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The middle class musician


sabriel9v

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I think the whole question boils down to a couple of things

A number of factors have influenced the 'perceived revenue stream' and into the real revenue stream.

Recording arts & sciences:
The proliferation of recording and delivery solutions into the hands of the average person has deflated the percieved value. Sources of revenue from speculative investment and licensors/buyers have significantly diminished. Where there was once a thriving middle class of studio musicians in Los Angeles who could expect union wages (or better) doing jingles, indie records, demos, etc. That is all but non-existent. The lingering work goes to a smaller list of players and at scale (or less).

A lot of this has to due with the percieved revenue stream. Investors will rarely fund a demo, or record for a new artist with pro players, studio and engineering. Ad agencies will not fund a budget like they used to for a full band or orchestra. Most of the time it's one guy and a bunch of samples.

Live performance Due to diminishing attendance and many other factors, wages have stagnated. Venues are smaller. Where a full band 6 nights a week was the expectation, it's weekends only and a duo or a soloist.

The Punk influence indie DIY ethic did not really hit North America as a grand cultural force until the early '90's. When I was a kid, if your favorite bands were The Clash and The Sex Pistols, you were kind of an oddball or an elitist. Everyone wanted to hear Van Halen, AC/DC, Ozzy, Night Ranger, Journey, etc. I was a true oddball, because I liked it all.

Punk/Grunge & Hip Hop have had a tremendous influence on live music presentation over the last 15 years. I think Country is a bit more traditional, but still impacted by this influence.

I also blame VH1 Behind the Music and MTV's cribs with really fueling the notion that it's OK to take it in the ass when 'paying your dues' due to the imaginary pot of gold at the end of the Rainbow. Clubowners and the general public have also bought into this MYTH. The musical middle class has disintegrated largely due to knuckleheads buying into their NEED FOR ATTENTION taking precedence over a reasonable fee for services rendered.

A lot of aspiring musicians have allowed themselves to be exploited mecrilessly because of their fundamental lack of understanding that if you want to make a living at music, Rule #1 from day one is that you are paid. Do you think any of the rap guys do it for free? They don't They are all about hustle. That is a fundamental part of their credibility. It's all about the 'G's'

My father was a working musician from the Depression era until he passed away in 2002. Later in life he owned music stores and was a civil engineer. He still gigged into his mid-'70's. I came up knowing the rules of musicians from that era. They would laugh at the mess the business is in now.

Public perception of value - What are people willing to pay for? The industry has always been driven by that. The greed, overcapitalization, oversaturation and ignorance of quality is actually becoming our ally. That's the secret to the re-emergence of the musical middle class.

Since everything is polarized. It's all about the Niche market.
Specialize - Figure out what you do well that is something someone wants to hear or pay you to do.
Live trends:
Tribute bands This offshoot of the big 'faux arena' touring showband of the 70's & '80's is where some of the middle class lives. Obviously, you need to sound damn close. In So Cal I know of 5-6 tribute bands making a good living this way.
Dueling Pianos This is a huge trend. The Howl at the Moon club chain does a land office business. It is part comedy act, lounge act and 'men of a 1000 songs' with audience participation. Take that approach and spin it with something else. (I have a side project with another guitarist/songwriter doing this and it is lucrative.)
Live band Karaoke A cover band that knows a boatload of songs and can fake their way through stuff can do this. You MC the night and I've seen it pack 'em in. Everyone who secretly wants to be a contestant on American Idol or Rockstar will trudge out to a bar on Tuesday night with 5 of their friends to cheer them on.

(more later)

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That's not a 'musical middle class'; those are amateurs (in the true, not the denigrating sense). My question was simpler - were are the people who can make a middle class living as musicians?



My answer was, they are mostly hobbyists now. :) Music as a career has largely dwindled away, though it's still out there here and there.

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Ironically, after reading through this entire thread, I'm in the musical middle class. I agree that the definition does vary a lot depending on what region of the country you live in. I currently play in a cover band that does all kinds of gigs - club shows, private parties, weddings, festivals, casinos and corporate events. And, I consider myself very fortunate to be able to do what I love for a living.

