Hi Xfusion,

I'll just say that, a very stupid man once said something very wise to me;

'You have to do things, otherwise one day you'll be dead, and then you won't have done them'

Yes! Oh wait, you're really talented right?

You should post some of your work, I think people could give you better advice. If you have some real quality work already I think you'll get people telling you to go for it.

Something that I've noticed is that super talented musicians were really really, really good before they were 25 (the likes of Chick Corea, Al Dimeola, Prince, Larry Carlton, Lee Ritenour, Michael Jackson, Brian Culbertson, Johnny B. Goode , Mozart, etc etc etc). Those are the ones that have so much talent/genius that they are highly likely to make it in the music business. If you aren't at 25 producing some really quality work, then it's really unlikely you're in that select group.

I had a guitar teacher that pointed out to me that there are fewer people making a decent living playing jazz guitar than there are players in the NBA. I always thought that put things in perspective.

There are a lot of less and much less talented folks making a living playing music. But, that's like hitting the lottery (especially if you aren't already making a living in music at your age).

What would I do if I were you...

I'd go to the best college I could get into and I'd get both a music degree and a teaching credential (you'll be around music, you'll have an honorable profession, and you'll have summers off to pursue your dream). But I'm not much of a risk taker.

In my mid-20's I was in the same boat -- working a kind of dull job (2 of them, actually), making semi-decent money, with the only time for music in the "off-hours". Was newly married too, so music was kind of a third priority ;)

I remember a conversation that I had with some guys who'd been at the same job for several years. They knew about my passion for music, and when I'd **** about the things going on at work, they'd say 'don't sweat it, man, you'll be doing your music thing in a few years."

Patience and dedication paid off. Within 5 years I landed some part-time scoring gigs, which led to a full-time job at a production house, working on music full-time. During the 5 years I was affiliated with them, I had the opportunity to score a couple of films, do soundtrack work for an animated series on VH-1, record tracks with Mark Slaughter and Nia Peeples, and work with my musical idols, Yes. The pay wasn't "millions" by any stretch, but rewarding nonetheless.

Meanwhile, my wife maintained job security and benefits. Thus when my "dream" job ended, I was able to transition into my current freelance mode, and I'm in now in a position at age 36 -- still pretty young! -- to focus a *lot* of my time on music.

So I guess the lesson(s) are these:

- It'll be easier to get married if you've already got a job -- and a wife with a lucrative career will buy you more musical freedom down the road.

- Stay patient, and it will happen.

Good luck with your decision!

This one is easy!!!!

Do whatever your heart tells you!!! Whatever path you choose has a different consequence....

Steady job means steady pay, but probably less fullfillment...(more attractive to women though!!!!)

Music road will be a struggle...There are phenomenal musicians out there that don't make big money...

Think of guys, like Holdsworth, MacAlpine, some of the greatest in the world and many others doing small clubs all over

for a couple of thousand for their whole entourage!!!! thats not a lot of money!!!

It's your choice, most important, have fun!!!

...Lately, work has been killing my creativity and draining all of my energy and focus- I had been recording and working on my music at nights and on the weekend, but I've realized I just can't do it anymore. When I come home, my brain is fried and all I want to do is relax and rest and I keep putting my music off even though I really do want to work on it...

I have that problem too. I do a technical office-based job which is moderately demanding and involves a certain amount of concentration and focus. It's not that I dislike the work, but I often find that when I return home after a day's work, it takes a while to adjust my mindset and get into musician mode. If I'm tired, it's impossible.

But not all jobs are like this. The best types of day job for a musician are ones that don't demand prolonged concentration and thus allow you to keep part of your mind on music throughout the day. Some of the best musical ideas come to you while doing routine tasks. Perhaps manual work would be more suitable for your situation.

Having been in that position, my advice is:Keep the day job. That does not preclude doing the music you love. I worked days, played nights...........until I found my two year old son wanting Daddy to play, while I was recovering from last night's gig, getting ready for the next. I quit giggin to be a single Dad, and never regretted that. But, lo, these many years later, I'm still playing and having as much fun at it as ever I did in the bad ol' days.
Mark

ORIGINAL: Kev999

...Lately, work has been killing my creativity and draining all of my energy and focus- I had been recording and working on my music at nights and on the weekend, but I've realized I just can't do it anymore. When I come home, my brain is fried and all I want to do is relax and rest and I keep putting my music off even though I really do want to work on it...

I have that problem too. I do a technical office-based job which is moderately demanding and involves a certain amount of concentration and focus. It's not that I dislike the work, but I often find that when I return home after a day's work, it takes a while to adjust my mindset and get into musician mode. If I'm tired, it's impossible.

But not all jobs are like this. The best types of day job for a musician are ones that don't demand prolonged concentration and thus allow you to keep part of your mind on music throughout the day. Some of the best musical ideas come to you while doing routine tasks. Perhaps manual work would be more suitable for your situation.

I'd have to second Kev999's comment. Manual labor is great for creating songs. I have a high-stress, extremely technical job. I don't really get much inspiration from 8am-5pm. But songs just pour out when I'm mowing the lawn! ;-)

-Matt

Everyone knows how to get the songwriting juices going... Just fall in love with a woman out of your league (when she's on the rebound of course), then when she recovers and remembers that she can be going out with guys who use hair products and can tie a tie, she'll dump you, and you'll go on an alchohol binge. When you recover, you'll have all kinds of good material write about.

I was lucky enough to have spent a few years singing in an awesome metal band. We got a record deal with Unique Leader, who is one of the most significant labels for the style we played. I got to see my album online, in stores, and most importantly, in peoples HANDS. It was pretty fulfilling.

I also got to meet and play with a lot of other bands, who had also signed record deals. Some with bigger labels, some smaller. Some had endorsements, vans, busses, etc... No matter though, they all got what they had the same way: Touring. And the reality is that even the best bands, and the really successful ones, didn't make much money. And it's NOT as glorious as one may think. Hotel rooms and limos went out in the 80's. Nowadays, you're far more likely to be spooning with the bassist in the back of a van while the drummer is driving to the next gig.

I'm not arguing for or against music as a profession. It has wonderful rewards, and it has it's shortfalls. However, I'll be brutally honest with you: To become and stay successful as a recording artist can and most likely will require lots of touring. And even then, success is not guaranteed. In addition, you're not going to make a lot of money. I'm not going to drop names, since finances are private matters, but I'll give you a good example: From near where I am, there is a very successful band. They get regular MTV play, have an awesome recording contract with a major label that is one of the biggest and most long standing in the industry, and do massive tours and festivals all year long. I had always assumed that these guys were making HUGE money. Once, when setting up a bill, I found out that it cost upward of $10,000 to play a single show. Figure that multiplied by 5-6 shows a night, 8 or 9 months at a time, and I just assumed these guys were all loaded. Turns out, in fact, that when touring each band member gets around 20-30 dollars a day to live off of. That's it. Any other money that make is off merch sales, and that goes into a band-fund. In other words, it's less than they'd be making working at McDonalds. In ADDITION, when they are off-tour, the label pays them around $800 a week each to live off of. This is again the equivalent of working at McDonald's, only as a manager this time.

It's not glorious, and it's not the most intelligent way to earn a living, but it has immense rewards especially if you're doing it because you love to play. If you are simply entertaining the idea of lottery winning style pay and rock stardom, though, I'd drop the idea pretty quickly.