Or you simply need a sign of progress. You need to see that things evolve - even if they do just slowly. But you need to see it. Otherwise …
Great Thread btw! I struggle with these things as well. Due to a stroke of faith in Februrary this year, i have all day being creative and getting something done and so i thought: Why not trying to make a living out of that?! I have all day now, i should come up with awesome stuff in no time, right?! But the reality is: It doesnt work! I have too much time, i think. I sit there all day - in front of my machines - thinking about the next thing, trying to evaluate what could work on my Channel … but at the end of the day i’m disappointed with the results. They sound not great enough, they are shit - i cant upload that! But if i want my Youtube Channel to grow, i have to upload Videos with the Music, with my Stuff - at least every week! Otherwise i fall behind and the ad-revenue isnt growing anymore.
This Dilemma of stress, of being a bi**h who just has to deliver and who earns raised eyebows instead of recognition - if the stuff was not super amazingly awesome … this lead to a very deep motivation hole for me - right now! But i dont want to give up. I want to deliver, because i like doing this stuff and i like getting that Feedback - if i get it. Its not paying off on the Money side of things - and maybe it never will. But for me, thats not the primary point. I want to be recognized for the stuff i do. And i want people to like my stuff. I wanna read from me on the Internet one day, with people saying: “Heard that new stuff from umonox already? Check it Out” And stuff like that. But its hard work getting there. And if i stop working on my skills and if i give up fighting the constant motivation killers life has on offer, i will never get there. That im sure!
But i’ve chosen this way. Its work for me - but its work i have chosen. And not work a fu**in Boss in a stupid Company has given to me! This makes it feel “right” for me.
I’m not sure because I have a passion for music and that’s in larger part due to the fact that It is done on my own terms.
There’s no pressure, no deadline or bills that rely on it.
I have a feeling that things would change if you would have to do it on a timely manner. Passion would turn into duty and so on.
Now, If I win powerball, I will live in a very musically oriented environment and that’s a given
i came from a family that was usually pushing us towards a “good paying job.” One of my sisters went on to get her Masters from Calarts and I’m super proud of her. She found a great job at a college and she also gets to do what she loves doing which is art. I on the other hand went towards IT (eventually becoming a database engineer), and although it certainly pays well and the company I work for is ridiculously nice to us, I do kind of wish I would have followed what I enjoyed.
Being the bread winner is going to be a hustle no matter what you do (unless you are rich to the point where you don’t have to worry about anything, healthcare and taxes included), so I kind of think the hustle is more rewarding when it’s doing something you love.
i wouldn’t really mind being able to make a living out of music making/art regardless of what comes with it…everything pretty much needs some ‘personal investment’, being it time, money, or anything else…
those who make a living out of music making (or art in general) have to work for that, to keep things ‘alive’ and improve. it sort of becomes a job in the end. it’s of course something that you need to be prepared for. maybe being a musician/artist will take away all your time and it’ll be the only thing you’ll be doing…but i think that ultimately, if that’s what you really want to achieve, well…one has to deal with it at the end of the day and just do it…
money does play its own role in this as if you’ve got ‘some’ of those, things might be somewhat easier but still…and also, you do need to be good i think…or else, well…it won’t probably last long (or maybe this has changed lately? so everyone can be/is a musician/artist? )
so yeah…if anyone figures out how to get this sorted, i’ve got a pen ready to sign the contract
I worked for a music organization when younger and remember the manager of a popular 70s band calling me and asking if we could help the band with any health insurance. I thought that was incredibly sad to go from popular to not having any health insurance when older. That plus seeing musicians struggle plus my own experience gigging (which pays peanuts, of course) gave me a big reality check. I love music but don’t depend on it for one penny. Plus GAS gets expensive and a musician’s income is most often insufficient to satisfy it.
That said, some of my most “alive” and happiest moments were when I was immersed in the music scene full-time playing live shows.
mm…not only that… …an audio/visual installation now and then?..maybe a soundtrack for a short movie? if i could do something like this, well, i would be happy myself…i had the chance few times and i really enjoyed the entire process, even if it meant being up 'til early morning or eating sandwiches for a while…
I’m loving all of the responses I’m seeing on this thread.
For me- I hate performing. So there’s a HUGE element that blocks my path for making a living on that- and I assume, in this hypothetical, you’re not setting your own terms on how you make it your living. So there’s that.
The dilemma of this question is this- if it’s your living, then your music makes more of an impact on society. Theoretically, this seems like an ideal balance of synchronizing your internal environment with external- some from deep inside appeasing the world outside. I’m sure at least a few people in this forum, like me, put their musical creation as the base of their identity- so that would be great. But the lifestyle is the issue. The ideal being: doing what we’re currently doing but getting paid a good amount of money for it- who WOULDN’T choose that?! Being able to write off your GAS explorations on your taxes being a hefty perk that would make me laugh in a joyful disbelief.
The alternative of this is being deemed a “hobbyist” which, to me, understates the significance of this thing.
