Musical Dilemma (Career or Music?)

[rgaRyan]

So, I'll try and keep this short and sweet.

I'm currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in geophysics. I still have 3 years left to go. I am a very science and mathematically orientated person. I enjoy problem solving, the world we live in, astronomy and space, etc.

I've always been into music. I started drumming at an early age and once I got my first guitar, I sold the drums and dedicated my spare time to learning guitar (entirely self taught).

I find I don't have near enough creativity to create my own music. I have no knowledge of musical theory, and the most I can do is create things that just sound good to me, which eventually get scrapped anyways.

I have noticed that I am getting more and more involved with music, ie. conversing with other musicians through Facebook, expanding my musical library, learning more and more about guitars and some musical theory. Problem is, I'm finding my "hobby" to be more enjoyable and entertaining than my schooling (well obviously, anyone would take listening/playing music over studying anyday). I find myself listening to music and searching up guitars more often than I spend time studying (which I should be doing right now, still have a course to complete this summer.)

But in the back of my mind, I know that the chances of becoming a successful musician or even producer, are slim. The money aspect is troubling. Even great bands like Periphery struggle to make a living off of shows and albums.

What do I do? Keep music as a hobby and pursue a career that is guaranteed to bring me good money? I'm feeling a bit torn at this point. I also feel that pursuing a career in music is unrealistic when I look at my skills as a guitarist.

edit: Not sure if this is in the right section, as it pertains to music and an "off-topic" subject.

[The Omega Cluster]

I've also gone over this. If you make music, do it for yourself, and .... what everyone else thinks. Do your career, since the monetary aspect will allow you to do music as a hobby, self-production is costly, and if you only go for music, you will eventually lack of funds and either become a hobo/walmart employee for the rest of your life, or a whore, where you will make music that the people will like because it is your cash inflow.

I'm recording my first track/album now, and studying a bachelor's degree in biology. Sure, you get less time to work on music than you'd do if you only lived off music, but you will eventually get money to have your own home studio, and some equipment, and you'll make music you love.

[rgaRyan]

You brought up another point. My parents constantly reinforce in my that I must stay focused, get good grades, etc. I'm moving to Calgary this fall and they are allowing my to bring my Ibby and possibly my acoustic, but they keep saying, "you won't have anytime for this."

Yea, I know. School is demanding, but I WILL have downtime to play guitar and learn songs. I don't get to spend anywhere near the amount of time I'd like to spend on guitar.

Also, my wishlist after graduation is a new 7 string and an AxeFX II. I have the cash right now for both, but I'm not allowed to spend anything on "gimmicks" and stuff that I won't have any "time" to use when I'm in university. It really sucks.

[Mordacain]

Originally Posted by rgaRyan

So, I'll try and keep this short and sweet.

I'm currently pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree, majoring in geophysics. I still have 3 years left to go. I am a very science and mathematically orientated person. I enjoy problem solving, the world we live in, astronomy and space, etc.

I can tell you from living with two people currently working on their PhDs - stick with the science. It gives you lots of down-time (particularly if you are doing lab-work) while waiting on results to comeback, models to compile / process, etc that you can pretty much do whatever you want with. So even if you are in the lab for 14 hours, you might be able to play games / practice your instrument or whatever.

Pretty much any job in sciences will pay you well, will generally have a consistent work schedule which will allow you to pursue your music as a hobby.

Being a musician has never a sure thing and has always been a ridiculously tough way to make a living. Its only going to get harder as the social dynamics shift away from live performances. Most working musicians I know had to be in cover bands playing Top 40 hits for the duration of their careers, which is something they all viewed as loathsome and no different than me clocking in at a factory job or in my current corporate bitch environment.

If you enjoy the sciences and have the capacity for it, then by all means go for that. You'll still be able to play music (possibly even more often than if you had to work menial jobs to pay the rent). You'll also be able to afford better quality gear. Its much easier to stay the course than to try and get back into a course of study after a lapse and it only gets harder as the years go by. I can tell you that from experience spent in years of hardship while I clawed my way up from minimum wage jobs with no degree.

[Stealthdjentstic]

^ Sciences don't pay all that well either IMO. But it definitely beats working crazy hours as a musician for little/no pay.

[Mordacain]

Originally Posted by Stealthdjentstic

^ Sciences don't pay all that well either IMO. But it definitely beats working crazy hours as a musician for little/no pay.

