flyfisher Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 I have great admiration for anyone who is obsessed enough with becoming a successful musician and can devote all their waking hours to practicing their art and honing their skills. But it's not for me. There are so many other things to do in life that I wouldn't want to devote everything to one main thing - even if I had the temperament to do so. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
icastle Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 [quote name='SteveK' timestamp='1362352961' post='1998950'] When I was a kid my friends and I were obsessed with learning to play guitars... we wanted to be pop stars, and the only way was to be f***in' good at your chosen instrument, which meant putting the hours in, probably 3 hours on a school day and more at weekends. No music techs or colleges for the likes of us [/quote] We may not have gone to the same schools but we were obviously there at the same sort of time Music in my school was either being part of the school brass band or playing nursery rhymes on Aulos recorders. Anything other than those two options meant going it alone - you could count the number of local bass teachers on less than one finger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ambient Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 One of the good things about going to college is the contacts that you make whilst there. You need to practice loads, obviously, but also network to make contacts to get you the work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mike257 Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 [quote name='SlapbassSteve' timestamp='1362352638' post='1998943'] Originally really wanted to go to LIPA but was rejected at the first stage as my demo apparently wasn't good enough... ended up at Hope. Stigma-wise I'm genuinely not sure which is worse! [size=4] Only really in it for the student loan now, without that I'd have dropped out a long time ago... one left to go, and after the amount I've just spent on a new PA system for my uke band it's going to be like xmas has come early![/size] [/quote] I'd just read your first post and was about to throw in Hope(less) as my guess! I did one term there about nine years ago and found that it really wasn't for me - was sold at the interviews that it would be forward looking, contemporary and I'd be able to pursue my preferred Music Tech route from the second year. When I got there, it turned out "contemporary" meant one module on Lennon and McCartney in year two and I had better recording gear in my bedroom than they did in their excuse for a studio. Fast forward to today, after music being a sideline for the last decade I've just left a full time job to go freelance. Filling my diary with a mix of wedding/function gigs, tour management, live engineering, production and hopefully a bit of teaching soon too. It's an uphill struggle for sure, but infinitely more rewarding to know I'm keeping my kids fed and warm from doing what I love. Got to be a jack of many trades though, various posters above have got that right. You'd have to be very lucky to sustain a living just from playing bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockfordStone Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 i am spending my time working and practicing with the hope of one day being able to shift career into music. not as a bass player tho. i have no real interested in being a professional musician anymore, im more interested in working as a sound engineer or producer than a musician Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xilddx Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 [quote name='SteveK' timestamp='1362352961' post='1998950'] How long is a piece of string?... problem is, if a chap never picks up said piece of string, how is a chap able to measure it? To be serious though, I think what struck me most about the 'Practice' thread was the lack of commitment, devotion, single-mindedness, call it what-you-will from the contributors. When I was a kid my friends and I were obsessed with learning to play guitars... we wanted to be pop stars, and the only way was to be f***in' good at your chosen instrument, which meant putting the hours in, probably 3 hours on a school day and more at weekends. No music techs or colleges for the likes of us [/quote] I'm not far off 50 and the potential for a career in music has never been greater for me. I used to be immensely single minded and devoted when I was a young 'un, but the demands of life are simply to great now to be able to practice and play most of the time. back in the day, time on the old king cole was very well spent I would love to go back ten years and study composition at the RCM, or maybe soething like GuitarTech or whatever. I wouldn't study bass though, I would study guitar and learn piano. That said, I have a splendid musical life on bass and guitar, I play with some great musicians, both professional and gifted amateurs, I'm in three wonderful and diverse bands, I have a little studio I use for writing recording my own music, and tracking for my bands' recordings, play lovely gigs .. I just can't make a living at it, I have a day job for that so I don't have to teach or play Cinderella in a pit every night My ambition was to be in a successful band of friends like Rush or something, but that's the hardest and most unpredictable route to a musical career. The alternatives moslty involve being a musical drone and to be perfectly honest, for me a day job/career as a health and safety adviser is way preferable to playing Cinderella. I reckon I'd probably enjoy teaching though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arthurhenry Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 I think the OP was well put and I identify with the vitual bass/music addiction as a teenager (many years ago now). However, don't overlook the fact that this is an internet forum. Anyone, anywhere in the world with a passing interest in bass guitar (or indeed no interest) can join and contribute, It's highly likely that there will be many contributors who have never considered a career in music, or serious practice and just play occasionally for fun, or maybe even don't play and just like bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassTractor Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 Just as an addendum, for those wishing for a career in music, I'd like to add how much us music students would study to get to the top. Depending on everything of course, a normal week could well consist of 60 to 70 hours of studying, including depping and concerts. Roughly half of this time would/could be playing our main instrument (35 to 40 hours), one fourth playing the piano and the rest for theory and everything else. Other people's mileage will vary of course, but the above was quite standard. best, bert Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flyfisher Posted March 4, 2013 Share Posted March 4, 2013 I used to regularly work 50-60 hour weeks, and 35-40 hours is the norm, so a full-time musician ought to easily be able to do the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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