In the post "Famous bands and their famous songs" one person posted this.

"Doesn't matter how it makes you feel if it is your job and you are doing it for the money."

I didn't get a response from my post, so I thought maybe if I asked it again, please keep in mind I'm not talking about New York Philharmonic or the Boston Pops...

"Now this leads me to a question. I'm a 36yo beginner, so I may be a little naive. But, how many people seriously get into music for the money? If it's your "JOB" doesn't that change everything? If you look at it as a job then you're only doing it for a check, so you should sing "Happy Birthday" if someone will pay you. If you're doing it for the love of the music, then who cares what song the audience wants to hear? You're not really there for them now are you?"

If you're a musician strictly for the money, can you complain about the music you're asked to perform? If you're a musician because you love making music, do you care what the audience wants?

the answer to question 1:
No. i feel that 90% of the time, no one in the audience gives a rat's a** about music for what it really is (except that 10% of cult followers who do however deserve enough credit to be exempt from my tongue lashings). they just want to hear all of your singles over and over again. people like this are who made iTunes and mp3's a "good idea". who needs whole albums and B-sides? if you want money, you have to bite the bullet. the show must go on.

the answer to question2:
answer has to be No. if you care what the audience wants, that implies that you want money. you will never create genuine music for yourself if you place their wants first, at least in this lifetime. to create your own music is to have true love for music and no care whatsoever how it affects others. if you're lucky, you will earn respect from some stray hippie folk who share your emotions, and you'll have an audience without even trying.


money and music dont mix well when you boil it down. you have to pick one or the other. paying customers want entertainment, not expression. they only care about what makes them feel good, not what you care about. people are selfish sinners. so true artists usually end up starving, but you can consider it a hunger strike.

a good song is played only by those who believe in the message portrayed.

Thank you! That was my feeling exactly. I was trying (in the original thread) to actually get people to think about it...

Even though I consider myself very much a beginner musician, I know that I am a lover of music and I can't ever imagine a moment when I would be happy putting "ME" aside to please an audience. My wife and I have this conversation all the time, she tells me I would NEVER be happy playing in bars playing the same songs everyone else is playing.

well i love my music. I play the music i want because it makes me happy. On the other hand, i am in a second cover/dance band because it pays well. I mean THAT is my job and my own band is what i love. If music is a skill i possess then it seems logical to make money with it. I hope that made sense....

-Vince

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That did make sense. I have found that I have a real hard time with people that are given the gift to play very, very well, and well, let me put it this way. I know a local musician who is Extremely talented, he once said to me that he plans on going to Nashville, walk into each large record company and say "This how I play, This is how my voice sounds... Make me rich". Basically meaning he's willing to $@!&# himself out to get rich. I have a real hard time with that. I struggle and struggle and can barely get6 or 7 chords out. LOL. I also know a girl that graduated Berklee in Boston, while we were sitting around a campfire my wife asked her to "just play anything" she stared and then said"It feels too much like work".

Am I just bitter because it doesn't come easy for me????

One thing I neglected to say, was she was still in Berklee when playing a song was "Too much like work". Damn theres that bitterness again...LOL

Thanks BigJay, I really do try to count my blessings.... Some days I just need someone to remind me. Thank you!

Music is supposed to be fun. If you get paid to have fun, it just makes it all the better. When it's not fun anymore, I won't do it.

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

"I'm a 36yo beginner", unless you are rip-van-winkle you began quite some time ago, if that meant you have just started guitar you will catch up fast, remember to keep the guitar with you or at least in sight at all times, then you will be caught up to speed before you can say play. I have played for free, for a sandwich and a beer, for money, and for a kiss from a girlfriend. I like being paid because that helps with the rent but all of the other reasons are OK too. Try not to think too much about artistic integrity as that can get in the way of a good song, always care about what the audience wants, I wouldn't know what to call a musician with out an audience except maybe unemployed. play on Bro, make your music, it helps every thing when you do.

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you can save the world with your guitar one love song at a time it's just better, more fun, easier with a fender solid body electric guitar or electric bass guitar.

