Full-time musos, how do you get through the winter?

[gjones]

1 hour ago, Danny P said:

 

Tbh although my theory knowledge is reasonable, I only play bass so view the world of music through that limited lens. I'd probably be a bit lost teaching more harmonically complete material, although it would be a kick up the derrière to brush up on things. Thanks for the tip. I'd probably be a bit out of my depth, but I'll think about it. My perfect teaching situation would be one-on-one bass lessons. I'd be able to walk into that room feeling confident and enthusiastic and I think I'd be great at it. Just have no idea how to make it happen!

You only have to be one page ahead of the person you're teaching

Edited August 17, 2023 by gjones

[diskwave]

 

2 hours ago, Danny P said:

Never done a panto but everyone seems to be mentioning them so might look into it as long as they don't require lots of sight-reading.

Sorry to disappoint but the vast majority of pantos are sight read Im afraid. Theatre work is way too involved to be left to memory.

[Dad3353]

55 minutes ago, greavesbass said:

 

Sorry to disappoint but the vast majority of pantos are sight read I'm afraid. Theatre work is way too involved to be left to memory.

 

Oh no it isn't. 

 

...

 

 

Edited August 17, 2023 by Dad3353

[dudewheresmybass]

I've been full time for 20 years now - there have been fallow times, but I did whatever I was able to do - Van driving, kitchen fitters' labourer, I even did some COVID testing in schools.

Now my teaching is becoming more and more of my income, I find that I can cover pretty much the whole year.

Teaching wise, it's taken me a few years, but I found myself working with the child of a local music coordinator, which has opened many many doors for me.

My schedule is very nicely filled, with plenty of space available for teaching, learning, live and recording work.

[Danny P]

19 hours ago, dudewheresmybass said:

I've been full time for 20 years now - there have been fallow times, but I did whatever I was able to do - Van driving, kitchen fitters' labourer, I even did some COVID testing in schools.

Now my teaching is becoming more and more of my income, I find that I can cover pretty much the whole year.

Teaching wise, it's taken me a few years, but I found myself working with the child of a local music coordinator, which has opened many many doors for me.

My schedule is very nicely filled, with plenty of space available for teaching, learning, live and recording work.

 

That sounds like the dream. Maybe it's time to get a bit more creative with my approach to getting into teaching. Do you teach bass exclusively btw, or another instrument as well?

[acidbass]

I would suggest teaching too, even on a peripatetic basis.  If you teach during the majority of the school year (say Sept to May) it still leaves you free for your busy gigging period.  I found that making a living from just playing functions/gigs is virtually impossible to sustain year-round - so having something else always helps.

[Linus27]

To teach, do you need to be able to read to pass course work onto to pupils to take away with them? How about qualifications and setting grades? I've always wanted to teach and give something back but always thought that you had to be able to read to pass this on to the pupils.

[diskwave]

Lets un-pack this. Bass guitar apart from bongos is about the easiest instrument to play, so you 'can' teach urself up to a point....A lot of peeps have enjoyed a lifetime playing 2/4 down the greasy end, bit of 12 bar and not much else.. and thats absolutely fine and perfectly entertaining. But to learn more and develope you do really need formal lessons which means the teacher must be able to read so as to be able to further the students ability. 

In a nutshell. Dont start taking peoples money unless u can read.

[Dood]

On 16/08/2023 at 13:40, Danny P said:

Did a degree in music, then played on cruise ships for a few years, then came back and have been doing the function thing for about ten years now. 

 

The problem with functions is that they're 95% weddings and people don't get married in the winter. I used to just save up during the summer to basically stash some nuts for the winter, but I got tired of struggling for those four months or so, so I started doing Deliveroo on the side, which I'm positively bored of and don't wanna do this year. 

 

How are you full-timers getting through the winter? I need ideas. I'd happily teach but demand for bass lessons seems so low that I've never figured how to get students. 

 

What's your go-to? Teaching? Ships? Hotel gigs? Overseas residencies? Weekday hotel dinner jazz? Trade crypto? Happy-ending massages? Retrain in IT?

 

There are no wrong answers. Hit me...

 

Everything you can get your hands on, because every day with a bass in hand is a good day

 

I teach, I do session work, I write for magazines, I shoot video reviews for magazines, compose, teach recording and mixing, do instrument set ups, shoot promo for brands all from my home video/music studio, do dep gigs, play in a busy function band (no quiet periods over the winter breaks by being selective over gigs) and am planning on doing voice over work when I find time to do that too. In the past I have been a course leader and workshop lead working on music based projects. I've worked with SEND and complex needs students 1-2-1 and in very large groups. I've also delivered music based projects in residential homes too (not that fluffy nonsense dress up as  'music therapy' where someone hoots some tunes at bored individuals why they try to watch countdown, I might add!!) I created and ran a local Rock School for many years out of my local high school, we always had a waiting list.
Funnily, it's not that I am short of work, rather that I am short of hours as I am a single Dad of two as well. 

