Pros, Semi-Pros, Hobbyists / Weekend warriors etc.

[Paddy515]

Very much an every-other weekend warrior. Son in the band also (youngest member) playing guitar and me at 57, playing anthems and indie floorfillers. Bloody love it and takes my mind off being a self-employed shop owner in this online world!!

[Bilbo]

Semi Pro but the percentage varied dramatically. If I am honest,  I would add another category ; struggling artist or artist with aspirations. I do a decent number of gigs but I don't pay myself that often in order to ensure that I can get the best players I can. The money isn't the driver but hobbyist isn't a fair description either.

[Al Krow]

6 hours ago, bazzbass said:

I said semi pro because gig money is a percentage of my income stream, but it isn't very much, doubt if it covers cab fares and drinks at gigs lol

But, we DO have stickers and a logo by a graphic designer. And an official photographer/ video taker.so we must be PRO rotfl pmsl

Anyone who is called 'bazzbass' is going to get a appreciation from me!  

Be interested in what the connection with the video taker is (and costs / skill levels etc.) Kinda feel that having good videos absolutely can't hurt!

Are you guys covers or originals?

58 minutes ago, tom1946 said:

I must be in a category of my own then. I don't play secular gigs, just church worship, mostly in our church but if my wife is preaching in another church in our circuit She takes her 12 string guitar and I play bass to back her up. We have socials every couple of months and we do sing some songs from the shows or Beatles/Carpenters etc' but we never get paid nor expect to. Semi pro with a sarnie and a cup of coffee? 

Definitely not Semi Pro, sorry Tom. I'm thinking more a sub category of weekend warrior, something along the lines of 'Sunday Specialist'?

[Happy Jack]

Why doesn't this poll have a category for 'Flakes & Fantasists'?

[Happy Jack]

1 hour ago, tom1946 said:

Semi pro with a sarnie and a cup of coffee? 

I don't see why getting paid in bacon sarnies should be held against you. 

[tom1946]

Quiche Jack  church people eat quiche...

Sunday specialist hmmm... that'll do nicely 

[thumperbob 2002]

Was bedroom to pro to bedroom in 40 years. 

[silverfoxnik]

I'm happy to be a 'weekend warrior' and I enjoy being that far more than I ever did being a so-called 'pro musician'.

The world has plenty of room for us all though IMO - whatever our specific status as far as this poll goes.. And the more people there are making music, the better it is as far as I'm concerned - especially us bass players! ☺

[goblin]

Full time pro here - can safely say I'm in that elite club of people who look forwards to a Monday! 

[mike257]

On balance, I probably earn more of my living as a tour manager, sound guy and backline tech than I do as a bassist (in the last couple of years, anyway, although it seems to swing back and forth) - am I a pro because I make my living fully from gig-related shenanigans, or a semi-pro because half of it is on the other side of the sound desk? It's a puzzler!

I don't use a compressor pedal, but I do compress in the mix, if that makes any difference to the outcome 🤣

[Al Krow]

@mike257 haha, I appreciate that is a bit of a compressed summary; but even mixing it up you're definitely a pro! 

[Al Krow]

12 hours ago, Bilbo said:

Semi Pro but the percentage varied dramatically. If I am honest,  I would add another category ; struggling artist or artist with aspirations. I do a decent number of gigs but I don't pay myself that often in order to ensure that I can get the best players I can. The money isn't the driver but hobbyist isn't a fair description either.

Bilbo category of 'Aspiring Semi Pro' to add to Tom's 'Sunday Specialist'?? 

12 hours ago, Cat Burrito said:

Before I read this thread I would have said Semi-pro, simply because a lot of the gigs I do are of a high standard, sold out art centres, tours, professionally recorded albums on an Indie label etc that get good reviews in the National press. Financially though, like with a few of you, it goes back into the band and I make a tiny amount on just a handful of shows. Players in all but one of my acts are either pro or ex-pro. I don't see myself as a hobbyist or weekend warrior simply because it's such a huge part of my life and a massive commitment.

Btw - you've both kinda touched on a separate point which is how much of a time commitment is involved in our individual passion as bass players? 

I'm guessing a typical enthusiastic hobbyist might put in no more than 10 to 12 hours a week (on average) into home practice, band rehearsals, recording and gigs (all incl travel time), whereas for Semi Pros that would typically be a minimum? 

[Guest]

I’d be interested to know how many of the people who chose Pro actually make their entire living out of playing bass, as opposed to being involved in music or the music/entertainment business.

[Barking Spiders]

I'e been in full time employment all my adult life but there was a time when it was the money I was making from dep work and function bands that made the difference. These days I'm a wannabe weekend warrior i.e. I wish I could find a band but I just cant

[KevB]

Being in full time work since leaving college I only really ever wanted to do it as a hobby as more involvement just eats up too much of my time meaning I short change myself on other interests. In fact it was other interests which delayed my getting out and playing in public before I eventually did so I was a late-ish starter. I guess some of the busier bands I've been in might have got me to semi-pro but it's not something I've seriously thought about. I know when the band I'm in is either not playing enough or too often for what I want and I'll move on accordingly in either situation.

[Al Krow]

45 minutes ago, Barking Spiders said:

I'e been in full time employment all my adult life but there was a time when it was the money I was making from dep work and function bands that made the difference. These days I'm a wannabe weekend warrior i.e. I wish I could find a band but I just cant

Whereabouts are you based and what sort of band are you looking for? Maybe one of the community will be able to help get you back into a band...or have considered forming one yourself (that way you get to play the music you like!)?

