Kind of a random question here, but as I've been going through these forums - sometimes to ask questions and others just to read what's being discussed - it becomes apparent that there are a TON of very experienced and knowledgeable users on here, some self-proclaimed newbies, and everything in between.  So a thought occurred to me:  how many of these folks make a living with their music?
 
We're all Sonar users, and we all love music.  Some of us may be composers/performers using Sonar to get our ideas/songs down, some of us may be engineers who focus solely on recording/mixing music for others, etc.  It would be interesting to know how many Sonar users are hobbyists who use Sonar for that all-important creative outlet, how many Sonar users primarily do their own stuff but snag a few recording/mixing gigs from time to time for some supplemental income, and how many Sonar users are full-time, paid professionals who make a living doing what they love.
 
While I understand that Pro Tools is the "industry standard", there are obviously plenty of extremely talented and experienced folks on this forum alone that have found success in the music industry, so it's not like a person has to be a Pro Tools user in order to make a living at this.
 
So, just for fun, how would you classify your use of Sonar?
 
1) Hobbyist - I use Sonar to make music in my spare time for fun
2) Part-Time Pro - I have a full-time job, but I make a little money on the side using Sonar for music projects
3) Full-Time Pro - I make a living doing what I love, and I use Sonar to do it!

I would be 4) Early retirement due to a condition -  in my case severe scoliosis.
                    I still write and record music as best I can.  Also have a rather large collection of LP's and OTR, old time radio, which I have digitized and data based.

Not a hobbyist and not a semi-pro. Just a retired guy doing what he loves, and now has the time to actually do it. We (my songwriting/singing/guitar playing buddy & I) have 14 tunes in various stages of development atm.
 
Notice the non-use of myself instead of I, as favored by most pro athletes. 

Hobbyist. Looking forward to retirement so I can devote more than a few hours a week doing it.

Also a hobbyist.  Still learning and loving it.  Never worked with bands or other artists yet but that's where I'd like to head.  Would love to make income off of it eventually but I doubt that will ever happen.

I suppose I should've mentioned where I stand.  I make a very good living doing what I love.
 
Kidding.  I make a decent living doing what I don't love, but creativity is what keeps me sane.  Although I have one "client" (a friend) who pays me to make the occasional song arrangement for her, I can't comfortably claim myself as being a part-time pro, so I too am a hobbyist, hoping that someday I can climb the tier and support myself doing what I love.  But it's a long road ahead...so much to learn before then!
 
Thanks for the replies, keep 'em coming!

Hobbyist with a pro background as a jazz trombonist - learning MIDI as i use each feature. One of my favorite features is to put in a single line instrument with my trombone in an audio track, and then use Melodyne to convert to midi, then drag it to a MIDI instrument. 

Hobbyist.
 
But let me make several comments about this thread:
* there is a big class of hobbyist in music but professionals in other Sonar relater areas (computers, programming, electronic, etc.)
* I barely visit any forums related to the software I am using professionally, I guess the same can be true for people from the category (3). If you know how to use a tool you just use it instead of digging the Internet for more information. So, I expect the statistic in this thread is going to be biased.
 

azslow3
Hobbyist.
 
But let me make several comments about this thread:
* there is a big class of hobbyist in music but professionals in other Sonar relater areas (computers, programming, electronic, etc.)
* I barely visit any forums related to the software I am using professionally, I guess the same can be true for people from the category (3). If you know how to use a tool you just use it instead of digging the Internet for more information. So, I expect the statistic in this thread is going to be biased.
 

Yeah, this is certainly not intended to be a statistically valid survey or anything.  Just a friendly discourse about how the myriad of users on this forum use Sonar.
 
And I probably should've mentioned this earlier, but I'm by no means suggesting that a hobbyist is a more lowly form of musician than a full-time pro.  Some hobbyists may have no desire to do this full-time, and some full-time pros may wish they had more time to work on their own stuff as a hobby, etc.

3 - Full time, all the time. 95% of my income comes from my studio, which runs 90% on Sonar, with the balance of software stuff like mastering software and some dabbling with FL, Reason and PT. I compose for film & TV, produce artists, record my own band, track live concerts, mix and master incl overseas clients. My studio runs 8 - 14 hours per day, often 7 days per week.