Away from the routine, I do a fair amount of freelance work when time permits. I prefer being a sideman/hired-gun/freelance/jobber/sub and any other thing you want to call it. It's fun, pays well, keeps me sharp, keeps the wheels greased and offers a nice detour musically.:) I really love it, but it's not for everyone. I get to do the thing I love the most: PLAY, while avoiding the part I hate the most: Band Drama.

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I think the whole question boils down to a couple of things


A number of factors have influenced the 'perceived revenue stream' and into the real revenue stream.


Recording arts & sciences:

The proliferation of recording and delivery solutions into the hands of the average person has deflated the percieved value. Sources of revenue from speculative investment and licensors/buyers have significantly diminished. Where there was once a thriving middle class of studio musicians in Los Angeles who could expect union wages (or better) doing jingles, indie records, demos, etc. That is all but non-existent. The lingering work goes to a smaller list of players and at scale (or less).


A lot of this has to due with the percieved revenue stream. Investors will rarely fund a demo, or record for a new artist with pro players, studio and engineering. Ad agencies will not fund a budget like they used to for a full band or orchestra. Most of the time it's one guy and a bunch of samples.


Live performance
Due to diminishing attendance and many other factors, wages have stagnated. Venues are smaller. Where a full band 6 nights a week was the expectation, it's weekends only and a duo or a soloist.


The Punk influence indie DIY ethic did not really hit North America as a grand cultural force until the early '90's. When I was a kid, if your favorite bands were The Clash and The Sex Pistols, you were kind of an oddball or an elitist. Everyone wanted to hear Van Halen, AC/DC, Ozzy, Night Ranger, Journey, etc. I was a true oddball, because I liked it all.


Punk/Grunge & Hip Hop have had a tremendous influence on live music presentation over the last 15 years. I think Country is a bit more traditional, but still impacted by this influence.


I also blame VH1 Behind the Music and MTV's cribs with really fueling the notion that it's OK to take it in the ass when 'paying your dues' due to the imaginary pot of gold at the end of the Rainbow. Clubowners and the general public have also bought into this MYTH. The musical middle class has disintegrated largely due to knuckleheads buying into their NEED FOR ATTENTION taking precedence over a reasonable fee for services rendered.


A lot of aspiring musicians have allowed themselves to be exploited mecrilessly because of their fundamental lack of understanding that if you want to make a living at music, Rule #1 from day one is that you are paid. Do you think any of the rap guys do it for free? They don't They are all about hustle. That is a fundamental part of their credibility. It's all about the 'G's'


My father was a working musician from the Depression era until he passed away in 2002. Later in life he owned music stores and was a civil engineer. He still gigged into his mid-'70's. I came up knowing the rules of musicians from that era. They would laugh at the mess the business is in now.


Public perception of value - What are people willing to pay for? The industry has always been driven by that. The greed, overcapitalization, oversaturation and ignorance of quality is actually becoming our ally. That's the secret to the re-emergence of the musical middle class.


Since everything is polarized. It's all about the Niche market.

Specialize
- Figure out what you do well that is something someone wants to hear or pay you to do.

Live trends:

Tribute bands
This offshoot of the big 'faux arena' touring showband of the 70's & '80's is where some of the middle class lives. Obviously, you need to sound damn close. In So Cal I know of 5-6 tribute bands making a good living this way.

Dueling Pianos
This is a huge trend. The Howl at the Moon club chain does a land office business. It is part comedy act, lounge act and 'men of a 1000 songs' with audience participation. Take that approach and spin it with something else. (I have a side project with another guitarist/songwriter doing this and it is lucrative.)

Live band Karaoke
A cover band that knows a boatload of songs and can fake their way through stuff can do this. You MC the night and I've seen it pack 'em in. Everyone who secretly wants to be a contestant on American Idol or Rockstar will trudge out to a bar on Tuesday night with 5 of their friends to cheer them on.


