My son,a junior in high school, has just finished two summer music camps, one with saxaphone at Ohio State, and one with bassoon at San Diego State. He is understandably very enthused about music right now. He had been talking about a douple major in college, but now says he wants to major in music only. This terrifies my wife, though she is supportive of his music (enough to send him to the two camps). She was expressing her worst fears to me today about how the music industry is evil and drug filled and takes advantage of young talent. This is a popular view of the music industry and one which makes for good movies and such. I am sure such things really do exist in the music world, but are not the totality.
Can any of you point to examples of earning a good wholesome living in the music industry? Is it all struggling and starving for all except those who reach great fame, or are there real career paths for the honest, competent and hard working. I tend to belive the latter, but I would like to know where to look for real examples and some options my son might consider.
Glad he is considering a career in music. I might have mentioned awhile ago. So if thinking..music performance..so then we think.. band, orchestra, solo, bars or concert halls.
or we can think music education, like my wife did, So that's either a career in music or education depends how you look at it.
music for therapy, rehab..cognitive thinking and memory..
and of course music as a world wide language is great..doesn't matter which language the audience speaks if the music is good people will like it enthusiastically.
Chances are he is hot to perform..we have a friend who plays ,sax, clarinet, maybe another instrument or two. When shows come to the city, they hire musicans to play the score, read the music, rehears with other professionals and do the show...that's pretty top level stuff right there for example.
Good luck to him either way..the field of music is pretty wide open to my way of thinking.
My neighbor plays trombone and upright bass in a regional big band, is an assistant director at a large high school's band dept, teaches private lessons for 5 different instruments, and is a contract studio musician. He lives a very good life.
My old band mate went down the dark path you are concerned about. He toured the world with a country act, got taken advantage of by his record label and now works as a cashier at a convenience store.
I think it mostly boils down to having a plan. With talent and a plan, you can be successful in any industry. You have to pay your dues early on but have solid attainable goals for the future. It's the ones who wait for their "big break" that concern me.
It sounds like you have a son who will be successful no matter. Just stay supportive and he'll do well. Maybe encourage him to do research and build a solid plan so he doesn't fall victim to someone else's plan.
Sure with teaching and what the other guys said it can be a pretty safe avenue, Performance, however, in Jazz, Blues or Rock is all struggles and your wife is absolutely right. One can do that too with a level head. If he's really interested in that avenue Ya'll might want to read this: http://jrnb.blogspot.com/2009/01/stay-in-college-guide-to-proactive-mid_15.html www.mooncat.org
Last Edited by Moon Cat on Jul 02, 2017 12:30 PM
Most of the people I know who make a living in music do it by combining it with a teaching degree. That gives you a lot of fall back options (and can often give you summers off to tour?) There are bands and scenes that are cleaner than others. I think the bigger risk is financial stability, but I've known people who've made it work without hitting the big time.
It's hard being a parent. It's easy to greet what your children choose of their own volition to do with fear and disapproval. I think it's time to let your son choose what he wants to do with his own life. Hard as that is, it's also necessary.
Personally ,I think music is like any other business . For example, I know many lawyers and nurses with addiction problems. I know plenty of musicians that don't even drink ,let alone do hard drugs . I really think music is like any other career. ---------- www.shakeylee.com
@STME58 - If your son is planning to stay in college and get a Master's degree in music, then he has a chance of making a decent living as a college teacher; and/or if he's good at self - promotion, giving private lessons. But, I can tell you from personal experience, making a living as a performer is a crap shoot. Since your son also plays bassoon, and if he's a good sight reader, there's a chance of him getting a gig in a symphony orchestra. But, as far as I know, that field is very competitive and is as much about who you know as about how talented you are; like any other gig in the entertainment industry. As far as your wife's misgivings go, I agree with shakeylee; there are doctors and lawyers (indeed, people in every profession) with substance abuse problems. I disagree with shakeylee on his second statement, though; music is NOT like any other career.
I decided at a pretty young age that I wanted to have a career in the music industry. It's important to remember, though, that working in the music industry is not strictly related to performance. There's the tech side (where I make my living), the production side, the promotion side, etc.
I have an original rock band that is a labor of love. We play absolutely no covers, obsess over every note and play music that you wouldn't hear on the radio. While I think regionally touring will be on our agenda next year, I never expect that to be my primary income. I'd highly encourage him to cultivate another interest within the industry besides simply playing music to supplement any income made from gigging, if I were you.
