It's a jacked-up industry and this isn't a new development. Even back in the good old days it wasn't as good as some think it was. It's actually better AND worse in some ways now (but to be honest I do think more worse than better).
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The Guardian: the shocking truth about the money bands make on tour.
- Thread starter Bermuda Ron
- Start date
Yep!I had a bandmate whose son was a drummer. He was also considering a college Air Force ROTC program. When he found out I was a veteran, he asked me if 1) the Air Force would give him time off to play band gigs or 2) if he'd be allowed to occasionally play in the AF band.
I told him as gently as I could that 1) the military has a mission and accommodating your hobbies isn't part of that agenda and 2) the musicians in every military band are highly trained and skilled musicians.
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Very true. That said, my son was stationed in San Diego managed to play out on the town with two non military bands on his off duty time. He even recorded a couple of LPs with them. That said, the military does indeed have first right of refusal on one’s outside interests. All of them big and or small.I had a bandmate whose son was a drummer. He was also considering a college Air Force ROTC program. When he found out I was a veteran, he asked me if 1) the Air Force would give him time off to play band gigs or 2) if he'd be allowed to occasionally play in the AF band.
I told him as gently as I could that 1) the military has a mission and accommodating your hobbies isn't part of that agenda and 2) the musicians in every military band are highly trained and skilled musicians.
As for occasionally playing with a military band, the reserves might fill the bill. Two weeks a year and a weekend a month might be livable.
I was friends with a lot of the band at my first duty station while I was in the Army. Being in a military band is hard. I was really good friends with the piano player. He played bass drum in the marching band, piano in the dixieland jazz band, keyboard in the rock band, and solo jazz piano for special events. (He even played piano at one of the churches on post on Sundays -- but that was paid extra, he was not required to do that.)
Between on post ceremonies and events, plus all the extra community relations events, I don't think anyone in the band there had much time for personal projects. Nothing ongoing anyway. They just got a ton of experience playing music.
Between on post ceremonies and events, plus all the extra community relations events, I don't think anyone in the band there had much time for personal projects. Nothing ongoing anyway. They just got a ton of experience playing music.
Musicians in the symphonic world are hurting as much or more than all the commenters here. Very, very, very few make it to the big symphonies with the nice contracts. Mostly, they start very young and work insanely hard for most of their childhood. Still, the vast majority end up having to patch together work (gigs, teaching, or other non-music work) if they want to keep playing.
I’m a union man to the core, but, sad to say, the AFM doesn’t do much for their members. ‘Limited benefits in some cases’ is exactly right.
OT, but ‘playing’ has always struck me as an interesting way to describe what we do as musicians. The connotation for me has always been playing like a kid in a sandbox. When I’m ‘playing’ in my band, I’m concentrating like mad. It’s work!
Hurricane Jimmie
Supporting Member
This was some time ago. He didn't have the training, chops or reading skill to be considered for a military band. It would have taken a lot of work for him to get to that point.
He's finishing up his AF career behind a desk.
Ironically, I am recently retired and financially comfortable. I could go do a national tour but I doubt anyone is coming calling anytime soon. All about timing and the bills gotta be paid! Plus, I am not sure what my wife's reaction might be. haha
I dunno, I always think “playing” music as work. For me it’s about preparation for a performace. Mainly to keep me from embarrassing myself as well as who I might be sharing the stage. Even as a listener, it’s about work.
There is joy playing music for most. For me, I get more joy from a job well done.
With me I’m dyslexic. Sight reading is a major issue. Back then you enlist them bomb the audition or can’t keep up, you were on the first plain to Viet Nam. So, I went and starved for my art instead…
Funny thing, I asked my son who was tasked with recruiting musicians if I was good enough he would have recruited me. He thought about for a minute or so and said “ Yeah, I probable would have recruited you.” He said it with a tinge of resignation in his voice.
I’m not so sure if I was really good enough. Or was he thinking how much work it would take to get me to graduate the school of music. Or maybe he’d get a few nights with his wife instead of being out until 11:00 banging on doors since his quota was met…LOL!!
Ideally we get joy from any number of sources, including our (presumably non-musical) day jobs. But bills have to be paid. If we choose to make a living ‘playing’ music, it is more difficult to make money because of that common construct. In fact, it is work, but the society doesn’t value it as much as shown by the descriptive word we all use.
Its probably worse than that, imv.
Cheap venues book solo and duo. Nothing wrong with that concept if space, volume etc is the key, but they put any music on and tbh, you need to be pretty decent indeed to keep people interested over 2 hrs. Typically 3 musical slots per weekend and 1 of those slots will not be a band.
But the venue, bar etc has nothing else going for it so it needs music...or they need good alternative events.
Its hard work for the venue but a few make it work.
I am convinced music has to remain a premier event that week in that establishment...and the trick is to create such a vibe that people come because of it as a highlight of their weekend....
I know more full time musicians now than ever before so some think the numbers add up for their lifestyle.
However, the other half will likely have a decent salary/income to cover off any shortfalls.
Plus you are going to need access to regular good payers. Those $500 per man gigs are harder to find these days.
However, the other half will likely have a decent salary/income to cover off any shortfalls.
Plus you are going to need access to regular good payers. Those $500 per man gigs are harder to find these days.
When this kind of talk starts among fellow musicians, I like to bomb it like this:
"You wanna know what's WORST? Listen to this, guy comes up on TV, shaking his hips in sex simulation, so camera man has to raise shot, it's obscene! He's singing over most simple three chords, the most idiotic lyrics about color of his shoes. Worst, right?
Yup, that's Elvis in 56'..."
We all laugh, sure it's exaggerated. But point remains, every decade has rebels and rebelliuos music. And older folks who repeat: the worst time is upon us, everything's degraded, there's no art or soul... And kids just have fun, like they should. Times just change.
This is digression, not trying to say I dissagree with OP, it is realy hard to be musician now, possibly harder than ever. But music lives on, as art and entertainment, in one form or another.
I don't like the term "hobby" because it carries an implication that the musician isn't serious about it. I'd say it's a "calling" but it's certainly not one that makes meaningful money.
In truth, as I've written many times before, we are coming off the tail of an historical anomaly in the field of professional music performance. A combination of social and economic factors made it possible in the period roughly 1920-1980 for there to be a meaningful number of professional musicians who could earn a living (admittedly, often a sketchy living) from musical performance and closely related work. Before that period, there was a very small number of actual full time professional musicians and the making of music for most people was an at-home amateur activity, almost always unpaid or with nominal compensation ("If you and your brother will come play at the barn dance, I've got half a barrel of salt pork we don't need...") And that's how it's going to be in the future.
One can complain, whine, pi$$ and moan about the state of affairs, but the truth is that it will probably never happen again that a large number of moderately talented musicians will be able to make useful money off playing music. Of course there will be the highly paid pros who support the massive mass-produced products of Taylor Swift, Beyonce, etc,, but those people will be numbered in the hundreds.