Ah! The contradictions of life. Like a recluse pining for love
Also i swap Music with Performance because i do think it is not possible anymore to living out of music only : meaning from royalties (maybe not in all music genre…)
yep…but i look at it as a ‘closed environment’ which is hard to enter if you don’t know the right people and maybe find yourself in the right place at the right time…
Nowadays it requires to get ALL SKILLS, ALL PASS (Backstage)… which is a huge requirement on skills, time, money. (without to mention marketing yourself and social) A lot of people drop it at some point… when you started to think : am i wrong ? What i really want ? etc…
And it require a descent amount of luck too…
One secret of the Pros : Being well surrounded, having an entire team worked for the success of the team in the end. Thinking to get there alone is already thinking to make the way on one leg (or even on one toe…)
If you define “success” as “keeping up with the Jones’” - then you are gonna run into problems no matter what you are doing, and no matter where you are. When you talk about “making a living” its probably a much more personalized idea that will vary across a wide spectrum of different people. So the first thing to realize about all this is that one persons interpretation of an idea may be wildly different than another persons - and if you both just assume you are talking about the same thing to begin with, you will never understand each other at all. It seems most people generally lack the patience it takes to listen to another person long enough to actually have a conversation beyond anything more in depth than the local weather patterns, or who won the latest baseball game or whatever. Do they even have the time for that?
This is a situation where its not so much about a right answer or a wrong answer - but just asking a better question in the first place.
If you live for the rat race - then you will die for the rat race. Have fun being a battery for the matrix. If you want something else, you are gonna pay for that too. The only free ride is the one you make for yourself. People who are looking for easy answers can find them all day long, as long as they stick to the easy questions. But how simple is it really?
This has become a very honest and deep thread, so I wanted to contribute something about myself too.
At my last year at school I had two teachers. One suggested to become a pro musician, the other to become a scientist. I took the scientist way, got later interesting jobs in the industry, have a family and the luck, that my love accepts my “hobby”, which is quite a collection of different instruments, a small studio, and making music … just for the sake of feeling happy.
I often think about my decision and what would have become of me, if I had chosen the other way. Sometimes this makes me heartsick … but then I remember all those artists, who I have met in my life, and who where very talented, but had not the luck it takes, to be “successful” in the financial department.
My highlights of success were, when one day my son came and asked me to support his video project with my kind of music. Getting this question alone made me happy. After the project was done, one of his friends came along, and asked, if I could help him too. Hey, two fans, now! Both got a soundtrack and both got praise for video AND audio. That made three happy guys
I’ve been thinking about this quite a lot lately since I’ve been re-starting (for the first time in 20 years) a pseudo musical career. It’s a mini career, but there’s money there nonetheless. I’m extremely lucky that I have a supportive family, and a day job that pays for our bills already. In my meager 1-1.5 hrs per day I’ve managed to scratch together a collection of songs over the past 3 years into a live show. Essentially I turned my hobby + daily stress relief routine into something that’s a half-decent entertaining performance haha In 2016 my goal was to book my first show, and obtained this. I remember summer of 2016 my wife joking with me when I told her my goal. “Walter are you sure at 38 years old you want to start a music career ?” hahaha I’ve played a bunch of shows since then most of them paid me a bit of money 100$ here and 80$ there … usually free wine and food if the venue has a kitchen. Reminds me of playing in bands in the 90s. Will I sell my music online ? Probably not, I might put out an EP or something maybe make a few cents from that, but I don’t want to get my head and heart in the clouds thinking I’d ever be able to out earn my day-job with music. haha I asked my accountant when I did my corporate year end “Do I need to claim this as income if it’s over 1k$ for the year ?” LOL He just laughed at me.
I will comment that a few weeks ago I played a gig that was insanely fun. I received a compliment from a couple that heard my music from the street downtown as they were talking to another club and decided to pay 10$ to come in and see me. After the show they came up and said “That was the best thing we’ve ever seen you’re amazing !” Right in that moment I didn’t care about money, about bills, about trying to get a nice car or a bigger house. I simply felt like “Ya … this is a good life” I feel like the luckiest richest man in the universe. Great family, great job, wonderful friends, I still ride my skateboard every day, and I have a little side hobby + pseudo career in music kinda LOL
I’ve seen musicians devote their lives to music … to varying degrees of success. Some spent 20 years recording albums with different bands for different labels and usually had some sort of part time or fall back job. Some DJ, some bartend. One was a house painter part time. I think the pattern and message is clear: unless you are a pop artist, performing music that will hit top 40 charts (meaning you have to fall into a pop genre that is current and mainstream), you will likely not be super rich from music. Electronic producers and DJ’s have never been extremely wealthy until recently, and even then it’s the ones that cater to a very specific widely appreciated style. The life of these artists must be extremely demanding, touring all over the world to play at festivals staying up all night most of the time, only to fly out again the next day or next week to do it all over again. I read an article a while ago about what it takes to be a well known/famous DJ and the message was pretty simple “You need to dedicate your life, 8-16 hrs a day every day all the time”. Work, family, possibly friends … everything has to take a second seat to your career.
I like a career where my Family, Friends, Passions can come first and I wake up drive to work, make a paycheck all the while dreaming about playing that next show and the next songs I’m going to write
That being said, would I turn it down if it was offered or magically I was transported to fame ? Hmmmmm I’d have to have a long discussion with my wife and kids before I could make that call ! The life of a musician seems …
Sometimes I make a living off of my music, most of the times it’s off of my photography and video work. Regardless there are days I love doing what I do, and days where I wish I was in another field. All in all, I think the grass will always appear greener. Such is life.
I think for most of us, creatives or not, we all like to think we have everything together… but in reality we are just as unsure about what we’re doing as the next person.
I’d love the idea of not even having to make a living. To just be able to live. But I think that line of thinking falls into the last point you made.
And stuff like that. But its hard work getting there. And if i stop working on my skills and if i give up fighting the constant motivation killers life has on offer, i will never get there. That im sure!
regardless of what comes with it…everything pretty much needs some ‘personal investment’, being it time, money, or anything else…
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