(more later)

 

 

While your dichotomy of the live scene is not bad, I'd like to throw in some people who might not have mentioned. DJ's and producers who have access to cheaper musical instruments and recording studios, session players, label entrepeneurs, pr people, managers etc. Anybody within the music industry who can comfortably pay their bills and eat just from making an income off music. I suppose what I was getting at in the original post is that this new "middle class" might be largely responsible for many of the new roles within in the industry. This is directly tied to technology and how much easier it is to access technology.

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Not to sound harsh, but I would consider being in a cover band still being a hobbyist. Even leaving aside the various impediments to breaking big as a musician, you wouldn't be able to break big as a cover band even if they weren't there.

 

 

I'd have to disagree. I made a good living in the 80s in a cover band. 400-500 dollars a week in 1980 dollars for a 25 year old kid is as much or more than I could have made as a plumber or a framer. And I only worked 24 hours a week. I did play 14 of my original songs as well, but the covers were the bread and butter.

 

In those days, you pretty much couldn't break anywhere unless you were a cover band. All the hair bands of the 80s, all the big 70s and 80s pop stars, all played covers before they got signed.

The whole 'play nothing but originals and play 10 songs a set once a week in a club with 4 other bands' format didn't come into existence as a standard means of 'making it' until the 90s.

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I didn't mean hobbyist in the sense of making no money, I meant in the sense that it's not in the same league as trying to make it on your own as an original artist. It's kind of the 'working for Ikea' of music in a way, or so it seems to me. I did it also, so I'm not saying it's beneath me or anything, and it was fun to do. But you aren't putting your own soul out there for others to ridicule.

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Not to sound harsh, but I would consider being in a cover band still being a hobbyist. Even leaving aside the various impediments to breaking big as a musician, you wouldn't be able to break big as a cover band even if they weren't there.




Who said anything about trying to break big as a cover band? LOL. I'm merely talking about the economic factors of playing music, while earning a middle class living. If it's paying the bills, it's not a hobby. Trust me.;)

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The whole 'play nothing but originals and play 10 songs a set once a week in a club with 4 other bands' format didn't come into existence as a standard means of 'making it' until the 90s.

 

 

Bingo:idea:

 

That's precisely one of the reasons why so many young artists have such limited capabilities. If you haven't had to bang out 3-4 sets a night on the road to pay you rent, you don't know the difference between chops and Road chops.

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I didn't mean hobbyist in the sense of making no money, I meant in the sense that it's not in the same league as trying to make it on your own as an original artist. It's kind of the 'working for Ikea' of music in a way, or so it seems to me. I did it also, so I'm not saying it's beneath me or anything, and it was fun to do. But you aren't putting your own soul out there for others to ridicule.

 

 

 

LOL. You seem to be torn between artistic integrity and earning a living, while misconstruing what the two actually mean.

 

Again, it's not about making it as an original artist or playing from the soul. Gratifying things? Yes. Only they often don't pay the bills. And, I'm not willing to suffer or die trying.;) In the end, it's about getting to do something your passionate about. The bonus? Earning a comfortable living.

 

The other thing is, self-admittedly, I'm a greedy bastard and absolutely refuse to play for free. I haven't spent my life and thousands of dollars invested on gear to play music for an occassional ego stroke, beer money and a club that smells like margarita vomit - only to endure endless ridiculing and my personal favorite...indie credibility. I work for the salad! The hell with the carrot!

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Who said anything about trying to break big as a cover band? LOL. I'm merely talking about the economic factors of playing music, while earning a middle class living. If it's paying the bills, it's not a hobby. Trust me.
;)



+1 :thu:
btw I'm not in a cover band. But the original concept of the musicians middle class is to include all people in the industry who are economically sufficient based upon money made from music.

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Bingo:idea:


That's precisely one of the reasons why so many young artists have such limited capabilities. If you haven't had to bang out 3-4 sets a night on the road to pay you rent, you don't know the difference between chops and Road chops.

