Of course it can be a proper job but you've got to be bloody good to make a career out of it. Not every footballer makes enough to support his family just from playing football. Some make a fortune, as we all know, as do successful pop and rock musicians.
 
	Believe me, classical musicians will, by and large, have paid a small fortune in tuition compared to us largely self-taught bass players. A lot of them are delighted to play for nowt as part of very good amateur orchestras. There is something wonderful about making live music to an audience; not everyone feels they have to be paid to do something they love.