2017/04/01 17:04:23
JohnKenn
Had been curious if anyone was able to make their living with music, and seems like about all of us are in the same boat having to pull down a real job to survive with any quality of life.
 
So was wondering about the day jobs, and idle curious about what you guys do to survive.
 
Saw an interview some time ago with a lady who was an engineer for NASA. She said how from the first second of waking up, the adrenaline rush started and she could not wait to get to work. She said couldn't believe she was getting a good pay check to do what she loved.
 
Can't say I had too many days when the alarm went off and I was in bliss over the prospects of 11 hours on the killing floor.
 
Did anybody find their dream job?
 
John
2017/04/01 18:15:54
craigb
Unfortunately, I never did become a gigolo to college co-eds... 
 
That said, I've definitely had projects and some aspects of jobs where I'd wake up in the middle of the night and can't wait to get to work (mostly as a programmer).
2017/04/01 18:52:39
bitman
While after 23 or so years of being a self employed computer service dude (by necessity) in a 2 tech Mom n' Pop shop, with my feet up most of the time running something on one or more pcs, and occasionally having to go out on site to lay hands on something (as we have screenconnect for most of our base now), all located in fantastically beautiful setting 9800 feet up in the Rockies next to lake dillon. With a single family 2 car garaged home with my "studio" in a finished basement 15 minutes away around the lake, I can say if I don't love what I do for a living, I'm lost sight of my good fortune.
 
That said, the pressures sometimes can be so that after years of this and yet another walk-in with crypto-locker I want to walk away (with my acoustic) and go live in a box in some tent city.
 
It's nuts, and my dear tech wife has to remind me how much I will miss all the cushy from time to time when all I want to do it tell all the spoiled to call someone who cares.
 
It's Saturday now so all's well. Gotta go the Rockies are coming on TV.
2017/04/01 19:47:26
jude77
Considering I'm retired, yes I do love what I do.  When I was "employed" I was a clergyman and licensed psychologist.  The business end of ministry got utterly soul-sucking and draining by the end (my last church had 2,000 people and a $4 million budget: it was sort of like being mayor of a small town where you're also the police chief, sanitation department, food services provider and comptroller).  However, I always loved working with people and find great satisfaction and joy if I could help them find a measure of healing and peace.  So overall I'd say "Yes" I was happy with what I did.
2017/04/01 20:12:47
craigb
jude77
Considering I'm retired, yes I do love what I do.  When I was "employed" I was a clergyman and licensed psychologist.  The business end of ministry got utterly soul-sucking and draining by the end (my last church had 2,000 people and a $4 million budget: it was sort of like being mayor of a small town where you're also the police chief, sanitation department, food services provider and comptroller).  However, I always loved working with people and find great satisfaction and joy if I could help them find a measure of healing and peace.  So overall I'd say "Yes" I was happy with what I did.




Hey Jude, don't make it bad! 
(Must learn to resist some day...)
2017/04/01 20:51:54
Bhav
I get welfare. Yes Im happy with that. Unless they cancel my welfare. Then I riot.
 
Though I did simply want to be a piano teacher, until I broke a wrist.
2017/04/01 21:04:55
Jeff Evans
Yes I love what I do for a living and it is music would you believe. I have survived doing composing and production since 1980 and basically still doing it. I have supplemented it with teaching in the same areas to keep the money flow happening. I used the teaching to sharpen my skills doing the production. The teaching also gave me access to great recording spaces and microphones! I also played drums at least two nights a week since 1970 and for a large part of my live playing career it was 4 or 5 nights a week and that all helps too. I had some drum students too for a while.
 
With music composing especially it goes up and down. You can be busy for months on end and then nothing for a while. They are using composers less and less in the more main stream composing areas.  I am moving more into library production now which can offer longer term royalty income. In the middle of all this I also studied a Jazz degree, on drums but piano as a second instrument and also for the theory and harmony knowledge. This improves your composing skills big time!
 
I also produce albums for artists and they come along at least once or twice a year. They are good but require a big chunk of time. And hard work. Your mixing chops get pretty sharp when you do something like this. 
I sometimes get work mixing other multitrack sessions too and if I am happy with the quality of the raw materials then I do those jobs knowing I can pull a good sound out. Mastering too. I have mastered quite a few CD's now. There is always a smattering of simple easy to do jobs that are well invoiced jobs. Voiceovers, sound effects, transfer of analog to digital formats etc..
 
Live sound is another area for income for me. Not huge amounts but they do come along. It is good to translate your studio mixing skills into a live performance situation. If the room is half decent you can usually get a pretty good sound happening. If you don't mind the pressure of a live gig it can be rewarding and enjoyable too.
 
I also have a very supportive wife who has enabled all this as well. She is in highly paid teaching position now as Head of Strings in a very good private school and that certainly helps. But it was not always that way though. I earned a lot of money while my son was very young and that is an important time.  Studio, live gigs and teaching.  
All good and it is great when everything relates to each other. Each thing can enhance the other or compliment it.
 
We have moved too to another smaller city and regrouping there too. But I am close enough to a very large city to pull work in as a composer again. With the libraries you can write, produce and upload to anywhere in the world. There are demands in other areas for composing you just have to seek them out. You also need some great ideas and some killer technology to do it all but after all, that is the easy part!
2017/04/01 21:05:06
JohnKenn
I really like this thread so far and hope it continues front page, even if I done started it.
 
For this reason...
 
There's a common tie that we come together around. Everyone uses Reaper...oh crap...I mean SONAR...
We all have unique lives outside of our time in the studio. So many other talents, interests, experiences, stories that put a more personal face on the avatar and a comment about something Cakewalk.
 
Feel like I know a couple of you better already.
 
John
2017/04/02 00:44:28
Bert Guy
jude77
 "...When I was "employed" I was a clergyman and licensed psychologist.  The business end of ministry got utterly soul-sucking and draining by the end (my last church had 2,000 people and a $4 million budget: it was sort of like being mayor of a small town where you're also the police chief, sanitation department, food services provider and comptroller)."  /quote]
 
Jude, I never thought of being a minister as having that much of an administrative burden. But wow! That is having a lot on your plate.
Cheers,
 
Bert
 
2017/04/02 01:20:16
jude77
Bert Guy
jude77
 "...When I was "employed" I was a clergyman and licensed psychologist.  The business end of ministry got utterly soul-sucking and draining by the end (my last church had 2,000 people and a $4 million budget: it was sort of like being mayor of a small town where you're also the police chief, sanitation department, food services provider and comptroller)."  /quote]
 
Jude, I never thought of being a minister as having that much of an administrative burden. But wow! That is having a lot on your plate.
Cheers,
 
Bert
 


It wasn't so Administrative in the beginning, but it really is in large congregations.  Now that I'm retired I'm reconnecting with people and do a lot of counseling and life-skills classes in jails.  As a visitor of course!
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