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RE: Making a living out of Music
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Patrick
Posts: 1189
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Portland, Oregon
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 RE: Making a living out of Music (in reply to Reinhardt)
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quote:
My conclusion is that we ultimately are called to do what we are best at... make use of the talents and gifts we were born with.. and make best use of these for the benefit of all.
I think I know what you are saying, but I don't fully agree. There have been numerous threads about talent and lack thereof. I am not a proponent of "he has talent" mentality. No....what he or she most likely did was bust their butts to get where they are. Talent, Gift, or whatever” is way overrated.
I am in one of the toughest occupations to succeed in (investment advisory). In the first year of business about 80 to 90 percent fail. It takes on average three to five years to build a large enough practice to survive on. When I entered the field (almost 30 years ago), I had people all day long telling me I was crazy and would fail. When I entered the industry I was totally clueless. What I did was trust myself, and oh by the way, worked 70 to 80 hours a week for years. Am I loaded? Far from it, but I am happy and that’s the most important thing. Now I am in the office only about 30 hours a week and enjoy life.
My youngest daughter is another example. She is not overly “talented or gifted” per say in any one area. She is a product of a public education. She even attended a junior college for the first two years of her undergrad work, and then finished up her degree at a local public college.
What she had was a burning desire to be an MD. For years that’s all she wanted to be. She busted her butt and made her own luck. She has been trying to get into med school for three years. Just a few weeks ago she was accepted into one of the most prestigious med schools on the US West Coast.
I have seen a lot of people with what most would say is a “gift or talent”, never succeed in anything. Was it a lack of talent? No it was a lack of motivation pure and simple. How bad do they want it? It ain’t what you got, it’s what you do with what you got!
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Date Mar. 4 2010 9:10:55
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Patrick
Posts: 1189
Joined: Jul. 7 2003
From: Portland, Oregon
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RE: Making a living out of Music (in reply to Reinhardt)
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Here’s another one:
A friend of mine is one of the top ranked tournament bass fishermen in the US. When we think of fishing for a living, visions of leisurely setting in a boat all day long looks pretty enticing. Well trust me it isn’t remotely close to that. Making a living from tournament bass fishing is a bit like winning the lottery (only harder).
His name is Jay Yelas and I have known him sense he was a kid. From about the age of 15 or so, all he ever wanted to do was fish for a living. I am telling you he had more burn and desire than anyone I have ever seen. He didn’t have anymore “talent or gifts” than the next guy. He wasn’t born with an innate ability to catch fish. In fact, I don’t think anyone is. Jay worked harder than anyone I know at learning all the little nuances about how to catch a bass. For several years he lived out of his van, driving from tournament to tournament. He had to win enough money from the one he was at, to get to the next one. Talk about drive and motivation.
Long story short, Jay is now at the top of his field. In the US, every bass fisherman knows who he is. He has won several of the biggest tournaments in the US, earning him millions.
http://www.fishingworld.com/pro-jayyelas/
It’s amazing how the harder we work, the luckier we get!
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Date Mar. 4 2010 9:49:03
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Stoney
Posts: 132
Joined: Nov. 6 2009
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RE: Making a living out of Music (in reply to Reinhardt)
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quote:
We get about 3 gigs average a week and make about $80 equal to about SA R600
I wanted to jump on this thread but my password was all messed up. I'm back now.
So three gigs and $80 split between 2 guys? And you have to ask if you can or should go pro at this point? I think you have already answered your own question.
However, if that isn't enough for you, I would suggest jumping on youtube and making a honest comparison of what you do compared to what others are doing.
You mention a guitarist named John Clarke. Without going into a critique of his playing, do you think he is making a living doing music? I'd guess not. He has recorded a CD or two, sells tabs to his own compositions on line, does gigs in parks where absolutely NO ONE is paying any bloody attention at all and has worked his butt off to build a bit of an on-line following in order to parlay that into a bit of a second income. (I'm guessing) Either that or he is young, single, lives with mom and pays no bills.