[Barking Spiders]

6 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Whereabouts are you based and what sort of band are you looking for? Maybe one of the community will be able to help get you back into a band...or have considered forming one yourself (that way you get to play the music you like!)?

I'm near Stroud in Gloucestershire. Been down the usual routes e.g. ads, Join My Band posts, word of mouth.  It's difficult finding  or starting up a band who wants play anything else other than rock,  metal, indie or even folk . My tastes mainly revolve around funk, hip hop, drum n bass, House, trip hop, world fusion etc . For the last 2 years or so I've been looking or trying to form summat  loosely along the lines of The Roots and The Herbaliser but  it's no-go so far

[petebassist]

15 hours ago, Bilbo said:

Semi Pro but the percentage varied dramatically. If I am honest,  I would add another category ; struggling artist or artist with aspirations. I do a decent number of gigs but I don't pay myself that often in order to ensure that I can get the best players I can. The money isn't the driver but hobbyist isn't a fair description either.

Agree. If I stopped playing bass, would I be able to pay my bills? Yes, so that rules out any professional category at the moment, but you've gotta be in it to win it... So I keep on truckin, and who knows where it's gonna lead. 

[JBP]

Hmmm, tricky question this one and I think everyone's situation and criteria is going to be different.

Things have changed a lot for me in the last year or so  after running my own Locksmiths business for more than 10 years, I officially packed that in last year to work with my Wife (she is a piano/singing teacher) and now I am teaching guitar/bass/Ukelel and music theory for over 30 private students a week. I'm playing in three bands and gigging weekly, sometimes more and i have my first bit of paid session/recording work in 25 years coming up at the end of April. I would say these days teaching/gigging etc is probably 95% of my income ( I still do the odd Locksmiths job if it comes up and I have the time) all nicely squared of with the tax man.

If I would class myself as Pro or Semi Pro is hard to say it depends on the criteria you use for those terms, am I a Professional Educator or teacher, a pro musician, a semi pro bassist, a Jack of all trades lol

It really all depends how you look at it.

[chris_b]

I've gone from bedroom player to semi pro, to pro, back to semi pro and back to (part-time) pro again. But in my head I was always a pro player. This has never been a hobby. IMO the differentiators between all these categories isn't money or earnings, it's attitude, approach and time. Mostly time.

How much time are you willing to put into playing and learning your instrument so that you move yourself from bedroom player (everyone starts there) along the line to becoming a world class recording and touring professional. Where you stop on that line is determined by the time you dedicate to learning your instrument.

How willing are you to invest the time and effort, usually to the exclusion of everything else, into becoming the best you can be, and then pushing to be better still.

[EssentialTension]

On 25/03/2018 at 10:42, Al Krow said:

Which one are you?

You missed out 'AMATEUR'.

[Callumjord]

I would probably say that I just verge on the cusp of "Semi Pro". At weekends (and some week days) I am playing with 1 of 2 bands doing weddings/pubs/functions which is all fully paying gigs etc. I also do some amateur recording/mixing/mastering with other bands (again I take a small fee for doing so). But I still work a full 38 Hour week at my full time job. Being able to do flexible/compressed working hours really does help balance my work and music out. 

[Al Krow]

44 minutes ago, chris_b said:

I've gone from bedroom player to semi pro, to pro, back to semi pro and back to (part-time) pro again. But in my head I was always a pro player. This has never been a hobby. IMO the differentiators between all these categories isn't money or earnings, it's attitude, approach and time. Mostly time.

How much time are you willing to put into playing and learning your instrument so that you move yourself from bedroom player (everyone starts there) along the line to becoming a world class recording and touring professional. Where you stop on that line is determined by the time you dedicate to learning your instrument.

How willing are you to invest the time and effort, usually to the exclusion of everything else, into becoming the best you can be, and then pushing to be better still.

That's actually pretty inspiring Chris, thank you. Which have been your favourite bands you've been in and how long did they last? As ever, please feel free to post any decent video clips! 

2 minutes ago, Callumjord said:

I would probably say that I just verge on the cusp of "Semi Pro". At weekends (and some week days) I am playing with 1 of 2 bands doing weddings/pubs/functions which is all fully paying gigs etc. I also do some amateur recording/mixing/mastering with other bands (again I take a small fee for doing so). But I still work a full 38 Hour week at my full time job. Being able to do flexible/compressed working hours really does help balance my work and music out. 

Hah! That's pretty close to where I'd like to be in 12 months time (just starting on the amateur recording bit), which confirms Hobbyist is exactly the right box for me  

Out of interest how much time do you spend, on average, per week on your music in total (including travel)?

Edited March 26, 2018 by Al Krow

[Callumjord]

3 hours ago, Al Krow said:

Out of interest how much time do you spend, on average, per week on your music in total (including travel)?

Well, I normally get in around 45mins/1hr30 of practice a day, then normally have 1-2 band practise a week which is normally 3hrs long then could possibly have 2 weddings on a weekend which is normally 4hrs of music plus setup time, sound check, strip down. Travel could be anything from 15mins up to 1hr 30/2hr drive. Normally I leave any recording/mixing work for weekends that I don't have any gigs. 

[goblin]

12 hours ago, FDC484950 said:

I’d be interested to know how many of the people who chose Pro actually make their entire living out of playing bass, as opposed to being involved in music or the music/entertainment business.

I'll be one of them, and I can't say I'm struggling financially either. I don't take it for granted, but my gigs more than cover every bill from car finance to rent etc, with good overheads. Work for me is basically gigs, which my main gig commitment is touring with a big theatre show, but I still dep for various other bands be it for functions, festivals, pubs and such. I also do paid studio sessions too every now and again, so that goes towards.