I became a musician because I loved music and playing the fact that I got paid to do it was just gravy on top.Playing professionally or semi-pro as I did as I held down a permanent day job is something that really gets into your blood.I often played for nothing at charitable and community functions and often got more satisfaction from that.Playing to an audience can be tough at times,people seem to think that musicians get paid for "playing"as in having a frolic they don't see the endless hours of practice you put in so that you can give them the best possible entertainment.They don't know that you had to lug in all the gear they see.They don't see the money you have invested the hours driving to and from gigs often having to go to a day job because being a musician can mean 5hitty pay at times.But still you'll have people complain because you don't play Against The Wind or some over played nugget.Some nights you wonder if it is all worth it but just one good night could outshine 5 bad nights and you realize it's worth it after all.I hope I didn't stray too far off topic but I had to get that off my chest.Thanks for the opportunity.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Bingo.

_________________
-Fender 92' Telecaster unknown
- 2007 Gretsch 6118T
- Ibanez 02' AF85 Artcore hollowbody, modded
- Epiphone Firebird
- Line 6 Variaxe 300
- Squire strat (refinished)
- 2008 Fender Supersonic
- Fender Blues Junior (original)

Having been in a band in the late 60s that evolved into a commercial band for the next 6 years or so -- yes, playing for money (serious money anyway) is a job. So like any job, yes, you either need to do what the audience wants (within reason) or not take the gig. For instance, we refused to do weddings for reasons I won't go into. We also didn't do gigs that wanted straight country because it wasn't our style and our set lists didn't include enough other types of songs to please that kind of audience.

If we did your high school prom or senior dance, we always asked for a list of 5 songs (including your theme) that were "must plays." Even if we thought they were goofy (or worse) we played them because hey, it's your prom, not ours! But if you wanted all bubble gum, we didn't take that job either because for ourselves (it's okay to like your job after all), we needed to play the classic rock, etc. that was our style.

We more or less dressed like other bands but not to the extent of a band trying to precisely imitate an era or group. What made the job fun was that we did our own arrangements rather than note for note like the record. That meant we didn't play some clubs (they wanted it just like the single) but we got asked back lots of times to others. Admittedly, the ones that asked us back tended to be more audiences who at least somewhat listened to us; those that didn't book were more often where the band was just background.

We had rules: no drugs or booze before or during a gig. No showing up late, no missing rehearsals, no walking in without having worked on the songs you were supposed to work on at home. And if you couldn't follow the rules, you got fired ... we went through five or 6 bass players.

Thing is, I never thought that because something is a job, it has to be bad or that doing what the client wants is automatically anathema to what you want to do. Most of our audiences loved good, straight ahead rock and that's what we did. Sure, I loved to play jazz too (I had a side project) and our drummer and singer were in a "note for note" band so they could do some of the very popular clubs.

But none of that is any different than what I do now, a job that has nothing to do with music. I get paid to put on your check what you think should be on your check (within legal limits and reason) not what I think should be on your check. I spend a lot of time explaining our crazy biz to state agencies who know little about the industry ... I have to give them what they want ... but like playing music, I enjoy my job even though I'm getting paid and I have to do what 300 some odd agencies want.

A lot of people have asked me why we didn't do originals, just covers. One good friend said "Isn't the real goal to do your own music and you only have to live with the covers until you have a name?" Maybe for some but I'm more an arranger than a writer. I can do melodies (and lots of people like them ... but then ask where my words and the singing part is) but not lyrics.

In a band context, that meant we did a lot of interesting takes on other people's songs. It was our trademark, it was fun and it paid the bills. Granted, you may never get the recognition of a songwriter (Joan Baez will never get her full due because she was more a great interpreter than song writer, for instance), but so what. Where I work, I'm never going to get the recognition of the CEO or our director of marketing either. That's just the nature of various roles.

Finally, like any other job, if it grows old or you're too frequently being asked to do something against your nature, move on! The great thing about music though is even if you stop doing it as job, you never have to stop playing. When it comes right down to it, all it takes is that one friend who lets you play what you want to and it's all fun again.

I love making music, but I just wanna make enough money for me to live off, that'd be cool, not having to do a job you dont like, just sitting in the studio, writting songs, recording em, playing em to people.....That'd be the life.

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riley