What is (or was, if you're retired) your occupation? I would be interested in knowing what everyone does for a living. Music alone rarely pays the bills, unless you're in a working wedding/event band.
What do you do (or have done) to pay the bills? I'll bet there are a myriad of occupations represented here.
For me, it's been progressive: - Electrical Mechanic - Electrician (Power Station Operations) - (Back to University) - Electronic instrument designer - (Back to University) - Computer programmer - Software developer for Real-time operating systems
(Oh, and Part time musician along the way)
BIAB & RB2026 Win.(Audiophile), Windows 10 Pro & Windows 11, Cakewalk Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Session Keys Grand S & Electric R, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M, Pioneer Active Monitors.
For me, it's been progressive: - Electrical Mechanic - Electrician (Power Station Operations) - (Back to University) - Electronic instrument designer - (Back to University) - Computer programmer - Software developer for Real-time operating systems
(Oh, and Part time musician along the way)
Wow.....you sure seem to like University!
With your experience, you should be teaching at a Uni!
Simplified resume...... I started playing in bands in 1997.
1994-1996 - Honeywell factory assembly worker. Assembled automotive vane sensors (for ignition systems) for Bosch and the big auto companies. 1996-2001 - Evaluation Test Lab technician - Got to test and kill electronic proximity sensors for Honeywell. This was done by putting them through environmental tests like low/high temperature thermal shock, vibration/shock drop, low/high voltages and currents. This was my first electronics job from the DeVry education I mentioned to Billy. 2001-2004 - CAD/CAM Technician - This was the start of my shift to IT by supporting systems that draftsman used to make electronic blueprints. It was also my first introduction to HP Unix, a very big step towards supporting Linux in later years. 2005-2007 - Worked a few miscellaneous IT Help Desk jobs after having moved to St. Louis. Took a couple of steps back here during the move from NW Illinois so I could stay employed. 2007-2018 - Scottrade - I supported trading servers that were used by our online customers. Scottrade was bought out by TD Ameritrade in my last year of service and I walked away with a nice severance package due to my years there. 2018+ - Still working in the IT finance industry and will reach retirement age in about 10 years.
My first job, kill and catch anything I could eat. We were hungry poor. Second job collecting eatable stuff from the farmers market to feed hogs. The first paying job. 50 cents per hour...man was I rich!!
For a period of time I worked for a company that did not exist in places we never were do stuff we never did.
Some University education...needed money...did not finish.
Construction worker, construction manager, more school, Owner of computer business. Director of a major bank, R&D in gas plasma physics, corporate pilot, commercial boat master, owned a couple of 18 wheelers (pretty stupid idea) consolidated business accusations for Universal Studios.
Made $20 dollars once playing guitar...lol
Forgot half the jobs I have had...lol
Billy
“Amazing! I’ll be working with Jaco Pastorius, Charlie Parker, Art Tatum, and Buddy Rich, and you’re telling me it’s not that great of a gig? “Well…” Saint Peter, hesitated, “God’s got this girlfriend who thinks she can sing…”
I've also been a newspaper deliverer, burger flipper, electronic salesperson, video game salesperson, computer systems administrator, electronics production technician, musical instrument salesperson and technician (guitars and electronics), equipment rentals and tester, studio engineer, and electronics components shipper and warehouser. Some of those jobs were fun, others maybe not so much!
lifeguard (still the best job ever) junior high music teacher (blech) electronics store manager retail computer center manager (first between New York and Montreal) regional education coordinator for computer literacy training classes computer science professor dean of academic affairs retired 20 years; running various non-profits for the town
throughout, professional musician since 1963
BIAB 2026 Win Audiophile. Software: Fender Studio One 8, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6, Song Master Pro, Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Fender Quantom HD8 & Faderport 8, Royer 121, Adam Sub8 & Neumann 120 monitors.
I started out as a Telecommunication Technician Spent years working on juke boxes, pinballs, video games and pool tables. Then a year as a tech on Office Equipment Then a couple of years as a Computer hardware tech for a university where I also studied at that time also part time teaching introductory electronics at a TAFE (adult education place). Moved states and worked as a Data Communications Officer for a couple of Govt Depts. The Govt outsourced the Data Communications and some of us went to the contractor so I spent time as an Internetworking Specialist. Then back to the Govt working for the Education Department first as a help centre manager then back to data communication where I was tasked with transforming the way all data and voice comms were done.
