Re: [Harp-L] Re: Music and the American Dream (Making a Living?)

["James Sterett" <jsterett@xxxxxxxxx>]

I sure don't make enough money from music to support anyone or anything... but I wonder, now mind you, I like my job well enough, I've got a wife and kids, mortgage, etc., and regrets, I've had a few, if I did make a living in music, would I still look forward to a Friday night gig so much after a week of work?  would I still be able to use music as a vent to unload the wordless feelings of my soul?  I wonder...

JIm.

>>> Joe and Cass Leone <leone@xxxxxxxx> 4/3/2007 12:50 PM >>>
This could be the biggest treasure that I have ever mined on harp-l  
(or anywhere for that matter). And who BETTER to cast such pearls  
before us swine.
smo-joe

On Apr 3, 2007, at 12:36 PM, Tom Ball wrote:

>
> WVa Bob writes:
>
>> ---For my part, I teach school to make a living; I certainly don't  
>> depend
>> on music to do more than supplement my income. Earlier in this thread
>> somebody opined that very few on this list actually made their  
>> living from
>> music...just wondering: how many of you do make at least the bulk  
>> of your
> income form music? Anybody willing to say?
>
> ========
>
> Well, I suppose I can plead guilty to that. For whatever reasons --  
> primarily a profound lack of ability to do anything else -- I've  
> played music for a living for nearly 40 years. At a workshop  
> recently I was asked how a working musician can make ends meet,  
> which prompted me to think of a key word: diversification.
>
> Young players -- ie players in their late teens and twenties -- are  
> generally so happy to be actually playing music for a living --  
> touring, gigging, meeting people -- that money really isn't the  
> main consideration. Not yet, anyway. A player that age probably  
> hasn't bitten off a mortgage payment or begun a family, so crashing  
> on people's floors, a diet of Taco Bell and 7-nights-a-week in bars  
> are not only tolerable but actually rather exciting.  But we DO all  
> get older and personally I found that a revenue stream 100% derived  
> from gigs can be dicey. What if you get the flu? What if a club  
> goes belly-up? What if you need insurance? There had to be a better  
> way.... So a few decades ago I looked around at other more  
> successful players in my genre and noticed something:  they all had  
> other music-oriented sources of income, in addition to gigs. The  
> key seemed to be in diversity.
>
> I feel somewhat pretentious offering unsolicited advice here --  
> nobody really asked me -- but if there's one thing I can suggest to  
> a young player it would be to diversify and create additional  
> musical revenue streams.  How?  Ahhhh... let me count the ways. <g>
>
> 1) CDs.  Yes, to an extent the Record Business is dead. But CDs,  
> even with truncated sales compared to yesteryear, can still be a  
> small source of income.  The more CDs you can get out there -- all  
> of them theoretically earning small royalties -- the better.
>
> 2) Write songs and keep your publishing.  Start your own publishing  
> company and register it with BMI or ASCAP.  Again, a small revenue  
> stream, whether they ever get covered or not. And if they get  
> covered by somebody big: ching, ching, ching.  :)
>
> 3) Record as a sideman on other folk's records. Make yourself  
> available. Do every session offered. When you play a new studio,  
> discretely drop off a business card with the engineer -- it might  
> lead to another session down the road.
>
> 4) Commercials for radio and TV. These pay residuals every time the  
> commercial airs. Film music too, if you can get it.
>
> 5) Teach. Take on an occasional student.
>
> 6) Double.  If you can find the time to learn another instrument in  
> addition to harp, your income will jump exponentially. And don't be  
> afraid to sing -- even the froggiest voice can be developed and/or  
> have charm (witness a couple of my heroes in John Prine and Dylan.)
>
> 7) Books. Sure there are already over 100 harmonica oriented titles  
> available, but so what? Ever notice how many different kinds of  
> peanut butter are on the Safeway shelf? Everyone has a different  
> point of view and your's might be the one that resonates with a lot  
> of folks. Books are like CDs -- the more you have in print -- all  
> earning small royalties -- the better.
>
> 8) Have no shame. If the gig pays, take it -- even if it's a  
> wedding or a Bar Mitzvah or something else you consider "beneath  
> your dignity."  Take it anyway.  Their money's green.  No need to  
> worry that you're "embarrassing yourself" if another musician sees  
> you -- hell, if they're a pro, they're playing gigs like that,  
> too.  :)
>
> 9)  Assuming it's a cause you believe in, play the big benefit  
> shows even if they don't pay at all.  Not only will you feel better  
> about yourself, but it's amazing how many good (ie good paying)  
> gigs can sprout from such exposure.
>
> 10) Keep your overhead low.  If you truly want to be a working  
> musician, chances are you can't afford that boat, that trip to  
> Tahiti or that cocaine habit.
>
> 11) Take advantage of today's technology. These days, with  
> ProTools, it's possible to overdub a part on somebody's CD with a  
> simple exchange of Emails. With Skype you can give an hour lesson  
> over the phone for free. Set up a web site and don't be afraid to  
> publicize it.
>
> 12) Never give up your dream -- you only live once (I think?) and  
> you don't want to be an old geezer in a nursing home looking back  
> on your life with a lot of "shouldda, wouldda, coulddas."
>
> Now then. Apologies for the pedantic schoolmarm attitude of this  
> post. I honestly don't mean to sound like a lecturer but I thought  
> I'd pass along a few things that have enabled me to do what it is I  
> love all my life. Thanks for the opportunity.
>
> Best wishes to all and keep harpin',
>
> Tom Ball
> Santa Babs
> http://www.tomball.us 
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