Members Darten Posted July 8, 2008 Members Share Posted July 8, 2008 I think you should quit school.... It will make my job hunting easier. Just kidding, never give up on school, an education is only a waste if you don't get it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fuzzball Posted July 8, 2008 Members Share Posted July 8, 2008 An education is also a waste if it is not used. I hate it when students go to college to get a piece op paper stating they have a degree, yet they don't know how to apply it. They get through with cheating or short term memorization, then when they really need to apply it they are stuck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members YeahDoIt Posted July 14, 2008 Members Share Posted July 14, 2008 You might leave school and be a musician. I suspect school will still be there next year if you choose to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Drew5887 Posted July 14, 2008 Members Share Posted July 14, 2008 I love my day job. And I love music and that's my hobby. Summary - Unless your music is absolutely fantastic, get a real career and do music as a hobby. But make sure you really enjoy your career. That's my advice after all those words. It really really bothers me when people say that I should keep music as a "hobby" because a "hobby" is when my uncle does calligraphy or wood carving. A "hobby" is when my grandmother used to bedazzle clothing. When I am as disciplined and hardworking as I am about music, it is not a goddamned hobby. That word is way too trivial to describe it. Just because I am not doing it professionally doesn't mean that its some quaint little activity that I sometimes like doing every other weekend. Is there a better word than hobby for it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fuzzball Posted July 14, 2008 Members Share Posted July 14, 2008 Well it is not your profession, you are not making money.....that is a hobby. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlueStrat Posted July 15, 2008 Members Share Posted July 15, 2008 It really really bothers me when people say that I should keep music as a "hobby" because a "hobby" is when my uncle does calligraphy or wood carving. A "hobby" is when my grandmother used to bedazzle clothing. When I am as disciplined and hardworking as I am about music, it is not a goddamned hobby. That word is way too trivial to describe it. Just because I am not doing it professionally doesn't mean that its some quaint little activity that I sometimes like doing every other weekend. Is there a better word than hobby for it? You know, lots of golfers invest thousands of dollars and a good portion of their life in to playing golf well, and are passionate and dead serious about it, but that doesn't make it a non-hobby. Tell you what, if "hobby" bothers you, consider it a side job until you start making most or all your income off of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fuzzball Posted July 15, 2008 Members Share Posted July 15, 2008 A side job....I like that. My recording studio and band are a side job. I make money with them but it is not my day job (my major source of income). I still call music my hobby....even if it earns money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members knobrock Posted July 15, 2008 Members Share Posted July 15, 2008 There's a lot of great advice here, OP. As for my 2 cents... I've come up with a couple of examples of different success stories for you about a couple of friends of mine in the industry; One went to college, but always anticipated that he'd be a successful performer and he became just that, but after finishing college. Those formative years were a drop in the ocean compared to the success he enjoys today.On the flip side, I have another friend who also plays for an international act, but is broke (bad management, bad PR etc) and just scrapes by when he's not touring. We chatted once about regrets and he said he regrets not finishing college and being unqualified to do any kind of job outside music if his career completely stalls.If it were 1974 and you had a brand new sound and record companies had money to burn, it might be a good gamble, but these days, it's just not viable and a college degree is gonna be treated like gold in years to come.Good luck with it all though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members germanicus2112 Posted July 15, 2008 Members Share Posted July 15, 2008 Dont get caught in the term "hobby". Hell Van Gogh painted as a hobby (he never sold a painting until the very end of his life. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Drew5887 Posted July 15, 2008 Members Share Posted July 15, 2008 if you guys don't see hobby as a trivial little thing, then I can definitely move past it. I guess that I had always had the wrong impression of the word. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members soundwave106 Posted July 15, 2008 Members Share Posted July 15, 2008 if you guys don't see hobby as a trivial little thing, then I can definitely move past it. I guess that I had always had the wrong impression of the word. No, hobbies can be very time-consuming and even earn pocket change, and still be hobbies to me. I only called my music career "semi-pro" during the years when The Taxman started noticing our band's income. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fuzzball Posted July 16, 2008 Members Share Posted July 16, 2008 No, hobbies can be very time-consuming and even earn pocket change, and still be hobbies to me. I only called my music career "semi-pro" during the years when The Taxman started noticing our band's income.Nice...Exactly don't think the term "hobby" is bad. I earn money with my "hobby" all of the time, heck it fells better than calling it work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jaxn slim Posted July 16, 2008 Members Share Posted July 16, 2008 Nice... Exactly don't think the term "hobby" is bad. I earn money with my "hobby" all of the time, heck it fells better than calling it work. No doubt. Calling it work would automatically deduct like 20 fun points. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fuzzball Posted July 16, 2008 Members Share Posted July 16, 2008 The last thing I need is a fourth job:) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Nijyo Posted July 17, 2008 Members Share Posted July 17, 2008 No, hobbies can be very time-consuming and even earn pocket change, and still be hobbies to me. I only called my music career "semi-pro" during the years when The Taxman started noticing our band's income. Heh, yeah. If it makes it feel less like woodworking to you, think about how "hobby" income has particular meanings to the IRS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Vermoulian Posted July 17, 2008 Members Share Posted July 17, 2008 I think the non-hobby word you are looking for is "avocation". It conveys a more serious interest. "Hobby" can include very frivolous things; an "avocation" is something important to you, that you are passionate about. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Drew5887 Posted July 18, 2008 Members Share Posted July 18, 2008 I think the non-hobby word you are looking for is "avocation". It conveys a more serious interest. "Hobby" can include very frivolous things; an "avocation" is something important to you, that you are passionate about. yeah I guess it's just words. music is fun and satisfying regardless of the name you give it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlueStrat Posted July 18, 2008 Members Share Posted July 18, 2008 yeah I guess it's just words. music is fun and satisfying regardless of the name you give it. These days I call it "shoveling money down a hole." :poke: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bdemon Posted July 18, 2008 Members Share Posted July 18, 2008 I just posted a blog called the Guitarist's Guide to Getting Rich on my site. Not so much about a backup plan...more about personal finance and common sense for musicians so they can continue doing what they love, drawn from my own experience (and a bunch of reading). I got some positive feedback about another blog on the Lesson Loft board, so I was inspired to try another one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cruciatus Posted July 18, 2008 Members Share Posted July 18, 2008 The funny thing about the term "hobby" is it's only pejorative when you're looking at others'. People are of course typically pretty maniacal about their own. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fuzzball Posted July 21, 2008 Members Share Posted July 21, 2008 These days I call it "shoveling money down a hole." :poke: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members cg_25 Posted August 17, 2008 Members Share Posted August 17, 2008 ...You also to have think about the fact that unless you make a MASSIVE amount of money playing music even if you get famous now, you're still going to need something to fall back on unless you can become someone like Clapton. BINGO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members richardmac Posted August 17, 2008 Members Share Posted August 17, 2008 My friend Miché called his own music career a "pitiful indulgence," but he was kidding, I'm pretty sure. I played out tonight and made 5 bucks an hour - dead night. Ah, the glamorous life of the hobbyist, err, semi-pro, err, ah, whatever musician... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlueStrat Posted August 17, 2008 Members Share Posted August 17, 2008 I played out tonight and made 5 bucks an hour - dead night. Ah, the glamorous life of the hobbyist, err, semi-pro, err, ah, whatever musician... I hear ya. Last weekend I did a two nighter, 125 bucks a guy a night. But it was 56 miles away one way, so that's 225 miles @15/gallon in my truck. 225/15=15 gallons of gas. 15 gallons x 4 bucks = 60 dollars. 250 dollars pay -60 gas = 190 dollars. Gig time including drive, set up and tear down-7.5 hours/night or 15 hrs. $190/15 hrs=$12.66/hr. And that's a GOOD weekend around here anymore. That's why I do more and more solo and duo stuff right here in town. Last Monday I made 100 pay plus 47 in tips for 3.5 hours sitting down and needing only an acoustic guitar, my gig bag, and a mic stand. Took me 5 minutes to set up two minutes to tear down and ten minutes to get home (by 11 pm, no less). The whole night was 4 hours, and counting gas, I made about $35.00/ hour. Hmmmm.....hump lots of gear for $12 an hour or very little for almost 3 times as much? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jdwhitak Posted August 17, 2008 Members Share Posted August 17, 2008 I agree with everyone else. Having a back up plan is a wise decision. Long ago I realized that I had better chances of winning the lottery than making it to rock stardom. I went to college and I now have a four year degree in Marketing from one of the best business schools in the country. I've pretty much decided to make music more of a hobby. However, a recent opportunity may allow me to play at a local casino and make up to $3200 additional income a month. I don't think that's too shabby! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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