PG Music Home Forums General Discussion Off-Topic Could You Live From Making Music?

I've known other musicians that got burned out on music. I knew a professional fisherman who got burned out on fishing. It's true that for some turning a hobby into a profession can cut down on the fun factor.

I guess I'm lucky that way. I don't care if I'm playing a tired old war horse like Yakety Sax or if I'm improvising a solo on a song we just learned, I'm having a great time doing it. Playing music in front of an appreciative audience is truly my bliss.

Not that it's all a bed of roses. I don't particularly care for the business end of being a musician. Doing cold calls for more work is absolutely the worst - and there are no agents around here that can keep you busy enough. Fortunately, I haven't done that in years, as most of our business is repeat business or referrals.

There is no vacation pay and no sick leave. In fact, you are not allowed to get sick and if you do, you have to perform and pretend you aren't sick. Fortunately, I don't get sick often, a mild cold every 5 to 10 years is about it. But perhaps because I know I can't call in, and because I don't subconsciously want a day off work, my immune system might work harder than most others (Leilani doesn't get sick often either.

There is no job security, but with all the corporate downsizing and out-sourcing, there is no job security in the corporate world, either.

I have to pay more taxes than Romney does. I pay 15% self-employment tax and then my income tax on top of that. On the other hand there are deductions.

Since I do one-nighters, We have to move equipment each time I gig. So an additional 2-3 hours can be tacked on to each gig for some manual labor. On the other hand, some people pay hundreds of dollars per year to go to the gym for weight bearing exercises, I get paid for them. My speakers weigh 32 pounds each, and my rolling rack just a little bit more, so I'm not killing myself either.

So making a living as a self employed musician is not for every one.

On the other hand, I'm living life on my own terms, not following orders from anybody else, never having to do "busy work", making good or bad decisions and either benefiting or learning from them, I never feel like I have a "job", I get to meet a lot of interesting people and each job is different. We have some clients that book us once per year and it's like meeting old friends each year. We have another gig we do weekly 10 months a year and we will be returning for our 5th season this October - the regular customers are like extended family to us. We were on cruise ships for 3 years and got to experience the Caribbean islands and crew/staff members from 30 different countries, some of which we still keep in touch with, 20 years later.

"I've never known a musician who regretted being one." ~ Virgil Thompson

Virgil, you can count me in on that. I'm very glad I am a musician.

Although many religions promise us a happy hunting ground of sorts after we die, there is no guarantee. So as far as I know, this life is the proverbial bird in the hand. So I intend to live as long as I can, have as much fun as I can, have as little stress as I can, while being a good enough person so that if there are those pearly gates, I'll be invited in -- if not, I've made the most of this all too short life.

Notes