I would never advise you to discourage him, though. My wife and I are both full-timers in the music/art industry, and we're doing just fine. ---------- --Nathan Heck General Manager, Lone Wolf Blues Co. customerservice@lonewolfblues.com
I wish him him all the best. In my opinion, it was harder to have musicians get started & get signed to a contract fourty/fifty years ago than it is now. But back then, musicians worked their butts off to make it in the music industry. And the majority now are really just shooting stars, & flash in the pans. It's as if any momo (no offense to your son) can get exposure, thanks to the internet. Don't let my rantings be a discouragement. With perseverance, he'll actually be a musician that will out last most of the wannabes on YouTube, VH1, & other so-called music outlets
Thank you all for your thoughtful replies. You have given me something to think about and some things to share with my wife that might ease her mind. Ultimately, it is my son's decision, and I trust he will make a good one. If he gets a degree in music and changes his mind, there is nothing to prevent him from getting a masters in physics, engineering, business or anything else he chooses. At the place where I am working now, many people hold masters and PhD degrees that are different from their bachelor’s degree. Your comments here may help me explain to my wife that graduating from college with “only” a major in music is not an automatic ticket to a miserable life. Actually, she is smart enough to know this intellectually but her mothers instincts for overprotection are kicking in. She even pointed out to me a person who graduated with a bachelors in medieval history who eventually became the CEO of one of the largest corporations in the world.
Mooncat, your link is broken, but I believe I have the article on my hard drive. I appreciated it the first time I saw it, so I saved a copy. I have shared it with a few folks who have mentioned they have kids gravitating towards music.
Kudzurunner, your advice is sound. I think it is a bit easier for me to follow than for my wife though.
Arrick, “ build a solid plan so he doesn't fall victim to someone else's plan.” Very nicely stated. I will be sharing that concept with both my boys (and myself), it pertains to any endeavor, not just music.
You know, a BA in music is, in many respects, no different than a BA in any other liberal arts discipline. I took a year off from school after I got my BA and the best paying job I could get was the same as the work I did during the summers before I graduated: working on a road construction crew. I make my living with my post graduate degree.
Last Edited by hvyj on Jul 04, 2017 12:22 PM
Ridge, I appreciate JP Sears brand of social commentary though humor and reverse logic. This one reminds me of an analysis given me by the owner of a large sheet metal shop I used to work with, comparing a machinist’s apprentice to an engineer. The gist of it was that for the first few years, and engineer is spending money learning while the apprentice is making money learning. The engineer comes out of training having spent thousands and ready to start earning (at the time) about $40,000 per year. The apprentice finishes training having earned thousands and ready to continue earning (at the time) about $30,000 per year. Back when I want to engineering school, I could earn nearly enough working two jobs during the summer and winter breaks to pay my tuition and living expenses for the year. My dad kicked in some and I graduated debt free. I don’t think that is a real possibility in today’s economy. I am in a better position to help my sons through college then my dad was though. I also think trends in the economy have made the machinists apprentice option much less attractive than it was.
I had considered a career in music but was scared off by warnings of destitution and went for engineering. For me that turned out OK as I was able to express a lot of creativity through my designs. I expect that more of you have my work in your homes and offices than would be the case had I recorded albums. :-) I am now returning a bit to music. I have a new engineering job and next Monday, I have organized a meeting of brass players at lunchtime so there may soon be a brass chamber music group to compliment the string group already in existence at the plant.
Last Edited by STME58 on Jul 04, 2017 5:04 PM
Just got back from the Del Mar Fair entry pickup. My son's crocheted stuffed animal took best of show. I guess if music doesn't work out, he can fall back on a career in folk handicrafts. :-)
Nice one Gnarly. My son tells me SDSU has included music entrepreneurship in the music major curriculum to help their graduates deal with the guy who books the gig.
Loved that song Gnarly. The proposition has changed though, at least in the UK. The dull-but-stable jobs aren't there any more; it's all precarious for ordinary folks now. Maybe it's different in the US.
Last Edited by MindTheGap on Jul 06, 2017 4:00 AM
MindTheGap, you make an interesting point, perhaps being a musician today is not the comparitively horrible carreer choice it once was, not because the lot of musicians have improved, but that everything else is now where musicians used to be! I say this with my tounge sort of in my cheek.
@timeistight The videos you posted should be required viewing before anyone considers a career in music. Even though I had seen the Rick Beato video before, I watched it all the way through again. ----------
