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Re: Re: should musicians have a second job?
On 7/22/64 11:59 AM, Todd Howell wrote:
> If they want to eat. Being a pro musician was great when chemical
> amusement was free and the girlfriend and I lived on her student
> loans. American loopers, you need health insurance or else you are
> royally ****ed when you get ill or injured. Living outside of the
> established economy is grand fun until serious life changes occur. I
> am happier now in my middling health care job while not dealing with
> the business side of the music business. Lets' face it, alot of the
> people you have to deal with in the business are pretty reptilian.
> Every club you play, every event, every booking agent is a boss.
> Wedding gigs were even worse. Don't get me started. Now, I have one
> boss. So I started to realize there wasn't much freedom in that life.
> I had a lot of bosses and four bandmates. It was all of the irritants
> of marriage without sex.
I respect your experiences and conclusions, Todd, but not everyone has
the same experiences
and not everyone's solutions are the proper solutions.
I've been a professional musician without a day job for 34 years
now..........without health care.
I won't tell you that it's been easy, but I feel blessed to have lived
the life I have lived.
Does it have it's drawbacks..........certainly...........I've been
forced to cancel a quarter of my months' income
because this week because I have the flu and am going to NAMM
(hopefully) this weekend..........
that's a stressor for sure. But in my own case (and I truly don't
think I have the answer for anyone outside of myself) I've been able to
be music for my whole adult life without a lot of compromise and that
has it's rewards.......though they are frequently spiritual and not
monetary.
So, I support your solution. Truly I do, but I would ask that you
also have compassion for my own
solution , though it differs from yours.
respectfully,
rick walker