The career / hobby quandary

dav | 2021-03-15 07:38:36.495832+00:00

A question that comes up a lot for people in the music industry, regardless of where you are in the field (e.g. front of house engineer, mixing engineer, musician or even venue manager / booking agent etc) is 'should I pursue this as a career?' It's really an excellent question and one most of us have needed to think long and hard about. I can very clearly recall my own inner struggles with this. I was in my mid 20's, I'd graduated from the Queensland Conservatorium of Music in Brisbane, Australia and I was working as a music teacher. I was playing around town in various bands and ensembles a few nights a week, recording fairly regularly and my life was music 24/7. I was earning OK money but there was always this instability about work that I found hard to come to terms with. It was probably a little irrational in hindsight because I always seemed to have enough work. I began to look at older people I knew in the industry - musicians, teachers, professors and others that had made music their career. Many were coming up for retirement and I suspected weren't really that comfortable financially. Others were OK financially, but because of the transient nature of the music industry found it hard to find partners and were often very lonely. The questions I began to ask myself were:

  • Do I love this art form enough to continue in it no matter what?
  • Am I prepared to face the consequences of my decision?
  • Are there other things I would like to experience in life, other interests I would like to pursue and talents I'd like to develop?

After a lot of thought, I decided I would pursue a career in something else and keep music a hobby. I went back to university and eventually began to work in another field. When I look back, I believe it was the right decision for me. Choosing another career path doesn't mean the end for your musical dreams, and perhaps you can look at it like an investor might - you're simply diversifying your portfolio.  

Whatever you decide, I wish you all the best. If you think I might be able to help you talk it through, send me a comment.

  

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