When and why did you stop pursuing a career in music?

[chris_b]

Networking is king.

[Lozz196]

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1389568892' post='2335723']
I don't.

The theatre gig was amazing, I'd like to do west end stuff at some time.

I got paid £400 a week, played three 40 minute sets 5 nights a week, I could eat what I wanted 24 hours a day and got to see some amazing places that I'd never been to, how can that be hell ?


[/quote]

That sounds exactly how I would want to make a living from music.

[JTUK]

I wanted to buy a house and I recalled people who were considered as not so capable at school having all these things around the age of 30...
That is when I realised that you needed an income 52 weeks a year.
Earning 'good' money in a week wasn't so much the problem...but being able to do it week-in, week-out was...
To this day, this is still very true with all my 'pro' mates.
Also, I didn't know, or wasn't as confident as to how good you had to be...
I am far more comfortable with that equation now...but am not remotely interested in it..
having said that........... should a good tour come along, yes, I'd do it..
but that is because I can afford to.

[peteb]

[quote name='JTUK' timestamp='1389611061' post='2336000']
I wanted to buy a house and I recalled people who were considered as not so capable at school having all these things around the age of 30...
That is when I realised that you needed an income 52 weeks a year.
Earning 'good' money in a week wasn't so much the problem...but being able to do it week-in, week-out was...
To this day, this is still very true with all my 'pro' mates.
Also, I didn't know, or wasn't as confident as to how good you had to be...
I am far more comfortable with that equation now...but am not remotely interested in it..
having said that........... should a good tour come along, yes, I'd do it..
but that is because I can afford to.
[/quote]
Pretty much this - it seems to be pretty much feast or famine for my 'pro' mates and these days the feasts do not seem to be as big as they used to be! Many of them would like to have a day job that gave them a regular income and allowed them to play music they liked rather than constantly stuff they hate in function bands. Of course it is difficult to suddenly find a worthwhile day job from scratch when you are in your 40s/50s and spent the past 30 years as a musician.

Still, swings and roundabouts - they have played with and met lots of their heroes and done gigs and been to places that I can only dream about...

[aende]

Never did,

[lesson]
As a kid, I can remember when the Guitar Institute in LA opened, it was all over the UK magazines about this guitar specific institute right in the heart of the glbal music industry. I badly wanted to go and bought myself a plane ticket to LA from my 'Tesco' after college cash. Anyway, I didn't go and I got talked into a real job by my parents. I am now a parent and as such I am bloody determined that if my kids really want to do something, I will encourage and support all I can.
[/lesson]

However, I did wind up doing a big European tour with a boy band as a guitar player, I got asked to audition whilst playing guitar in a shop in Denmark street. I think I was jamming with Barrie Cardagon (of Little Barrie and Primal Scream fame). Luckily, I had just taken voluntary redundancy from a high paid job in London and was essentially given a years salary when I left, and was due to have a year off and travel. I got really lucky and got paid for 8 months 'work'. Played some big places, particularly in Germany and had a riot of a time with the show dancing girls.....This was back in 1999/2000

Came home after the tour and got another job in my chosen industry....

Would I want to be a full time musician?

No, I don't have the creativity to come up with stuff that is good and I am too lazy to really 'learn' my instrument.
No, Kinda like playing tunes to get away from work and not think too much
No, Most of the executive people I met were complete d1cks and shamelessly full of sh1t.
No, I am not into self promotion (which I think you have to be to network and get work as a musician)

Happy in my chosen job with a good, consistent salary and having music as a diversion.

[JTUK]

I'd also consider 'burn-out'

My idea of 'hell'..and this is relative, of course, is bombing up and down the M1 for a wedding on a sat...with a round trip of
4-5 driving hours, for £350 per man.
You need that gig as it would be half your weekly money..assuming what you needed to earn...
and you'd need it 52 weeks a year.

That is when it is HARD work. I'd hate it for a wedding type gig.
It is also why we set the gig conditions that we now have.... which is 2 hrs max playing time to start with and the material that we want to do...
That is our/my way of extending our playing 'career'

[Gust0o]

[quote name='chris_b' timestamp='1389610279' post='2335990']
Networking is king.
[/quote]

Agreed, and the same in most employment.

I started with my current employer via them getting in touch on LinkedIn; and I got my last job over a cup of coffee. It does pay to keep the connections up.

[BigRedX]

I had typed in a massively long post about my personal experiences, but then decided that everyone's case is completely unique and what worked and didn't work for me won't necessarily suit anyone else, so here are some generalisations instead.

Most important of all what do you really want out of life as a whole? Is music so important that everything else is very much second best? Do you want a family, live somewhere nice drive a nice car etc?

If you want to a have a career in music then for a certain amount of time it has absolutely got to come first (although TBH you could say this about any career).

While you should listen to advice form other people, you don't have to do anything other than listen. Weigh up what they say against what they actually know about a career in music. IMO the only mistakes you really learn from are the ones that you make.

