for music related stuff....which means for about 2 or 3 years I more than likely won't be in a band or gigging.... EDIT: and after getting out of school I'd probably be close to 26 and I don't know if I'll have the same enthusiasm that I do know... poppycock. i didn't even own an electric till i was 28. and look how far i've gotten! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jasonfuzz Posted November 2, 2006 Members Share Posted November 2, 2006 Originally posted by GuyaGuy poppycock. i didn't even own an electric till i was 28. and look how far i've gotten! Unemployed and posting on the internet all day long? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members inscho Posted November 2, 2006 Author Members Share Posted November 2, 2006 Originally posted by gil1 Oh, well, my folks paid for school, so it was pretty clear to me what to do. yeah if only....once I got out of school I'd have all the loans to pay off...which would also hinder my musical flexibility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TheAtomicJeff Posted November 2, 2006 Members Share Posted November 2, 2006 Originally posted by Mr.Picklebottom people that are able to support themselves with music are rare. dont want to be dream killer, but thats the truth.i love music and always will but i dont want to be poor to prove it. +1. Inscho, believe me when I tell you this: I've worked for a large corp for 25 years. I hired in at 19 years old and without a college education. Decades ago you could do that. Not anymore. I'm the last of a dying breed - in other words, no degree, no big job. You may not aspire to work for a corporation and that's ok. But if you do, they won't even look at you without a degree. My company recruits their new hires right after college and they have a big program supporting it. Other corps do too and that isn't going to change, especially when your competition are foreign immigrants who are degreed. Companies are hiring them faster than you know. Like I said, a corporation may not be for you but the benefits and pay are very nice. You can't do it without a college degree these days. Believe me when I tell that it only gets harder as you get older. Once you start a family and get a mortgage, etc., college will be a tougher commitment vs. now while you can still get a head start. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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