I'm a video game music composer, but I also have a full-time job to support my family. For the past couple of years I've been steadily getting more and more gigs writing the soundtracks to indie games. I'm not making a lot of money from it yet, but I'm hoping that will change. For now, I'm just enjoying doing what I love in my free time, and building my portfolio with great game projects. By the way, I just landed my dream gig last week: I've started working on the soundtrack to an RPG! Looking forward to sharing something from it when the time is right :)

Thanks lawajawa...

Back then I was specializing in synth work before the onset of midi... So I did synth tracks for many acts...

I'm glad it brought up good memories for you...

Keni

I've effectively had 2 parallel professions for 30 years.
 
I realised very early on that I was better behind a mixing desk than in front of it. Despite 2 years fronting a "successful" local band, my playing and singing suck so I concentrated on engineering, both live and studio.
As a FOH eng I've worked with many has-beens, from The Selecter and Bad Manners thru UK Subs to Farrell & Black. As a stage tech I've encountered all sorts from Girl School to The Stranglers, Motorhead to The Levelers.
I've also been house engineer at the local theatre where I worked with "stars".  Paul Daniels broke one of my radio mics..
As I get older I'm slowing down on the amount of gigs I do, but I still do quite a lot locally for smaller events, including live recording.
 
All the sound stuff pays for itself, but I earn a living as a director of an engineering company making products for the oil industry...

hobbyist singer songwriter who uses Sonar X3e to arrange song ideas into demo shape,
daytime job is advanced button clicker showing social workers how to operate a computer.

2) Part-Time Pro - I guess, though I don't currently earn income from music. My income comes from my career as a software architect, primarily designing large eCommerce applications.
 
I've always been a part-timer playing in various bands, brass choirs.etc. I've taught music at a small private school and started their band and orchestra program. I scored a couple of plays for a large church several years ago. I used Cakewalk to drive a midi orchestra coupled with live musicians for the plays. Currently I'm concentrating on writing orchestral music.
 
It's cool to read everyone's story and see how varied a community this is.

I guess I am a combination. I make a living doing multimedia production, mostly visual media. Of course that includes audio. Most of the audio in my projects are mixed in Sonar. I make music on my own as a hobbyist but occasionally create musical content for clients. I do work/volunteer at a studio. Most of my mixing there is on Logic but I often bring mixes home and use Sonar.

Very cool thread!  I'll probably go back and re-read a few since some of y'all have had some really interesting stories...
 
I guess like many I'm somewhere between 1 & 2.  I've been playing music in some form and on some instrument since I was seven, which makes it....  geez, just over 45 years now.     In my twenties I played in a band full time, touring the northeast quadrant of the US.  My most notable gigs through the 80's and 90's were opening for Jan & Dean in Allentown PA and for Kenny Rogers in Atlantic City NJ, with a PBS special backing up The Silhouettes (of "Get a Job" fame) and working with R&B singer Dee Dee Sharp and headliner Harold Melvin and the Bluenotes as memorable moments.
 
But for the past 17 years my day job has been tech support at a fairly large ($600M) software company... though not music software unfortunately.    I have made a little money along the way from my small bedroom studio, mainly from mixing and overdubs - no room or treatment to do live band recordings.  Still looking for opportunities here and there to supplement cash flow though not a real priority.  Otherwise I still play part-time in a blues band to keep the chops in semi-working condition and spend what little free time I have working in SONAR... which just keeps getting better and better.    
 

Music started to become more and more a part of my life from age 8 then recording and studio once I hit 14. My musical/audio life is one of - it could have been if I'd made the other choice. Never mind so I spent 30 years of my life nursing and about 10 years in audio wholesale.
In parallel to making a living I've always spent nearly as much time making music and or being involved in audio work.
Played in bands/ solo earning money, mixed front of house earning money, have a home studio earning money and using Cakewalk since Audio 7.
Been retired for medical reasons for about 4 or 5 years now (61 years old) and probably spend too much time on the forum instead of making music
Regrets: I've played a lot of music live, bands and solo, FOH, and recorded others, mixed and mastered all sorts of projects but haven't recorded any of my own material. Must be my turn soon. And not to forget I really enjoy helping the folks on the forum.

A serious Hobbyist.  I'm serious:)
 
You know, the singer-songwriter type trying to get my music out there and hoping someone wants to hear it.