 

 

Gtrbass and Bluestrat. Once again spot on!!!!:thu:

 

 

I'll add one thing to that nugget of advice: "It's called Learning the craft of music and Paying your dues"!!!

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Again, it's not about making it as an original artist or playing from the soul. Gratifying things? Yes. Only they often don't pay the bills. And, I'm not willing to suffer or die trying. In the end, it's about getting to do something your passionate about. The bonus? Earning a comfortable living.

 

 

Hence my Ikea comment. There's nothing wrong with it, but I just don't think it does much for the music world per se. It's just a job, like working at Ikea. It's a better job than working at Ikea of course, and the drugs and chicks are probably better (though I've never worked at Ikea so I don't want to misrpresent what it's like to work there.) Anyway, I'm not trying to make a big deal out of it or insult anyone, I'm just expressing my opinion.

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I'm of a somewhat different view...eh, different folks, different stuff - I don't think it's disagreeing so much is it's just different ways of thinking, different histories, different perspectives

Artistically, I find that a musician doesn't have to be a composer and that a performer's interpretation of a piece can be a recognition and expression of a human commonality that the composer was exploring. A form of connection which can pass from composer to performer to audience

I think it ws old man Bach who said words to the effect "Some usher in a new age, others complete an older one"...(he was criticized, even by his kids, like CPE, for being stilted)

Beyond that, or may part of that, I find value in music-as-craft. I find, well I matured into it (I am not implying that anyone else is not mature...except for my past self), that sometimes it ain't about me. Sometimes I serve and try to take great care in that as craft (be it music, or SW engineering, or cooking, or IP stuff, or fixing a bicycle).
I dont, personally, find that antithetical to art, but actually part of it...the inhale as opposed to the exhale of creativity

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Music is a craft. Not everyone has something compelling to say. The craftsmanship has been eroded precisely becaus of the loss of the middle class.

 

 

Is this middle class you're referring to largely consist of cover bands and session players?

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But you aren't putting your own soul out there for others to ridicule.

 

 

Sure you are, if you have anything on the ball.

 

When you play covers, the average person in the club doesn't know if every song you play is a cover or one of your own. I played originals in the 80s and made an album (vinyl! I'm old) but I couched my originals in with the covers I did. Too, I play a mix of popular and more obscure 'B' side covers, and always have.

 

What the audience looks for is passion and whether something sounds good, is well played and delivered with conviction. There are some covers I play that I put WAY more of myself into than anything I've written, because they move me in a way that nothing I can come up with does, and it is said better than I could say it. The crowd is looking for conviction, not writer's credit.

 

Still, I see your point, and would say that an original artist risks more by walking the line without a net.

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Hence my Ikea comment. There's nothing wrong with it, but I just don't think it does much for the music world per se.

 

It's not supposed to. It's merely entertainment. Supply and demand dictate that fact. We offer a service, are paid a fee for that service - which earns us a living. The clubs we play profit from liquor sales, while keeping patrons happy by serving good drinks, offering a pleasant atmosphere and booking good entertainment, which equals having a good time. Everyone wins.

 

 

 

It's just a job, like working at Ikea. It's a better job than working at Ikea of course, and the drugs and chicks are probably better (though I've never worked at Ikea so I don't want to misrpresent what it's like to work there.)

 

It might be a job, but selling and schlepping furniture all day it's not! LOL. I get to do something I love doing without the uniform mandate and back pain. And, thankfully I don't have to tell you about the cafeteria's latest special on swedish meatballs while trying to sell you a bunch of 3rd World furniture made out of press board and cheap laminate.

 

 

Anyway, I'm not trying to make a big deal out of it or insult anyone, I'm just expressing my opinion.

 

None taken.:)

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You know, I'm only in my 20s, but I've been able to stick to my principles so far. Mine are realistic, and they're not there to make things rougher for me.

They're there to makes things better for me. I'd bet the house on them too.

I agree completely with the Ikea statement too. Cover bands add nothing to the world of music. Years from now, they won't even be a tiny speck in music's history. It takes all of the art out of it and turns it into a strictly business venture. Just about the numbers.