Edited August 18, 2023 by Dood

[TheGreek]

A friend of mine is a cruise ship drummer during the summer and drives a bus during the winter. 

 

Makes a fair living out of both. 

[Dan Dare]

Having played in a few function bands, I wouldn't say the work is 95% weddings. There are plenty of parties, birthday bashes, corporate entertaining, etc, etc throughout the year. The problem is that you are unlikely to get much dep' or stand in work (which is mainly what you will be looking at if you want to go and play cruises in summer) and will need to be a full-time band member. So driving, playing in care homes, occasional teaching, retail (joy of joys) and similar it is...

[bass_dinger]

1 hour ago, TheGreek said:

A friend of mine is a cruise ship drummer during the summer and drives a bus during the winter. 

 

Makes a fair living out of both. 

 

He drives the beat in the summer, and beats the drive in the winter. 

[SumOne]

I'm not full time but the run up to Christmas/NYE is busy for bands for parties/corporate things. Then the ski season properly kicks off.

 

I've done 4 ski seasons (3 in French Alps), not playing Bass but was resident DJ for a bar/club. Bands were in demand and there is plenty of extra work in bars, driving, kitchens, hotels, cleaning etc. Not sure how the B word has affected it though. 

 

And stuff like music teaching, session work (I know someone that uses fiverr), writing, production, etc. don't stop in the winter. 

 

Edited August 19, 2023 by SumOne

[dudewheresmybass]

On 18/08/2023 at 11:08, Danny P said:

 

That sounds like the dream. Maybe it's time to get a bit more creative with my approach to getting into teaching. Do you teach bass exclusively btw, or another instrument as well?

I teach beginners guitar as well.

To answer another point - reading is not the be all and end all, although it can help.

I use both notation and tablature to teach. The kids I teach in school basically want to be able to play songs that they hear. I have had to develop a hybrid approach to get them playing and begin to start reading.

Over the summer spell, festivals and larger shows with my originals band and Ozzy tribute show become more plentiful, offsetting the lack of school hours.

 

[meterman]

When I still lived in the UK I was gigging loads more than I do now and the run up to Christmas would often be really busy. And very well paid.💰 I think my final three gigs in the UK were all in the week before Christmas 2019. And I always had extra DJ work on in Decembers. Never seemed to have any problem getting work. Pre- Br**** there’d often be residency bookings in Switzerland or Germany or France where promoters wanted UK acts. Not sure how easy it is to get those gigs now though.
 

But now I’m living in rural French nowheresville and I barely gig at all, I just do as many records as I can during the year, or remote session work, and keep some money stashed away to tide me over, just in case. It helps that I have no debts and tend to live fairly frugally, but it works for me.

 

Buying and flipping instruments can be a good side hustle but that can also be as time consuming as doing a regular day job. I recently scored around €2000 worth of vintage drums and percussion gear for €80 so when I get a spare couple of days I’ll be goggle-eyed in front of the computer listing stuff on Reverb. But it’ll be worth it. And there’s always bargains on Gumtree or at carboot sales or still on ebay if you know what to look for. 
 

Otherwise round winter I’d teach if I had any idea what I was doing in the first place. A number of musicians I know do temp work in winter, and if I had any transferable skills I would too if I needed to. There’s always something going, even if it’s not playing. Tech-ing, driving, doing sound if that’s a skill you have? Band photography if you’ve got the skills and contacts? There’s always something 👍
 

[Owen]

With regard to reading/teaching notation, I do not think it is a prerequisite. I no longer teach in any meaningful way, but the amount of students I taught to read was not huge at all. It was just not on their radar and not something they would need. They wanted to play songs they knew.

 

This could be done with TAB (not for me) or getting them to read chord charts for pitch and using their ears for rhythm. This enabled them to start playing their stuff and begin to play with their mates. In general I would let them choose what they wanted to play, occasionally guiding them. This made for motivated players. As they developed then some eventually looked at notation. Don't get me wrong, I believe that reading notation is a very good thing, but certainly, if you were teaching beginners then it is not an issue. Enthusing them is MUCH more important. And if they do power ahead and need notation, then pass them on (or use the time to get up to speed on notation).

[MrDaveTheBass]

On 16/08/2023 at 15:54, Graham said:

Can you get pantomime gigs in December?

OH NO YOU CAN'T!

[Bluewine]

Any opportunities in your area to partner up with anyone to do duo or trio acoustic gigs in the winter?

 

Blue