And your daytime job?

I work for the local Government (Jefferson County) here in Alabama. I'm 34 and will soon be back in school to complete my business degree. I too have held a disparate 'collage' of jobs ranging from Naval Intelligence to building waterheaters all the while being mainly a self-guided student of the drums and music, playing in the odd band here or there. Having the greatest wife in world, who is also the main bread winner, doesn't hurt. She indulges me in just about every music related whim I can propose (money permitting). Music has also been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I got my formal start by playing saxophone(quite poorly) many many years ago in school all the while longing to play the drums.(parental interference) When you love something as much as I love music and drums I don't really consider it suffering.

what do you chaps do for a living outside of drumming? Im assuming not all of the forum members are professional musicians, and I was just curious as to how you pay your bills/rent/keeping woman happy etc.

How much of your time do you spend musically against working in the 'real' world? What is your degree of suffering for the art?

Speaking for myself... last 3 occupations, digging holes, delivering flowers, building BMW engine blocks. Oh the ball and chain of rhythm!!!

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Systems Administrator at Disney in North Hollywood. Good money and they're cool with me bailing early for gigs or rehearsals. (or dragging in late after a late night)

the job rocks. [img]cool.gif[/img]

pretty much all my time outside of work is spent on music related activies. (gigs, practicing, rehearsals, practicing keys or bass, going to see gigs etc) Music's been an integral part of my life since I was about 5 when I started playing piano so I guess I'm used to working it in with school, work etc. (I'm 29 now)

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ July 02, 2003 12:53 PM: Message edited by: Derek DeFields ]</font>

Me I am currently doing the drumming thing full time.I've got two bands and I do lots of freelance stuff here in DC.. I'll pick up some stagehand work or a part time job when things are slow.....

Randy I know how you feel....Without drumming and my awesome girlfriend I'd be dead broke....I'd also love to have that cushy day job situation....But all I've been doing since high school is playing and studying the drums...So my legitamate job history is spotty but my drumming resume is pretty full...Needless to say, only musicians care if you play drums...In the regular job market the folks could care less.......
If any young drummers are reading this
"GO LEARN SOMETHING MARKETABLE!!"

I've gotten that funny look from interviewers when I say "Bettween 1993 and 2000,I played music for a living." That has just not cut it with most folks....

I'm an engineer, who spends a lot of time at work in front of a computer. Music and drumming are my hobbies and joy.

In response to ptrack's post:
".. If any young drummers are reading this"GO LEARN SOMETHING MARKETABLE!!"

I've gotten that funny look from interviewers when I say "Bettween 1993 and 2000,I played music for a living." That has just not cut it with most folks.... "

Yeah, I agree... If you keep an open mind about things you can really do ALOT with music, while at the same time fitting in a degree in "something to fall back on", like engineering, accounting, animal husbandry (kidding......). I know that since I've had the luxury of making drums my hobby /love, and not what puts food on my table/roof over my head, I've been able to approach it with a positive outlook, and not "...Shit, if I dont get this gig, I cant pay the rent..."

Be sensible, but keep an open mind. I made the STUPID mistake of landing a spot as a drumset student with Anthony Miranda (Yamaha endorser, does some session work, etc....), however, I didnt think I could fit that in with my classes, so I bagged the lessons. (Jesus, what stupid thing that was, looking back...) I EASILY could have taken lessons from him, stayed in school, gotten my degree, and then tried to make a go at drums full time, or part time, and had the day gig to pay bills, and let the drums take over as my income if/when they make enough money.

It's the law of supply and demand. There are a hell of alot more open spots for accountants, plumbers, and brick layers then there are for session drummers. It's such a game of luck, being in the right place in the right time, and having your chops together. If you have a day job, you can afford to do the music, and wait until that right situation comes around. For some people, they wait 20 - 30 years to make it big in music. Better to have a secondary career to pay bills, save for retirement,etc.. in the meantime...

Of course, I'm just a chicken, and it's only one person's perspective........

i do digital imaging for an internet retailer. its the unfancy side of computer graphics. i get my photoshop jollies, but i dont really expend any creative energy. which was the idea. so id still have plenty left when i got home.

decent job, decent pay, flexable hours, friendly to the weekend warrior musician, hard to argue with.

since i started seriously playing music, i never wanted to do it for a living. sort of. i wanted (and still do) to be able to make a living with my music, but i wont allow that to be my goal. my chief goal/priority with music is that i create my music, on my own terms.

theres a compromise you (usually) have to make to make a living at music. either sacrafice your standard of living, along with other non-musical aspects of life, so you can survive those lean times, to play your own stuff your way. or be willing to create music on someone elses terms.

i chose the other route. sacrificing the idea of making a living on my music to take the day job which affords me a standard of living im happy with (not fancy, but i can buy a new gear often enough), and allows me total creative freedom with my music.

but dont think for a second that ill avoid success in music. i play, i write, i record. if i make anything off it, im happy. if i make a living off it ill be exstatic.

After many horrible jobs, I went to law school for a while (Southwestern, then Pepperdine). I hated it. I recently got a job at a mortgage company, where I will hopefully make huge money. All the while, there sits a drum kit and a brand new Sensitone snare in my closet, just begging to be played...

Fuck, I'm never gonna make it in music alone. I'm graduating college this spring. I'm one of these 22 year old idiots who thinks he'll take the world by storm. Haha.

Nikk,
It doesnt sound like you're too much of an idiot, if you're graduating from college, and who knows? You may fall into a great situation, where you're in Brittany Spear's band, you get to stare at her ass, and make $2K a gig...........

good luck.....