Then retired.
Basically always working in some form of voice or data communications.
Picked up several qualifications on the way including an Assoc Dip App Sc (Computing), Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), a number of Electronic and Communications Certificates and also several Computer related papers.
You got most of it.
HP i7-4770 16GB 1TB SSD, Win 10 Home, Focusrite 2i2 3rd Gen, Launchkey 61, Maton CW80, Telecaster, Ovation Elite TX, Yamaha Pacifica 612 BB 2022(912) RB 2022(2), CakeWalk, Reaper 6, Audacity, Melodyne 5 Editor, Izotope Music Production Suite 4.1
The high school years involved a lot of farm work.
During undergrad school ('64-'68) I managed and booked rock bands and worked occasionally in a studio that a buddy and I leased to record aforementioned bands.
After grad school came work in clinical psychology and later the director of a 150 bed developmental disabilities facility. All under the auspices of the State of Ga. Retired in '99 and consulted 8 more years for a total of 40 years. Janice was a most excellent office manager of a community mental health program. I also played in bluegrass bands off and on for 30 years and along with Janice after our 1982 marriage.
Nowadays it's write and produce the occasional song and spend a LOT of time hiking, mountain biking, trail building, looking after the homestead and other outdoors things.
Bud
PS Cool thread ... enjoying it.
Our albums and singles are on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, Pandora and more. If interested search on Janice Merritt. Thanks! Our Videos
I worked 39 years in R&D for Eastman Kodak, remember them? I was in core research (the blue sky think tank) for the last 10 years and I was fortune enough to be on 25 patents in the fields of aqueous formulations, and aqueous mixing and coating techniques. I also taught guitar since around 1970 and played in a wedding band since then.
{edit} - I should have added that I have been retired for a few years now.
Last edited by MarioD; 05/04/2101:55 PM.
Tips on how to fall asleep in a living room chair: 1- Be old 2- Sit in a chair
64 bit Win 10 Pro, the latest BiaB/RB, Roland Octa-Capture audio interface, a ton of software/hardware
Since the 1970s I've worked as a session musician and freelance producer doing stuff for various labels and the BBC, but like Bob said in his OP it's not a reliable or regular income, so to pay the bills I'm a forensic mathematician, also working in operational research, system efficiency and forecasting.
These days I'm trying to retire and just spend a couple of days a week teaching music, but I keep getting dragged back to work from time to time. At least it pays for us to go travelling which is something we love, though it also keeps me away from the forum sometimes, which is something I miss.
my wife says my job is to be her bad boy lol she is still trying to reform me to no avail.
Last edited by justanoldmuso; 05/04/2101:54 PM.
my songs....mixed for good earbuds...(fyi..my vocs on all songs..) https://soundcloud.com/alfsongs (90 songs created useing bb/rb) (lots of tips of mine in pg tips forum.)
Trainee Baker & Confectioner, that ended when I developed lung problems due to the flour and milk powder. Which was a shame as I loved the job.
Warehouse man for Kay & Co, the UK’s largest catalogue company at the time. Stock Control for same company.
A 6 month gap as I went off touring Europe on my motorcycle, this ended up being a 4 1/2 year gap as I toured further afield, picking up work here and there mostly on farms.
Once back in the UK I got a job working for a print company, this was supposed to be a stop gap job. I ended up being there for 21 years, rising to deal with all the digital design and production for several huge companies.
Had to stop work at 50 due to injury. In just over a month I reach retirement age.
Me? Chemical engineer working international operations for Germany's Bayer and France's Rhone-Poulenc from Director of Technical Operations to Director of Manufacturing. Retired...then started to do supply chain and process optimization consulting for 6 years. Retired again...Then did a 2 year stint as Operations Manager for a 5 plant chemical operation in Illinois. Retired...again...this time for good...10 years ago.
A professional musician has been my main income for most of my life.