I suppose that depends on where you live. Our house-mates' boss is head researcher at their university, is only an assistant professor and grosses $500K a year...in South Carolina, where middle class income is $40K a year (cost of living is less here than just about anywhere else in the US).

Our house-mates' laboratory position, as a graduate student actually pays upwards of $35K a year.

Regardless, if the OP enjoys both things, one will enable a better quality of life, a less stressful existence and likely still allow for plentiful time to exercise his passion for music. The other is lifetime of servitude and struggling against an oppressive life of squalor that might possibly destroy his enjoyment of music altogether...no contest decision as far as I'm concerned.

I hate to be the "old man speaking down from experience" but being poor sucks ass. Being poor, and having to work so much that you have no time to enjoy your passions sucks worse. If I had kept to a collegiate course of study when I was 18, I think I would probably have been a phenomenally good guitar player, as a opposed to a decent one. I wouldn't have had to work 3 jobs at a time, with 20 hour days, just to make rent and feed myself; I could have had leisure time so I could play guitar, develop a routine and improve. As opposed to playing guitar for 20 minutes a week, I could have played a couple of hours a day like I can now, simply because I would have had time to do it.

[Stealthdjentstic]

That is definitely the exception when it comes to sciences, I know people that run biotech and clean energy companies and they only pay out 80-150k a person. These are all US based companies too.

At any rate, it beats music!


Im lucky to be enjoying what I'm studying more than I thought I would I guess...I dont really want to do music as a full blown thing.

[Mordacain]

Originally Posted by Stealthdjentstic

That is definitely the exception when it comes to sciences, I know people that run biotech and clean energy companies and they only pay out 80-150k a person. These are all US based companies too.

At any rate, it beats music!


Im lucky to be enjoying what I'm studying more than I thought I would I guess...I dont really want to do music as a full blown thing.

If 80K-150K is USD, then that's upper middle class pretty much everywhere in the States. From my understanding, that is a fair assessment of the pay range as well. Its excellent pay for doing a job that one enjoys I think

[Stealthdjentstic]

Yeah I think its easier to do well at something you enjoy, OP if you're not enjoying sciences then don't do it. Makes zero sense to waste years of your life doing something you dont like.

[rgaRyan]

I am enjoying it, just not as much as I enjoy music.
I'm likely going to be getting into the oil & gas industry, so I'll be making at least 6 figures.

[Stealthdjentstic]

Might as well do it then I guess, you can gearwhore more later anyways and maybe finally afford that reaper license!

[rgaRyan]

Please, don't bring that up, lol.

[Mordacain]

Originally Posted by rgaRyan

I am enjoying it, just not as much as I enjoy music.
I'm likely going to be getting into the oil & gas industry, so I'll be making at least 6 figures.

Figure that everything has an eb and flow. Music right now is at a high point for you, however, like all things, your interest is likely to wane at a particular point.

The main thing I've learned in life is that when faced with a decision impacting your entire life, always look long-term. The short-term is always shorter than you think it will be and is gone before you know. The career will give you multiple options in terms of how you want to live your life and that increases your potential to enjoy it.

[The Reverend]

I'm going to school for music. The goal is to compose, which will be my job, and on the side I'll pursue the music I want to. I don't really expect to make anything in terms of money when it comes to my personal projects, either. It took me a good six years to decide this is what I wanted to do, however. I've done the 9 to 5 for long enough to know that it's not for me, personally.

I think you need to look at the pros and cons of each path, then decide which negative aspects you can live with.

[envenomedcky]

I didn't read any of the comments, but being a full time touring musician, I can tell you that if you're already in college, STICK WITH IT. Making a real career out of music is damn near impossible. I've been touring for over 6 years straight, and I'm just now starting to make money, and it's barely minimum wage. I was in your situation, I was planning on going to go to college to pursue a career in a scientific field (hoped for astrophysics), but I decided instead to go on tour with my band, and I never looked back. While I don't regret my choice, if I was given that choice again, I'd probably go to school.

[in-pursuit]

if you like science and NEED to live comfortably, finish your studies and do music as a hobby outside of work. if the music starts to take off at least you're not locked into your job and you've always got that degree to fall back on if things don't pan out. having to rely on music to pay the bills can be pretty stressful if you hit a rough patch and is a surefire way to kill the love you once had for it, in my opinion at least.

[xCaptainx]

Study, get a good job and have a hobby? It's not that hard of a concept man, don't stress about it.

Most bands that go full time and make a career, are guys who started it as a hobby and had either incredible luck, or something that people really, really liked. Often a bit of both.