If you are happy with what you are doing at the moment and you think that it is still progressing then stick with it. There's nothing wrong with doing something more "practical" on the side, but if you don't need the money then don't let it intrude into your musical life.

Good luck!

[KevB]

Though I've never really longed to be a pro there's always the misty-eyed youth in you that wants to live the dream. Then you talk to people and the reality hits you like a rock. Had an interersting conversation a few years back with a guy i was playing with on and off, we are about the same age. He's 10 times the musician I'll ever be, always been in regular paying gigging bands since long before i ever picked up an instrument and done some reasonably high profile slots too. When not gigging he's giving music lessons having completed a part time teaching degree. Basically working all the time and with some of the teaching out of normal office hours. I'd moved house recently to a particular area. He got all nostalgic as he'd grown up in the area so I asked why he didn't just move back? No way could he afford it and I honestly don't have a particularly well paid job and it isn't a particularly special area that I live in.

[bengreen49]

Having a trade isn't worth much these days. Just saying.

[Immo]

I paused my career in music when I realised I have other goals. I like playing, but when I was in my first (and last up to today) band, I found out they treat everything very serious, they dropped out of school to play and wanted to be world famous rock stars, while I only wanted to have some fun and some enjoyment. I know I'll never make a career other than "he is a famous writer and game designer; sometimes he plays with a band purely for fun".

[Russ]

It was at about the age of 34 - I had been playing in a signed rock band, in hope of the bigger tour, the bigger deal and the greater success that would have allowed me to jack in the day job. We were good too, and more than capable of achieving it if it had only been about talent. But no, the "industry" got involved. And almost everyone I met who was affiliated with the music industry was a horrible, abhorrent arseh0le who only saw bands as a "product", didn't care about art or even the music itself, and, most of all, didn't care at all about the people involved.

Things have moved on a little since then, and it's certainly possible now to achieve a degree of success on your own terms, with all the self-publishing platforms out there, social media and so on. I'm 41 now, married and a dad of 2, and I'm not close to quitting - I'd still like to be in a reasonably successful originals band (I still have no desire to play covers), but I want nothing whatsoever to do with the music business or the people in it. Granted, I'll never get on the cover of a magazine now, but as long as there's some people out there who like what we do, and we can do a few good gigs from time to time, I'd be happy.

So, I guess I haven't "given up", per se, but I have scaled back my expectations to suit my life as it stands now.

[wateroftyne]

I had a chance of 'making it' in my early 20s. As is often the case, it didn't come to anything.

Since then, there haven't been any opportunities for me to work in music full-time whilst playing the kind of music I want to play, so... I haven't.

[andytoad]

.. it was 2002, the van had broken down on the M4 at three in the morning coming into london for about the forth time, we were all abit sick of each other by then being captive in a transit for most of the week. It seemed like we were more hired van drivers rather than musicians.

Then, whilst waiting for the AA, we saw numerous tour coaches going out westbound (presumibly to Glaso at the time).

it should have been a motivator to keep going, but actually had the opposite affect!!!

I knew it was time to wrap it up for me and went on to better things.

[Dad3353]

[quote name='skej21' timestamp='1389600479' post='2335856']
The same goes for that kind of work too. The last three bits of pit work ice done have been as a result of the ensemble needing a a bassist and I knew (in this case) the drummer. On paper, a recent music graduate with hours of practice a day should be perfect for the job but I got the call first because firstly I'm capable of doing it (but so are hundreds of bass players in the area) but mainly because I'm friendly with the right people.

The reason I got to tour Europe with my last band was because the previous bassist left and i had been good friends with the drummer, so rather than auditioning and seeing lots of other capable bassists and choosing the best, I got a call that was basically '*drummer friend* put in a good word so if you want the job, it's yours'
[/quote]

This is just as common in almost every career, whatever the profession. I couldn't list all the times that word of mouth, or reputation, have given me the edge over others. Networking works in most industries; the essential difference that one has to be good at your job, just the same..! The 'lucky break', or 'know the right folks' might land a budding pop star in front of a camera, but if he/she doesn't come up with the goods, it won't last.

[CamdenRob]

I never really seriously pursued a career in music.

I have come to the realization recently though that I am too fat and bald for being a popular music star to be a viable option anymore....

[flyfisher]

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1389623124' post='2336197']
This is just as common in almost every career, whatever the profession. I couldn't list all the times that word of mouth, or reputation, have given me the edge over others. [b]Networking works in most industries[/b]; the essential difference that one has to be good at your job, just the same..! The 'lucky break', or 'know the right folks' might land a budding pop star in front of a camera, but if he/she doesn't come up with the goods, it won't last.
[/quote]

Very true. I'd even extend that to 'networking works for most things in life'.

But it can only find you that chance - which of course is very, very helpful - but you still have to be able to deliver. Indeed, if you can't deliver then not only will things not last but networking quickly works against you as word can spread very quickly.

