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

You do have some good points. But a lot of them apply to you and not everybody. That's OK because that's what we are discussing here. There is no right or wrong answer.

But people don't want to hear original music. Even when you go to a major name concert, they will play all their most popular old tunes and save a few of the new for later in the concert. The fans want to hear the songs they know by heart from the previous albums and radio play. And most importantly, the people go there to hear the star. Every new song is original music, but the audience wants to hear memories.

We play a couple of originals in the mix, and after the audience has heard them enough, some request them. But if we did all originals, they probably wouldn't have come to hear us in the first place.

And throughout the ages, where does it say the musician has to play songs he/she wrote themselves. Did Sinatra write his own songs? Elvis Presley? Luciano Pavarotti? Patsy Cline? and so on. And how many hit songs were written but not sung by the masters in Tin Pan Ally and/or the Brill Building? Since when does an artist have to sing his/her own songs to be valid? Did Irving Berlin ever sing on a hit record? Burt Bacharach? Cynthia Weil? (Well her husband Barry Mann did have one hit she co-wrote!)

And personally, I like playing music. No, I take that back, I LOVE playing music. And I play cover tunes, variations on cover tunes, complete re-arrangements of popular tunes and a couple of my own. I really enjoy my job and I really enjoy my audience.

If the people didn't know Sarah McLachlin, they wouldn't flock to hear her originals. But we live in an idol worship culture, and once the artist becomes a star, they become an idol, and even their worst is likely to sell.

I understand that you don't want to listen to "Free Bird" again. But you are a musician and don't listen like the rest of the world. When I go to a concert, it's a symphony orchestra. I don't even care to hear the stars do their music in person. I'd rather hear it on my iPod. But I'm not the general public either.

You said <<The choice becomes do you WANT to play that song list, or do you have to. >> and my answer is I WANT to.

My first professional gig was in Junior High School. I got into this little rock and roll band. We were terrible, but everybody was back then. We played cover songs that we loved to listen to on the radio. We practiced at each others houses and had a great time doing it.

Then we got a gig for a Jr. High School Dance (they would call it middle school today). There I was on the stage, having the time of my life doing those cover songs with my buddies, and the girl who wouldn't even look at me in English class was 'making eyes' at me. And at the end of the night they payed me money!!!!

I've been playing ever since. I backed up headliners in concert. I went through a jazz phase and played with some famous players. I've even had by bio published in Who's Who in Entertainment.

<<But to make this as on topic as possible, sure you can make a living playing music. (Or selling drugs. Or turning tricks. Or selling handguns underground....) When music is your living your perspective is different and you do what you have to do. When music is your toy and you don't rely on it to pay your mortgage, your perspective is not likely the same as if you did.>>

You could make a living doing tech support at a large international company as well. And if you enjoy it, if it's your bliss, then you are blessed.

I still love playing music as much as I did back in Junior High School. I own my own home near the east coast of Florida, and other than about 2 more years of mortgage payments, I have no debt at all. I'm making a living doing music and nothing but music.

As I said before, life is short, and there is no guarantee of an afterlife. If the clergy is correct, that will be great, but this life is the proverbial bird in the hand. Most people spend at least 2/3 of their waking hours at work. If your work is your bliss, you can spend that time in your bliss.

If you don't enjoy playing music and if you aren't willing to give up the Rolex and wear a Timex, or give up the Hummer and drive a Caravan, then you shouldn't be a musician. But for me, I have no need to compete with the neighbors to get a Hummer (I don't even like them), my Timex keeps perfect time, and I am enjoying my life. From the time I wake up until I go to sleep at night, I don't even feel like I'm working. But then I've always valued experiences over possessions anyway. Jamming with the Funk Brothers, Eric Burdon, Rick Derringer, Ira Sullivan, are worth more to me than the Hope Diamond. Playing in China and later walking on the Great Wall, seeing the Terracotta Army in person, going in the Forbidden City, and watching cormorant fishing on the Li River are worth more to me than a garage full of Hummers. Making friends in Puerto Rico, Jamacia, Canada, Mexico, and other countries and discussing world views with them is better to me than a dozen Rolexes. But that's me.

But we all have our priorities. If you need the Hummer, Rolex, Diamonds, and other material goods, don't go into the music business. Very few of us get there. Better stay away from pro sports, and all the other arts, and I hope whatever you chose works for you.

We all HAVE to make a living. At least those of us without parents in the upper 5%. So if I have to make a living, I'm going to make it by doing something I truly enjoy. And I've done that.

I've played songs written by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Goffin & King, Willie Dixon, Davis & Bacharach, Lennon & McCartney, Leiber & Stoller, Antonin Dvorak, Paul Desmond, Kris Kristofferson, Charlie Parker, Miles Davis, Sedaka & Greenfield, Pomus & Shuman, Rogers & Hart, James Brown, Gershwin & Gershwin, McKinley Morganfield, Cole Porter, Bob Dylan, Otis Blackwell, and scores for other composers of popular and not-so popular music from the last few centuries. Each style requires me to put on a different musical 'hat' and I truly like that. I'm in my 60s now and am not even beginning to get tired of it. There is so much more to explore. There are so many more tunes to learn. And so many more musical instruments go learn to play.

Not only am I making a living playing music, I'm LIVING my life thanks to music. YMMV

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