if career as musician is really hard to make money, then why so many people still want to be a musician?
I've just talked with a friend of mine, he had just started to pursue a Solo carer , because he loves music very much, just like me, but unfortunately, and rather sadly, just this afternoon, he poured all his heart that , as I quoted from him, "being musician in indonesia is just f*ckin hard & doesn't make sense! it's just so dirty often, and hard to get recognized, and with piracy running rampant, greedy labels, very low purchasing-power from still-poor people in the mainstream, etc etc" , and he's even thinking of just concentrating in the business-aspect , not the artistic-side anymore in the music "industry". He's planning to just start a label & draw new artists,....instead of following his TRUE passion to become a full-time musician! so then, i start asking myself this: if career as musician is really hard to make money, then why so many people still want to be a musician ?? why? what do you think? do you think these people (musicians) are probably just 'naive' people who don't know that it's a cruel cruel world in a music, no, actually, music-business world. 'cuz often there're more to it than only making good & creative tunes. this i've unfortunately & pitifully learned at least in my corrupt country, Indonesia, where sadly, music is just another corrupt tool. and that's why no wonder a lot of musicians/bands are just poor, & even some really great/talented ones is lacking so much appreciations from mainstream people, instead, many people generally only prefer for 'stupid' songs/music as long with good looks, and many other artificial/fake things! and i'm sure the situation is no different even in advanced countries like U.S, Europe, Japan, etc. many people are just plain stupid, don't understand 'good music' from 'bad music' , and most big-players in the so-called "music-business" are all crooked and greedy, all they think is only money, not enhancing/supporting their artists/bands!! with all of these sad things above, i've recently often wondered & kept wondering, is there still any point for any person, no matter how talented or even multi-talented or passionate he/she is at music, to pursue career as a musician (and espcially, FULL-time musician) ? are they just out of their mind? but the Reality seems to speak differently: there are surprisingly an increasing amount of musicians (ie: bands, usually "indie" bands)! why is this? what is the reasons for they kept wanting to be a musician?
Performing Arts - 7 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
I didn't read your whole question, but there are a few things that make people want to be musicians. 1.) They think they'll make it big someday and be rich and famous and 2.) they love to play music and want to do it full time.
2 :
people want to be musicians either because 1. they're too lazy to major in smething that pays a lot. or go to college. or 2. because they have passion for music and they want to try to pursue a career in what they are intrested in or have passion for. they don't want to get a career for something they will hate doing.
3 :
everybody knows it's hard to make it big time. if they dont, they should. but everybody can dream right? easy answer to your question: because they love doing it. they want to express themselves into music. if they are only doing it for money or fame, then they're doing it for the wrong reasons.
4 :
People do that because it maks them happy. 'Cause personally, i want a career that i'm going to enjoy, no matter how much i get pay. Who want to go to a job that pays really good but, you hate it. Not me
5 :
So you want to be a musician,well my friend you are not alone there are millions like us all over the world, good at making music,we just don't have that little bit that makes us stand out above others like Dyango Rhinehart,Stefan Grappelli, they were musicians, but with a difference. In music you are either at the top where the money is good. or being content to be where your abilities take you.But it is a fact many good musicians have died in poverty.I'm not rich but not poor but I've enjoyed it
6 :
Playing music for the money means you lost touch of being a true musician. It is not about the money. I play for the excitement of playing in front of people, I like talking to the crowd I bring it, I like doing stuff for them. Most of all I like to share my music with people. I could careless if I made money doing it or not. All I care about is sharing what I compose with everyone. I also hope to inspire other musicians to challenge themselves to be a better musician than I am. Being famous is not for me. Being Rich, I do not care if I am rich or not. I still go home to a 4 bedroom house with one bathroom, kitchen living room and dining room. I sit on an old couch, and sleep on the same bed I have used in high school. The plus side to all the music is I get free stuff for playing, I get to record for free, I get to share my feelings without being labeled emo or emotional. The second I hit the stage and play the first number and hear my crowd cheer I feel all fuzzy inside knowing these people could be at home doing drugs or getting in trouble but they much rather stay out of that to listen to my words. Any musician who plays just to become famous and become rich really was never a musician, just a poser who wants to make a quick buck. I seen so many bands get together and break up after their first or second CD because money gotte to them. The money I make goes to making the show better for the fans not driving a new car or living in a house that is so damn big I can get lost inside. Play from the heart, Play from the soul, Hard work always makes the reward more filling to you. And understanding what it means to be a musician will just incress your love for music even more. I love my fans, I love where I am at. Weather I sell 1 CD next year, or 1 million CDs. That does not matter. Me having fun, and playing just to play is what makes the lime light more worth while.
7 :
I have been a full-time professional in music since 1971 - so has my husband, and now my son and his wife also are in the business. We all have multiple degrees from fine s conservatories and universities, To ALLOW us to perform what we want, when and where we want, we chose to become certified teachers. This is NOT the solution for everyone - but has worked VERY well for us. I retired in June, and between playing, teaching lessons, and school, was making over a hundred grand MYSELF. New teachers here ( 100 miles north of NYC) start just under fifty grand. The jerk who said that musicians are "too lazy to major in something that PAYS" clearly has not read this week's NY Times. People who have been let go from Wall St. are now trying to get a foot in the door, by getting on the SUB list in schools. Benefits are great, and FINALLY the money is decent - I started for $5800 (that's right!) a year in 1971. SO - we are retired in our fifties, and can now pursue our PASSION as much as we want - and we travel, can afford great instruments, have a great house AND vacation property, a huge library of recorded and printed music, etc. We worked our BUTTS off to get here. When we play jobs with people who majored in performance, many of them are still struggling - they are going to be dragging that cello around until they are 80, because they HAVE to - no steady salary, no insurance. And they look down on *teachers*, as weaker players???? HAH!!!!!!!!!!!!! It all depends on what you find comfortable in life. My chiropractor would live in a shack on the beach of he could - for all his wonderful education and skills, he needs very little of material goods. We are reasonably modest - and reasonably comfortable. We have NO debt - zip, zero - and there is nothing in life that I do not have that I do not want ( except the new knee I am getting this Thursday - not what I had in mind for a Valentine's gift . . ). Some of the BEST musicians I know, after their excellent musical training, went to school AGAIN to become engineers, chemists, biologists - heck, there is an ENTIRE ORCHESTRA in NY made up of only doctors! Suffering is not noble - it is sometimes the result of poor planning. The "but it's my PASSION" thing only goes so far - plan for success - go with your strengths in life, get ALL The fine education you can, and pursue you passions as much as you can. I wish you MUCH luck - but LUCK favors the well-prepared.