[lojo]

I had a trade in Capentery and Joinery that seemed so much more glamorous, so I turned down every offer of joining worldwide dominating bands until I stopped getting asked, and now I like to play local functions only

[skej21]

[quote name='Dad3353' timestamp='1389623124' post='2336197']


This is just as common in almost every career, whatever the profession. I couldn't list all the times that word of mouth, or reputation, have given me the edge over others. Networking works in most industries; the essential difference that one has to be good at your job, just the same..! The 'lucky break', or 'know the right folks' might land a budding pop star in front of a camera, but if he/she doesn't come up with the goods, it won't last.
[/quote]

The difference is, they virtuoso bedroom player with no networking/friends won't ever have the chance, no matter how good. Getting out gigging and networking is something you can't learn in a practise room. It's just preparation for nailing an opportunity when it arises (usually as a result of knowing the right people)

[Roger2611]

At some point in my life I won't need the day job to pay the mortgage at that point music will be my main career.....therefore at some point I will be a full time musician (that may only involve a couple of teaching sessions a week and a weekend gig) but full time none the less...hopefully

[Skol303]

[quote name='bassist_lewis' timestamp='1389560619' post='2335592']I'm asking those who changed their minds regarding a career in music when and why they made the decision, and if I'm just being stubborn about sticking to my guns.[/quote]

I've never attempted to make music my sole career. Never will.

I have however been self-employed for over 20 years, as I imagine most musicians are.

The downside of that being it's hellishly difficult to get a mortgage or secure loans. Not impossible of course (I've been lucky myself), but very difficult. Increasingly so in today's economic climate.

That's might all sound boringly sensible. But if you plan on settling down one day and providing security for a family, it's something to consider. But no more so than if you're self-employed in any other area of work.

And THAT's the 'instability' your family members are concerned about. Would they be so concerned if you were self-employed plumber? Probably not

Ultimately you'll know in your gut whether you're good enough to earn a crust playing music. Be honest with yourself and do whatever feels right. Just don't beat yourself up about whatever decision you make. Life's too short for that.

[jazzyvee]

[quote name='wateroftyne' timestamp='1389618105' post='2336110']
I had a chance of 'making it' in my early 20s. As is often the case, it didn't come to anything.

Since then, there haven't been any opportunities for me to work in music full-time whilst playing the kind of music I want to play, so... I haven't.
[/quote]

I had similar opportunities in my late teens but they never amounted to anything concrete. Although that was always a dream for me, i never really felt that I had reached the standard as a guitarist that I considered was professional regardless of the musical abilities of other musicians I saw out there who were working professionally.

I had another opportunity to turn pro in my early 30's after I was hired to do a couple of USA tours with a band who were regularly touring in the USA for long stints about 4 times per year. However even though I got on fine with the band, It was for various reasons I can't go into, too much of a risk especially since I was about the 3rd guitarist they'd used in as many years plus crucially the money was not enough.

Fast forwarding to the present time I am now able to have a full time job and still take on touring commitments with the bands I've been working with over the past 10 years. So now I have the best of both worlds and enjoying it immensely. There is still time to consider a full time musical life if the right opportunity comes along. But for now what I have works for me.
The dream is still there but it's filtered through reality tinted glasses.


Jazzyvee

Edited January 13, 2014 by jazzyvee

[leschirons]

Well,

The OP doesn't sponge off Mum & Dad, is passionate about music, seems to have earned more than the year before for each of the last 3 years and is only 24.

Go for it mate.

I didn't, but I don't regret it. Started playing live at 15 / 16. Had my own business since age 26. That paid the bills but also allowed me to use playing as a release from the work pressure and indulge my gear fetishes.

Had a few good and big gigs in the early years and that was enough to look back on and nostalge. That has suited me but everyone is different.

If it's your ambition, and you seem to be realising it, do it. Lots of people will offer advice, some good, some bad, but the bottom line is that it's only you that will regret not going for it.

Best of luck with whatever you decide for the future.

[bassbora]

Most interesting thread on BC for a long time.

I was planning on a pro career. Had studied for years and all the rest of it but along came my first child so I decided I wanted stability and regular income. Its now 14 years later after I made that decision and I have to admit I have often thought about the 'what ifs' and all the rest of it.

I was asked to do some teaching few years back and I quite enjoyed that so I ended up finding a band again. Its only pub covers and we play roughly once a month but these days its enough for me. I would never have been able to live where I do if I would have been a musician and provide the stability that I wanted to be able to give them. The guys in my band are great (would you believe that with 2 guitarists) and they do encourage me to play what ever I want when ever I want. So I do get my musical kicks as well.

The older you get you see more how there are no wrong and right things. You make decisions you feel are the best at the time (might turn out to be not the most wise thing you could have done) but hopefully you learn from them.

To the OP it might suit you and your current situation to stay pro. Things might turn out great you never know.

[paul_5]

It's better to regret something you did than something you didn't do.

Stick with it.