Musicians don't make money. I've done both routes. Music will forever be a hobby and my main interest. I have a good job to fund that.

This will make much more sense when you're an adult/working full time and have the power of hindsight.

Btw, Brian May from Queen received a PhD in astrophysics well before Queen became famous. He wrote many of their hits in his downtime at work with an accoustic guitar.

What would you rather be doing in your downtime between gigs as a musician? living on the bones of your arse with no education, no job, no money, or go back to your comfortable career you've built based on your education and life choices? I've done both and I know which one I prefer!

[Stealthdjentstic]

Yeah my ideal life is to have a job that has little/nothing to do with music and then a kickass weekend warrior setup.

[Explorer]

Originally Posted by rgaRyan

...My parents constantly reinforce in my that I must stay focused, get good grades, etc. I'm moving to Calgary this fall and they are allowing my to bring my Ibby and possibly my acoustic, but they keep saying, "you won't have anytime for this."

...I don't get to spend anywhere near the amount of time I'd like to spend on guitar.

...I have the cash right now for both, but I'm not allowed to spend anything on "gimmicks" and stuff that I won't have any "time" to use when I'm in university. It really sucks.

I'm going to take a guess here and say that you're not an adult yet. Hopefully though, you aren't accumulating any student debt *and* your parents aren't paying for you to go to school, especially since you have cash for gear.

Since you specifically brought it up though... as you *do* have cash on hand on hand for an AxeFX II ($2600) *and* a new 7-string (at least $200)... does that mean you finally paid for that $40 Reaper license? *laugh*

[rgaRyan]

I am an adult. They are paying for some of my education and I have been saving for about 4 years now. But after this next year, I will have to get student loans to pay for the rest. I have the cash to buy the gear at this point in time, but I won't in the future after I am done school. I'll be paying off the loans for a few years afterward.

[Mordacain]

Originally Posted by rgaRyan

I am an adult. They are paying for some of my education and I have been saving for about 4 years now. But after this next year, I will have to get student loans to pay for the rest. I have the cash to buy the gear at this point in time, but I won't in the future after I am done school. I'll be paying off the loans for a few years afterward.

Seriously, don't let the lust for gear cloud your judgement. Student loans are no big deal and at least in the US can be paid at pretty low monthly rates that will certainly not preclude getting new gear once you're done with school.

Seriously, I played the same Epi Les Paul and Marshall Mosfet halfstack for 12 years until I seriously starting playing again and I don't think either was really a limitation to the music I played at the time.

You can look at Sithu Aye as well in terms of amazing music made cheap. He used a mix of free plugins and Guitar Rig on all of his albums. While the latest gear can be fun, its certainly not essential. One can pretty easily make the argument that (for some people at least) working with limitations on their equipment can increase their creativity musically.

[kylea1]

Im going to school for aerospace engineering and I also enjoy the same types of things you mentioned and i actually use them for inspiration. For example coming up with a progression that feels almost as if its a motif for space, or another far a way planet, for example, is always fun.

The way i look at it its always nice to have a release, in this case music, when you're working hard at your job, as aposed to having music be your job and not be able to get away from it and risk starting dislike it or become stressed with it because it is all you have.

But all in all do you what feel is right like what a few others said in this post, if it makes you happy go for it.

[rgaRyan]

Originally Posted by kylea1

The way i look at it its always nice to have a release, in this case music, when you're working hard at your job, as aposed to having music be your job and not be able to get away from it and risk starting dislike it or become stressed with it because it is all you have.

Well said

[Dwellingers]

Very interesting tread people - im currently involved in preppin´ a PhD-study within cardiovascular imaging. Its Okay, not really that super interesting, but I got flair for it. Im more interested in playing original music with my buddies and doing olympic weightlifting - and Im really considering skipping the career for a more down to earth job, where i maybe earn a little less, but the it would provide more energy and spare time for my hobbies. Ahh... the tough decisions in life...

[guy in latvia]

Stick with your studies, as much as you might hate them at any point, just finish them! You don't have to end up getting a job in that field, but with any job, higher educations helps.

I would strongly urge you not to go pro-musician. I have a friend who did that, now hes struggling to pay $200 (yes that is 200 USD) for rent a month. A few other guys are working 7 days a week just to afford food. Also, those that think they will have more time to work on music are wrong, you will be working 2/3 jobs to stay alive. The smart thing to do is get your education, get a real job, spend your free time doing music, there are plenty of big name artists who have day jobs and release awesome music.