 The Clarinet BBoard
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Author: GBK
Date: 2009-06-18 17:46
DavidBlumberg wrote:
> "Recently laid off from his position as a tax attorney, John
> Fowler — a local baritone singer — has been relying on
> his classical music training to work sporadically"
Unfortunately, for most musicians the operative word is "sporadically" ![[wink]](http://test.woodwind.org/clarinet/BBoard/smileys/smilie3.gif)
...GBK
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Author: Philcoman
Date: 2009-06-18 20:22
I just heard my father's voice in my head, echoing down the ages: "Music is fine, but to make a living, be a lawyer."
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Author: William
Date: 2009-06-18 20:39
Sounds like his degrees are in performance, which is just one step below an english degree for usefulness in "real life". If one of those degrees, however, were in education and he could secure a public school teaching license, then he might have more to build on. Interesting story twist, however--I've known more musicians-turned-lawyer than the other way around.
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Author: allencole
Date: 2009-06-19 17:17
In "Benny Goodman and the Swing Era", Collier puts into perspective what made a music career desirable...and that's essentially the fact that it would take living in a tenement with 10 other family members, and the spectre of an entry-level job in meat-packing to make music look good as a careeer.
I have to say, though, that much of what my musician friends have tried to do for a living, and things that I did to try and escape music as a career have now collapsed. Here in Richmond, the work is in predatory credit cards, subprime loans and making cigarettes.
Last year, I ran into my old boss on the way to an oom-pah gig, and she told me that our old company had just locked out its last 200 employees. I wouldn't wish my level of financial success on my worst enemy, but given the insanity of everything else, music has taken comparatively good care of me...and that's playing, teaching, and now choir directing (of all things) at a strictly local-yokel level.
Maybe music will help this guy hang on if he's flexible enough.
Allen Cole
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Author: Dileep Gangolli
Date: 2009-06-19 18:25
This fellow's story is very similar to my mine....so pull up a chair and allow me to tell my tale.
After leaving a full time orchestra job in Seattle to pursue grad work and get married to someone who got into the Chicago Symphony (now my ex), I tried freelancing for a while but didn't like it at the time.
I went back to school to get my MBA at University of Chicago (a very well respected program). Worked for two local Fortune 500 companies for over five years but got laid off in 2004. I hated working in regimented and uncreative environments.
So I started freelancing again and teaching in a variety of settings while doing some part-time consulting work. I am much happier even though it means more of a hustle. But I never feel like I am working when I am performing or teaching.
In my former wife's family were four siblings who all play music professionally. My family includes two siblings who have finance and computer science degrees.
In 2001, after the dot com crash, I along with my well educated, professional brothers were out of work.
My ex-wife, along with her three siblings, were all employed in orchestras around the country and had tenure with good job security. The jobs provided a high level middle class life style in the cities they live in.
My present wife, also a freelance musician, reminds me frequently that our income is actually well diversified. If any group folds, if a student leaves, or a conductor decides to fire us, it is only one part of our total income stream.
If you are dependent on one employer as this tax attorney or any professional is working for a large company, when you lose your client (your job) your in a real pickle.
So many musicians are actually in a better place than they think if they are able to create a "job" and lifestyle that works for them.
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Author: Claire Annette
Date: 2009-06-20 00:06
I played a sporadic gig this week for sporadically low pay. I had lots of fun, though.
True story: My "real" job got cut because of sporadic budget problems. I sporadically cried. I sporadically lost sleep. I'm sporadically sending out job apps and resumes.
Like David, I wish I'd just sporadically eat!
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