Am I mad?

karmacazee · Post by **karmacazee** » Wed Aug 19, 2009 11:40 pm

Just to elaborate on my previous point, I'd rather be stressed out about a job I enjoy, than stressed out about a job I loathe.

subindex · Post by **subindex** » Thu Aug 20, 2009 2:31 am

nowaysj wrote:Crack and music production. what a mix.

youthful_implants · Post by **youthful_implants** » Thu Aug 20, 2009 3:43 am

ill-esha wrote:It takes a constant, Type A (obsessed with productivity) personality to make it in this industry. If you want to make a living off music these days, unless you're in the top 2%, you have to constantly hustle in multiple sub-career streams just to make rent. I thought it would be romantic and exciting to do music for my living because it's my passion, but you know what? I have VERY LITTLE time to write my own music anymore. And when I do have time I'm burned the fuck out from editing audio all day long and don't really want to stare at a computer.

currently my living comes from

DJing (15%)
Recording/producing beats, demos etc for other artists (10%)
Music editing/scoring on a major network television show (60%)
Voice acting jobs such as narration for corporate website tours (10%)
Other random freelance jobs including teaching audio production (5%)

I get up around 730 am, head to the studio to work on the show 4 days a week. Squeeze my other contracts in on evenings and weekends. Have maybe 1.5 hours free in a day if I'm lucky. Go out of town for gigs sometimes and lose a few days there. Maybe every three weeks I'll get a full free day to work on tunes and usually that's interrupted by surprise jobs or having to oh, do the laundry and go to the bank and all the other crap I've put by the wayside.

Don't get me wrong!
I am blessed to be working. Especially in this fickle industry/recession.

But it takes a FUCKING LOT to drag myself back to the computer after doing it all day. And I spend a LOT of time listening to music I don't like. The worst had to be when I was hired to replicate this beat and got cut down for being too crisp and making it sound too good and had to roll back and purposely punch up resonant frequencies in the kick to make it sound shitty, boomy and lo-fi... etc. Or when this horribly untalented chick came in and wanted me to doctor up her "rap song". Or having to listen to muzak children's jazz DAY IN AND OUT.

..Or never doing anything except working! Because as a freelancer you're on call 24 hours a day.

On the bright side, I've got fucking flying fingers and expertise in Pro Tools, Logic, Cubase and Ableton. I get to gank sample libraries from work. I've become a Mac tech. So there are good points. But I wouldn't recommend it if you want to keep your energy and enthusiasm for making music.

Interesting post, nice one.

c03 · Post by **c03** » Thu Aug 20, 2009 1:02 pm

if i had the cash i would do a degree in sound engineering, then try 2 get a job as an assistant in a studio / audio editor / whatever, and keep producing/djing on the side

antipode · Post by **antipode** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 12:56 am

Your tunes are really nice. Put an album together. Don't listen to these naysayers.

antipode · Post by **antipode** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 1:40 am

Who cares? Getting your music out there should be the priority. Making a living from it should be a bonus, not the main objective.

deadly_habit · Post by **deadly_habit** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 1:45 am

yea ive given up on making money i just do what i enjoy and any cash i see is a bonus to my expensive hobby
plus djing is nice if you like to travel

karmacazee · Post by **karmacazee** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 2:30 am

Heh, I've had some lovely feedback from this thread

Strange, since I posted this thread all I've had all week is phonecalls and e-mails like:

'can you record me in your studio'; 'I need help with my music tech project' ; 'can you give me guitar lessons?'; 'we're making a band, wanna join?' : 'Oh, hi, remember me, I'm your Musical Cultures lecturer from Uni, what are you up to these days?'.... Plu I've been UBER creative after an agonisingly long spell of writer's block...

NGAH!

I've already applied at a couple of jobs that would be more suited to the lifestyle I wish to pursue. Plus I've arranged to get some piano lessons so that I can play shit hot lead synth lines and whatnot, and I'm heading off to every local music shop tomorrow to advertise guitar lessons - already got two people on the go within the last week. (plus I'll be spamming the appropriate forums too).

Then I'm going to go busking every spare day that I have.

Then I'm gonna pester my mate's brother to blag some work for me at the production company he works for (TV).

And lots more besides.

I'm also re-reading those damn music business legal advice books that they made us read at Uni again for some reason.

I'm doing some actual serious planning. Have it written down and everything. Time to give myself a kick up the arse!

deadly_habit · Post by **deadly_habit** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 2:33 am

do recording/lessons etc for cheap if you have time man
even if just for experience and people referring to you
once proficient raise to a better rate
hell on some days off i charge 40$ first hour 20$ every hour after to setup people's studios or show how to use software or signal chains, install soft for em optimize their machines etc

karmacazee · Post by **karmacazee** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 2:48 am

nowaysj wrote: Awesome dood!

That actually made my day. teehee!

deadly_habit · Post by **deadly_habit** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 2:50 am

Karmacazee wrote:
nowaysj wrote: Awesome dood!
That actually made my day. teehee!

aww missing the mayor gulianni one from anger management

Am I mad?

Re: speaking as someone who does it..

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