Many of my students have asked my advice about becoming a full time musician and my answer is usually don't do it!Stay in school,get your degree and a consistent well paying job that will offer you decent security for you and your family. Once that is in place pursue music with no worries or headaches. If, however you feel in your heart that pursuing music full time is your calling then put your seat belt on, open your mind, increase your tolerance for bullshit, and be ready for anything!
I feel incredibly lucky to do what I do. Music has been a full time gig for me since I was a teenager and I truly love what I do. That's not to say that it's easy and every day is a walk in the park. I am constantly having to stay on top of my playing, teaching, and scheduling not to mention juggling multiple projects and maintaining my income and expenses on a daily basis.
This is not a regular job, there is no 401K (the closest thing I get to anything with a K in it is my 500K potentiometer on my guitar), no Health Care to speak of (well OK, there is beer), No vacation (unless you have some decent downtime while on tour and can go sightseeing or even hang out at a local bar), no sick days ( I have performed while burning up with a 103 temp and hallucinating!), no personal days (I have a personal hour at the bar before the show). If you are going to have any of those perks you will have to be pulling in some serious cash flow from your gigs. this most difficult thing about being a full time play is when your not working there is NO money coming in! It is also important to know that it does not pay all that well, so remember you had better love what you do because financially it is not that rewarding! However that does not mean that it's a glorified hobby, though it is often perceived as such by the general public. The truth is that being a full time musician can be a 12 to 14 hour day that includes a multitude of tasks that include emailing, phone calls, confirmations, gig itineraries, contract faxing, show promotion, gear repair, gig research, gig bookings, financials, paying band-mates, hiring and firing band-mates, auditioning, dealing with club owners/managers, quarterly taxes, car maintenance, and if you are teaching then you must contend with student scheduling, billing, having your materials together, and of course getting paid in a timely and consistent manner. Somewhere in all of this the hope is to get a bit of time on your instrument!
Once you are full time, unless you have a personal manager, which is a big expense, you will be doing this all yourself. To get things started, it's probably a good idea to know what you will and won't do as a full time musician. Some musicians won't do weddings, pit orchestra's, or lounge gigs. I can understand this because the dress code sucks! I avoided these gigs myself for a long time unless I was performing at a friend's or student's wedding. However these gigs are a great source of income and keep the old electric twanger in your hands so it doesn't hurt to put a few of these under your belt.I recently did a Pit Orchestra gig and it was really fun! I had to brush up on my sight-reading chops and that is always a good thing. Plus I met some great musicians that I was able to network with and procure a few extra gigs! Keep in mind that gigs like this will cost some upfront money such as a Tux, or a decent suit. Remember to write it off when you do your taxes, so keep all of your receipts! Speaking of that, once you are out there and making the money you will now be able to write almost everything you do. Guitar strings, Picks, Cables, Amps, Guitars, Guitar Straps, Clothing, Gas Mileage, Car Maintenance, etc, so keep every receipt and shop around for a good accountant that you can deal with, he or she will be an important player in your career!
Ok, so let's have a look at some avenues for income as a musician. I am going to draw from my personal experiences here so I may overlook a couple of avenues, however I would rather speak on what I know. My personal list is as follows:
1 .Performance -This includes any live performance show in any capacity: Club dates, Theater shows, Weddings, Casinos, Cooperate Events, Private Parties, Bars, Coffee Shops, Cafe's, Restaurants, Carnivals, Arenas, etc etc.
2. Instruction- Any kind of teaching of music including teaching privately, for a retail guitar outlet, at a school, or even on video,etc.
3. Session Work-Any kind of recording medium in witch you are paid for your performance on the recording. This can include performing on other artists' albums, recording and distributing your own music, commercial jingles, music production, audio engineering, audio mixing, etc.
Ultimatley, you may doing all three of these avenues to keep a steady flow coming onto your bank account. It's no secret that the industry is always in a state of flux, often changing on a daily basis so be creative, stay hungry and keep pushing the envelope. This business can be feast or famine so be prepared for both, stay humble but confident, mind open and aware, continuie to study and perfect your craft, and above all be a reliable member of the team. I have made the most advances by being a decent person and making friends so stay genuine!
Another thing, and this has been a hot topic on the web as of late, you are always responsible for your succsess, not the club owners. They have a business to run and loads to worry about, your job is you and your vision so take care of your store and promote accordingly. The bottom line with that whole isssue is that if you are good and are effecting listeners and stay consistent you will build an audience and a following. This is a business, treat it like another serious business that depends on success to thrive and stay alive. Market, brand, and aof course deliver every single night!
All the best!
Cheers!
Chris
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