It's just a job that plays a basic role in the economy. You don't say anything, and you add nothing to the punch bowl.

I'm not saying it's below me or anything; I've played in cover bands/ projects. I love playing covers. I'm past the stage of just copying the songs. I add some new ideas into them now, but I still keep the main spirit of the original. I don't play covers anymore for money, but my group does jam on them. It's a lot of fun if you dig the tunes.

I'll never play in a cover band again though. A cover project as in a one night gig as part of a tribute show? Yeah, those are always fun for me. Had a lot of fun doing this Beatles tribute night a few years back. I just am not interested in trying to make a living off covers, you know?

Like, I don't want to teach music, and I don't want to be 40 playing some Rolling Stones songs in a bar. I'll either succeed with my work, or I'll go into a different field. If I can't play the right way, I'd rather just not play. I'd honestly rather get into law than spend my life working in a cover band. I understand some of you have families and all of that, but I've always been one of those "business" types. We're coming from totally different areas. We place value on different things in our lives.

Also, I don't know how it was decades ago, but the average band around here sucks. You should have seen these guys at this one gig - middle aged, fat, no sense of pitch... and they tried to play some Bee Gees stuff!

It's not to say there isnt any good live music around here, it's just that you run into a lot of crap. Was this always the case? It's like that one George Carlin quote: "You have some winners, but most are losers."

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Hence my Ikea comment. There's nothing wrong with it, but I just don't think it does much for the music world per se. It's just a job, like working at Ikea. It's a better job than working at Ikea of course, and the drugs and chicks are probably better (though I've never worked at Ikea so I don't want to misrpresent what it's like to work there.)

 

 

One thing I found, playing covers, is that you get exposed to a whole variety of musical techniques, phrasings, and styles that you often may not think about elsewise. Plus, 3 sets vs. the one typical set an original band does these days helps your musical stamina, I suppose. It probably does nothing for the musical world as a whole, but as a musician it can broaden your horizons a bit...

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There was a much larger music "middle class" back then:
- Composers, arrangers, bandleaders for all types of music
- Working clubdate/wedding/omnipop musicians who did not have to compete with DJs or karaoke
- non-star jazz players who actually had an audience
- up-and-coming coverbands and original acts
- a virtually exploding pro recording scene

etc. Many more possibilities to make a GOOD living as a local musician, possibilities that are much more rare today.

So...while super drunk last night, my friends and I compared political structures to the music industry. In our drunken states we stumbled upon this very odd theory or notion. During the 70's, the music industry was very polarized. There were superstar groups and on the other end of the spectrum you had your broke and barely surviving punk bands and music oddities. Because of technology, we're at a point now where people can experience a relatively great amount of success without a label. Understanding how everything was so polarized in the 70's, do you think the industry is trying to cope with the emergence of a "music middle class"? In other words, people who aren't huge superstars...but not completely broke and they are leaders in their niche market. How does this new class of musicians affect the industry? Discuss
:snax:

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One thing I found, playing covers, is that you get exposed to a whole variety of musical techniques, phrasings, and styles that you often may not think about elsewise. Plus, 3 sets vs. the one typical set an original band does these days helps your musical stamina, I suppose. It probably does nothing for the musical world as a whole, but as a musician it can broaden your horizons a bit...



Try doing 5 hour nights, 6 nights a week - for months or years at a time. Not only will that improve your stamina, but it will make you a better, more rounded player (as noted above), it will give you the opportunity to learn how to entertain people (a VERY different thing than simply learning the craft of being a musician), it can give you insight into what makes a great song that the crowd responds to and, since it can be a living in 4 hours a night, you have 6-8 hours a day available for individual practice and for group rehearsals. The musicians who did those sorts of gigs were, as a general rule far better musicians than the average schmoe today who plays his band's original music. They had better ears, better technique and better retention of hundreds of songs from all across the musical spectrum. And though you may not think that it 'does nothing for the musical world as a whole', you might need to re-think that; cover bands were most peoples' first and best exposure to live music - and even today, a great dance group can make people who would otherwise never even consider the possibility that you could get out and dance to live music. Some of you might think that it's cheesy, but I personally get a large kick when I see a a partner in a law firm doing the Gator to Shout.... :)

The folks at those gigs are having fun - and anything that bring a little joy into the world is a good thing.

