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 & RB2024 Win.(Audiophile), Sonar Platinum, Cakewalk by Bandlab, Izotope Prod.Bundle, Roland RD-1000, Synthogy Ivory, Kontakt, Focusrite 18i20, KetronSD2, NS40M Monitors, Pioneer Active Monitors, AKG K271 Studio H'phones
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
New location, new environment, new music coming soon
Seize the moo-ment If you feel like you’ve herd all these cow puns before, you probably have deja-moo
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 2024 Win Audiophile. Software: Studio One 6.5 Pro, Swam horns, Acoustica-7, Notion 6; Win 11 Home. Hardware: Intel i9, 32 Gb; Roland Integra-7, Presonus Studio 192, Presonus 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.
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.
Me, it's not about how many times you fail, it's about how many times you get back up. Cop, that's not how field sobriety tests work.
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.
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.
Add updated printing options, enhanced tracks settings, smoother use of MGU and SGU (BB files) within PowerTracks, and more with the latest PowerTracks Pro Audio 2024 update!
Download and install this to your RealBand 2024 for updated print options, streamlined loading and saving of .SGU & MGU (BB) files, and to add a number of program adjustments that address user-reported bugs and concerns.
Did you know... not only can you download your Band-in-a-Box® Pro, MegaPAK, or PlusPAK purchase - you can also choose to add a flash drive backup copy with the installation files for only $15? It even comes with a Band-in-a-Box® keychain!
For the larger Band-in-a-Box® packages (UltraPAK, UltraPAK+, Audiophile Edition), the hard drive backup copy is available for only $25. This will include a preinstalled and ready to use program, along with your installation files.
Backup copies are offered during the checkout process on our website.
Already purchased your e-delivery version, and now you wish you had a backup copy? It's not too late! If your purchase was for the current version of Band-in-a-Box®, you can still reach out to our team directly to place your backup copy order!
Note: the Band-in-a-Box® keychain is only included with flash drive backup copies, and cannot be purchased separately.
Handy flash drive tip: Always try plugging in a USB device the wrong way first? If your flash drive (or other USB plug) doesn't have a symbol to indicate which way is up, look for the side with a seam on the metal connector (it only has a line across one side) - that's the side that either faces down or to the left, depending on your port placement.
Update your Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows® Today!
Update your Band-in-a-Box® 2024 for Windows for free with build 1111!
With this update, there's more control when saving images from the Print Preview window, we've added defaults to the MultiPicker for sorting and font size, updated printing options, updated RealTracks and other content, and addressed user-reported issues with the StylePicker, MIDI Soloists, key signature changes, and more!
A few excerpts:
"The Tracks view is possibly the single most powerful addition in 2024 and opens up a new way to edit and generate accompaniments. Combined with the new MultiPicker Library Window, it makes BIAB nearly perfect as an 'intelligent' composer/arranger program."
"MIDI SuperTracks partial generation showing six variations – each time the section is generated it can be instantly auditioned, re-generated or backed out to a previous generation – and you can do this with any track type. This is MAJOR! This takes musical experimentation and honing an arrangement to a new level, and faster than ever."
"Band in a Box continues to be an expansive musical tool-set for both novice and experienced musicians to experiment, compose, arrange and mix songs, as well as an extensive educational resource. It is huge, with hundreds of functions, more than any one person is likely to ever use. Yet, so is any DAW that I have used. BIAB can do some things that no DAW does, and this year BIAB has more DAW-like functions than ever."
Convenient Ways to Listen to Band-in-a-Box® Songs Created by Program Users!
The User Showcase Forum is an excellent place to share your Band-in-a-Box® songs and listen to songs other program users are creating!
There are other places you can listen to these songs too! Visit our User Showcase page to sort by genre, artist (forum name), song title, and date - each listing will direct you to the forum post for that song.
If you'd rather listen to these songs in one place, head to our Band-in-a-Box® Radio, where you'll have the option to select the genre playlist for your listening pleasure. This page has SoundCloud built in, so it won't redirect you. We've also added the link to the Artists SoundCloud page here, and a link to their forum post.
We hope you find some inspiration from this amazing collection of User Showcase Songs!
Our User Showcase Forum receives more than 50 posts per day, with people sharing their Band-in-a-Box songs and providing feedback for other songs posted.
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