I've played dive bars, show clubs, singles clubs, cruise ships, yacht clubs, country clubs, private affairs, weddings, and even was the opening act for headliners in concert when their songs were #1 on Billboard.
I was in a band that almost "made it" but the talks with the record company fizzled out over money (Motown didn't want to pay any).
I've had two 'day jobs' in my life, always while playing music on the weekend, as I was investigating what it was to be 'normal'. One was as a telephone repairman and one as a Cable TV field engineer. Neither one lasted that long. I found that normal was overrated for me.
Now I make my living mostly by playing live music for yacht clubs, country clubs and other adult venues. I have a part-time 'moonlighting' job writing aftermarket style e-disks and fake e-disks for Band-in-a-Box.
The mortgage is paid off, I have zero debt, low stress levels, excellent health. I get up in the morning, go to bed at night, and in between do what I want to do and what I love to do. I consider that success.
I met my wife when she was in another band. Now we are a duo together, I make my own backing tracks, and we hav tons of fun together on and off the gig.
With the release of Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac, we’re rolling out a collection of brand-new videos on our YouTube channel. We’ll keep this forum post updated so you can easily find all the latest videos in one convenient spot.
Whether you're exploring new features, checking out the latest RealTracks or Style PAKs, this is your go-to guide for Band-in-a-Box® 2026.
Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac is here and it is packed with major new features! There’s a new modern look, a GUI redesign to all areas of the program including toolbars, windows, workflow and more. There’s a Multi-view layout for organizing multiple windows. A standout addition is the powerful AI-Notes feature, which uses AI neural-net technology to transcribe polyphonic audio into MIDI—entire mixes or individual instruments—making it easy to study, view, and play parts from any song. And that’s just the beginning—there are over 100 new features in this exciting release.
Along with version 2026, we've released an incredible lineup of new content! There's 202 new RealTracks, brand-new RealStyles, MIDI SuperTracks, Instrumental Studies, “Songs with Vocals” Artist Performance Sets, Playable RealTracks Set 5, two new RealDrums Stems sets, XPro Styles PAK 10, Xtra Styles PAK 21, and much more!
Special Offers
Upgrade to Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac and save up to 50% on most upgrade packages during our special offer—available until May 15, 2026. Visit our Band-in-a-Box® packages page to explore all available upgrade options.
2026 Free Bonus PAK & 49-PAK Add-ons
Our Free Bonus PAK and 49-PAK are loaded with amazing add-ons! The Free Bonus PAK is included with most Band-in-a-Box® 2026 for Mac packages, but you can unlock even more—including 20 unreleased RealTracks—by upgrading to the 2026 49-PAK for just $49.
Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac® users: Build 904 now available!
If you're already using Band-in-a-Box® 2025 for Mac®, make sure to grab the latest update! Build 904 is now available for download and includes the newest additions and enhancements from our team.
PowerTracks 2026 is here—bringing powerful new enhancements designed to make your production workflow faster, smoother, and more intuitive than ever.
The enhanced Mixer now shows Track Type and Instrument icons for instant track recognition, while a new grid option simplifies editing views. Non-floating windows adopt a modern title bar style, replacing the legacy blue bar.
The Master Volume is now applied at the end of the audio chain for consistent levels and full-signal master effects.
Tablature now includes a “Save bends when saving XML” option for improved compatibility with PG Music tools. Plus, you can instantly match all track heights with a simple Ctrl-release after resizing, and Add2 chords from MGU/SGU files are now fully supported... and more!
Get started today—first-time packages start at just $49.
Already using PowerTracks Pro Audio? Upgrade for as little as $29 and enjoy the latest improvements!
One of our representatives will be happy to help you over the phone. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday, and 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST Saturday. We are closed Sunday. You can also send us your questions via email.
One of our representatives will be happy to help you on our Live Chat or by email. Our hours of operation are from
6:00AM to 6:00PM PST (GMT -8) Monday thru Friday; 8:00AM to 4:00PM PST (GMT -8) Saturday; Closed Sunday.
Dansk
Deutsch - Windows
Español
Français - Windows
Italiano - Windows
Nederlands
Polski
Português
Svenskt
русский
Japanese
Simplified Chinese
Traditional Chinese
Korean