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I'll never play in a cover band again though.

 

 

This statement almost assures that you will.

 

You might not want to now, but you never know what you'll think or be doing when you're 40 or 50.

 

 


Cover bands add nothing to the world of music.

 

 

Maybe. Or maybe your idea of 'cover band' is a limited one.

 

I just watched a Ray Charles concert at Montreaux from 10 years ago. Lots of the songs he played were covers. When he first started, most of his records were covers. BB king recorded mostly covers through his entire career. Ditto Frank Sinatra, Tony Bennett, as well as early Stones and Beatles.

 

Did they add 'nothing' to the world of music? Or is your idea of a cover band just the schlepps you see like us with day jobs who play the Pastime Tavern on Saturday night?

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You know, I'm only in my 20s, but I've been able to stick to my principles so far. Mine are realistic, and they're not there to make things rougher for me.


They're there to makes things better for me. I'd bet the house on them too.


I agree completely with the Ikea statement too. Cover bands add nothing to the world of music. Years from now, they won't even be a tiny speck in music's history. It takes all of the art out of it and turns it into a strictly business venture. Just about the numbers.


It's just a job that plays a basic role in the economy. You don't say anything, and you add nothing to the punch bowl.


I'm not saying it's below me or anything; I've played in cover bands/ projects. I love playing covers. I'm past the stage of just copying the songs. I add some new ideas into them now, but I still keep the main spirit of the original. I don't play covers anymore for money, but my group does jam on them. It's a lot of fun if you dig the tunes.


I'll never play in a cover band again though. A cover project as in a one night gig as part of a tribute show? Yeah, those are always fun for me. Had a lot of fun doing this Beatles tribute night a few years back. I just am not interested in trying to make a living off covers, you know?


Like, I don't want to teach music, and I don't want to be 40 playing some Rolling Stones songs in a bar. I'll either succeed with my work, or I'll go into a different field. If I can't play the right way, I'd rather just not play. I'd honestly rather get into law than spend my life working in a cover band. I understand some of you have families and all of that, but I've always been one of those "business" types. We're coming from totally different areas. We place value on different things in our lives.


Also, I don't know how it was decades ago, but the average band around here sucks. You should have seen these guys at this one gig - middle aged, fat, no sense of pitch... and they tried to play some Bee Gees stuff!


It's not to say there isnt any good live music around here, it's just that you run into a lot of crap. Was this always the case? It's like that one George Carlin quote: "You have some winners, but most are losers."

 

 

I couldn't see it more differently. I never got into a cover band to make a living per se, it just happened to work out that way. An opportunity came along and here I am - having fun while earning a "middle class" living doing what I love - playing music.

 

It's true what was said earlier about being exposed to playing covers. You learn a lot of styles of music, while at the same time learning about the craft of songwriting and arrangement. And Bluestrat beat me to the punch! I was going to say the Beatles and Stones too!!!!:thu:

 

I understand some people's attitudes towards cover bands and how they do nothing for the world of music. My original point was talking about earning a middle class living and contributing my experience to the board - not one's preference for playing or not playing in a cover band. Sheeeeessshhh. I forgot how the word "cover band" freaks people out around HC.:lol::lol::eek: It's not like I'm on some committee or crusade trying convert people to it. LOL.

 

Oh, last but not least, you mentioned going into law? Not an easy career choice there. No sir. That's a huge commitment. 4 years as an undergrad and 3 additional years at an accredited law school - provided you get in. Plan on having no life at all. Go buy a book called Law School Companion by the Princeton Review. A good friend of mine is a corporate lawyer for Pepsi. He specializes in trademark law etc. The stories he told me about law school we're brutal. Best of Luck!!!

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