Next issue, the style of music you play. Hopefully it is obvious to you that you do not play Flamenco by any means so there is little or no chance to work in a flamenco dance studio and honestly, guitar lessons are more or less out as there are probably hundreds of other guys who know as much or more who have those teaching gigs covered.
Build your music career bit by bit, go pro in 10 years. If it's gonna happen, it's gonna happen. Don't ruin your life chasing a dream.
On the other hand, look up one of Jason McGuire's vids on youtube. If you are playing on that level I retract all the above.
Stoney
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Date Mar. 5 2010 7:39:33
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kozz
Posts: 1766
Joined: Feb. 26 2009
From: Eindhoven NL
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RE: Making a living out of Music (in reply to abc123)
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quote:
quote:
Number of views on youtube means squat.
Ricardo sweetheart no wonder you're struggling career wise, you need to learn about web 2.0 and emerging music business models. Go read Techdirt
Reinhardt, you got it man, of course you can make a living at music! Tons of people do. You know how many guitarists are millionaires? You just gotta play something real, and don't give up just cause a bunch of other people did.
It's for those who want it bad enough, baby. The rest just make excuses
Hello there!
Straight to business within 6 minutes of joining. 
@Reinhardt
Offcourse you can make a living out of music, but it all depends on what your living standards are, if you have a mortgage, how much energy you want to put in it, if doesnt matter what you play etc.
You are still young, so why not give it a shot...the best thing to make a living out of music, IMO, is doin wedding ceremonies...everything is accepted apart from purists music...so go for it
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Date Mar. 7 2010 5:49:34
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Florian
Posts: 9282
Joined: Jul. 14 2003
From: Adelaide/Australia
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RE: Making a living out of Music (in reply to Stoney)
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Reinhardt good luck man, i belive you can, do whatever you do , as long as you love it and do it from the heart and would do it even for free i belive you can acctualy be succesfull at it....and even get to a point where you can make a living out of it ...or perhaps even surrpas it
will you make enough money ?? i dont know perhaps, perhaps less at the start , but it will get better... there is plenty of oportunity , for you, weddings, corperate events, private partyes, restaurants , cafes, birthdays, engagements partyes, art galery openings, xmas parties...etc ( just have to get organised with getting your name out there ) perhaps its an amazing oportunity for you in South Africa since you dont have much competition..
so yes, i belive you can do it and perhaps even more so due to the fact that you are in Souh Africa... i wish you all the succes in the world amigo 
if this is what you love!! ... if you are smart enough with your oportunities and organised enough and professional...you will be succesfull...however you meassure that
it wont be eazy at times but then we go back to my point at the start..."if you love it enough that you would even risk starving for it"
most important ingrediant, is not, weather or not its flamenco or the complexity of your compositions or even the level of your playing...most important ingrediant is how much you love it and your determination
theres no guarantees in anything but one think i know for sure is that you wont make it if you dont try 
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Date Mar. 8 2010 6:56:26
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Stoney
Posts: 132
Joined: Nov. 6 2009
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RE: Making a living out of Music (in reply to Reinhardt)
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I have absolutely no prob with ALL of Florian's statements and they are all 100% true as long as you realize that the following
quote:
i belive you can acctualy be succesfull at it....and even get to a point where you can make a living out of it ...or perhaps even surrpas it
is an opinion and not a statement of fact or a guarantee.
So, the real question is, are you laying the groundwork for a long term carreer in music or are you rolling the dice and hoping to come up a star.
Whatever your route, good luck. Just keep in mind that TODAY, almost nobody does it the roll of the dice method, especially the record companies. They don't risk a cent on an up and coming artist, the risk is all assumed by the artist. So in the end all the skill set that you would develop via the slow and safe method(promotion, song writing, marketing, organization, your instrument etc. etc.) you are still going to need.
Oh, and that "I'll get a lot better when I only focus on my guitar and play gigs" mentality is only a reality if you DON'T have gigs. So you're actually doing all that promoting, moving equiptment, mannaging crazy musicians etc. etc. not practicing.
No offense man, Devil's advocate here. Murphy's Law. The Law of Averages and Statistics. Many are called, few are chosen.
Stoney
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Date Mar. 8 2010 10:01:55
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