Usually the first question I get, when I start talking about what I do as a coach, is: “is this for professional musicians?”.
I won’t promise that you’ll find a clear answer here. But I hope it will explain why the answer isn’t yes/no.
I’ve called it “take one”, because my next blog post is about 75 music-related ways to make money.
A messy relationship
Money and music have a complicated and uneasy relationship, in a world where money is the ultimate measurement of value.
I’m not insisting that music has to make money in order to be valid.
But equally, I don’t think music and money should be in completely separate categories.
Music exists on a strange spectrum of monetized and free. Although when you look closely, a lot of the free stuff is in the grey area of copyright.
Most folk don’t have to think about this.
But as a lifelong musician, it keeps bumping into my awareness.
In an ideal world it wouldn’t be as big a deal as this.
Straw into gold
Here’s another take on music. It’s “straw into gold”, magical stuff.
Music is quite literally transformational. It shifts emotions and can change lives. It can create other tangible changes too. (I can point you to research if you want proof.)
At the “pot of gold” end of the spectrum, a three-chord song can make kazillions of dollars.
But again, when you look closer at this, you get into quicksand. Either Wizard of Oz fakery, or attempts to control and privatise music.
Many music careers are precarious and uncertain. Parents who are concerned about their children’s future economic wellbeing will firmly steer them away from considering music as an occupation, or studying music at university.
Many musicians will be living in somewhat less material abundance than their more “sensible” peers.
And yet, that’s not usually what stops us from making music. It’s not just a lifestyle choice.
The price of music
Music has costs, for a musician on any level. No matter where you are on the range, from professional to amateur.
Even if it’s a hobby, there are costs involved, if you’re wanting to learn to sing, or to play an instrument, or join a group. There’s a lot of investment, of time, attention, money.
(This is one of the reasons I love the ukulele so much. The financial and time investment is relatively small. But that’s another story.)
For choirs and other singing groups, with no need to buy musical instruments, the costs can range from a token donation to hundreds of dollars a month.
Many students and clients have told me they didn’t get to learn an instrument in childhood because their family didn’t have enough money. Or, because their parents invested in sports activities but not music.
How important is music, really?
I acknowledge that no amount of money could really compensate me for the amount of energy, attention, skill, love, devotion, etc, I put into music.
However, I actually think that music is so important in the wider scheme of things that musicians deserve to be acknowledged, which means being financially compensated. (This is yet another blog post topic!)
But this is problematic. Most kinds of music making and music-related occupations (with a few notable exceptions) don’t fit into a salaried or hourly rate employment economy.
This means most musicians need to deal with self-employment, as the whole or part of their income. Since I came from a family of salaried workers, this has been a big learning curve for me.
Music and money – some rhythm patterns
I’ve observed people in various music scenes and genres over the years. And I’ve experienced several of these patterns myself.
- Some of the great musicians I know make a living in and adjacent to music, in a music-related field. E.g. in education, or in a music-related business.
- Some equally great musicians make a living in a completely unrelated field.
- And others have a portfolio of businesses and jobs, including some that are music-related.
I think all three of these patterns can work well. Although the balance may change in different ages and stages of life.
Some of the patterns that are not sustainable:
- Earning money in a music-related field that drains your energy and makes you tired, miserable and sick.
- Getting signed up for what seems like an amazing opportunity in the music industry, which hooks you into a lifetime of debt to a huge international company.
- Not making music at all (even though you really want to) because the rest of your life leaves no space for it.
A few more pieces to consider
In western economics, music is usually left out of the balance sheets, externalized. Like various other important things, including raising children.
Alternatively, music is regarded as an “industry”, and expected to be profitable. In capitalism this means, not just paying for itself, but being profitable to investors.
The history of popular music is full of stories of ghastly exploitation of musicians, in the pursuit of profit. There are similar stories in classical music.
And music biographies and biopics are often narratives of musicians burning out on alcohol and other drugs. Which also involves someone making money somewhere.
Are you listening?
If you have music in your heart and soul, you’ve got to listen to it.
Each of us has to find our own relationship with music in our lives. However it fits into any of these patterns. It has to be right for us.
I love helping people with this.
In my next blog post I list 75 music-related opportunities, which may (or may not) involve making money.
More reading…
Six steps to spiritual practice
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