Grim Reality

Patch · Post by **Patch** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 9:20 am

I'm so tempted it's not even funny. My musical tastes are so varied that I'd enjoy playing Motown/Soul?Rock/Indy/Ska and anything else that is likely to be asked for at functions and corporate events...

hambone1 · Post by **hambone1** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 9:30 am

It's always different. Last week's party was lots of Hed Kandi, pop dance, etc. Next week's is more rock-oriented. Once I got my head out of my ass with the "I'm only playing what I like/listen to" attitude, I found that my musical knowledge and taste actually broadened by being exposed to what others like.

My musical tastes are varied, too. All I really do is put a song on, and spend most of the time doing cameras, video, lights, and percussion. Some tracks have the surround, cameras, video, and lighting pre-sequenced in Live, so I have time to do live percussion, the on-screen text messaging stuff, field requests, and have a bit of fun, too. The Playstation dance mat is going into action soon so the crowd can launch Live audio, video, and lighting clips.

I'm aiming for 20 Christmas parties this year. It sure beats working for a living!

earthboundboy · Post by **earthboundboy** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 1:06 pm

I'm an accountant. Well, a part-qualified accountant. College two nights a week which stuffs up music a bit. Father and husband. Never been especially prolific at the best of times but I manage a new tune about every 3 or 4 months these days!

fsk · Post by **fsk** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 2:11 pm

Im a student, got 3 years to go on my BA Sound Art & Design course,

I want hambones life :O!!!

minimal · Post by **minimal** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 2:37 pm

software tester and "audiological verificator" for a hearing aid company.. I found the software testing a bit boring (after one year you have clicked every pixel of every screenshot of the program) and luckily I had the chance to go in the audio engineering dept of the company since the noticed I'm quite fanatic about audio.
I have fun with my job, calibrating mics, doing some "on field" audio measurement and learning a lot about human hearing and hearing aid technology.
I took a year off with the idea to focus on music but it didn't made it, I had too less discipline and was smoking too much hash... like someone else said I found better to have a dayjob and make music in the spare time, but I'm "only" working 80% so I can recover on monday.

hambone1 · Post by **hambone1** » Wed Aug 16, 2006 2:46 pm

fsk wrote:Im a student, got 3 years to go on my BA Sound Art & Design course,

I want hambones life :O!!!

I'll trade you! That means I get the 25+ years I've got on you back, then...

poops · Post by **poops** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 3:18 am

Currently, I work PT for a music dist. and live off my savings.
YEA! you only live once.

D K · Post by **D K** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 4:14 am

i've been performing as a bassist since i was 12 years old....had a few odd jobs as a teenager, but started touring the u.s. when i graduated high school.
that was full time until i was 26....i learned live and studio audio skills along the way, and began to work at local studios and venues. two years later i began touring internationally as a foh and/or monitor engineer, while continuing to perform and release music, doing tours in between tours. i managed to find a wonderful, beautiful, intelligent lady(through music) and got hitched at 32, so i cut my touring back to my music and mixing foh for a few bands i actually like (blonde redhead, for example). i'm cash poor, but very rich indeed.

Machinesworking · Post by **Machinesworking** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 4:22 am

I run a small painting company, custom homes etc. It pays much better than DJing would here in the states. I don't think you could pull in $250 an hour here to DJ? too much competition bringing the price down, but there are enough people who want qualified journymen painting their house.
haven't figured out my income now that I own half of a company, but I have a lot more toys, and oddly less hassle than working for somebody else. Somewhere around $45,000 I think...
for me anyway, my music is my art, and if it ever makes me money, great, but from where I stand, music isn't at all the way to make money, you have to do it because you love it, and by that I mean love editing other people's shit, setting up other people's gear, etc.. and if you're lucky playing a bunch of shows and recording for a comparatively small amount of money...

lord toranaga · Post by **lord toranaga** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 4:25 am

gainfully unemployed

over 150,000 a year

can't explain, won't explain

just enrolled in community college for an associates degree in music

pieter · Post by **pieter** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 5:26 am

i studied law... worked in a publishing company until last year. moved from belgium to canada in november. now i do what i want to do: making music for ads, tv series... in a studio.

i don't know what i'm gonna do once i'm back in belgium (autumn 2007). i enjoy the time in the studio as much as i can and then i'll see...

DeadlyKungFu · Post by **DeadlyKungFu** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 5:45 am

Electrical Engineer working on audio hardware for 8 years (I'm 33), still feel lucky to apply EE to audio, the 8 minute commute is great. Good gig but it's still a j-o-b, I'd rather DJ 2 nights a week (take care of your hearing.) Ableton is my work antidote.

Married, no kids, looking forward to enjoying San Francisco food, music, sites, sounds and Ableton madness for a few more decades. After that, do with the corpse as you will.

Pitch Black · Post by **Pitch Black** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 6:20 am

Fortunate enough to have made a full-time living from music for the last 16 years. Currently in a 2 man band, Pitch Black (our 10th anniversary coming up at the end of this year) and I've got a solo project I am currently recording an album for. I do production/remixing/engineering for other bands and compose music for arts/contemporary dance projects - my wife is a choregrapher/multi-media artist - and I write music for TV/film and the odd jungle. I do a bit of Live and Logic tutoring occasionally. I'm not rich, and living in a small country/market it can be a bit hand to mouth some weeks, but I live in a beautiful place and I'm doing what I love, so I'm rich in spirit. I feel very privileged to be doing what I do for a living. I turn 39 next month.

forge · Post by **forge** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 6:26 am

Pitch Black wrote:...and I write music for TV/film and the odd jungle.

Paddy - where is "the odd jungle"? I suppose the fact that it needs music is what makes it odd?

DeadlyKungFu · Post by **DeadlyKungFu** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 6:42 am

forge wrote:
Pitch Black wrote:...and I write music for TV/film and the odd jungle.
Paddy - where is "the odd jungle"? I suppose the fact that it needs music is what makes it odd?

porn foley artist. "next thing I know they brought out the mayo and pickle"

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