Well all I have ever wanted to do my whole life is to work in the music business, my parents keep telling me there is no money involved, they want me to be a doctor or lawyer, they don't understand the passion I have for music. Basically whenever your parents say you can br whatever you want, don't believe it, because they sure don't.

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That's cool but it's not for me

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Yeah, the truth hurts

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why dont you just try to be a music program teacher at a school or something... thats what ive decided to do

I could do that, but for what I'm dreaming I just wouldn't feel like I've reached my full potential if I was a music teacher

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Guitars: Hamer Daytona, 1995 MIJ Fender Tele, Squier Bullet Strat, Dixon Se, Fender Acoustic

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It is every parent's wish for our kids to be successful. I also tell my kids they can be whatever they want to be, but they also need a back-up plan as well, in case they cannot be that.


Professions like a doctors or lawyers are good professions, but parents also need to know that not everyone can do these jobs. Have a back-up plan. If you do not have a back-up plan and things do not work out for your dream jobs, you may end up saying cool phrases like: "You want fries with that?" or "Price check on 4!"

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RK

2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head

My parents never Bothered to steer me in their direction. I truly could be anything I wanted to be; my parents did not care as long as it did not cost them anything and I was gone it was fine……..At least yours seem to really care for you and are concerned for your future….had I had some direction from my parents, I may be more motivated today.

Doctor or lawyer is fine, but the important thing is the degree that got you to that status of Dr or lawyer.. Once that is complete you truly can do anything you want and there is always that to fall back on if dreams falter..

I’m not telling you what to believe or what to do but I will tell you this.. I’m 41 and just about to retire from the Military… Now I’m thinking what in the world am I gonna do with the rest of my life…. Granted; I have some unique skills but on the legal side of society there is not a lot of use for them…I’m left wondering why in the world I never finished my degree. I would not mind working in the music industry myself but at this point without a degree I don’t see much more than a bar gigging picker doing covers.

Parents are a pain in the $@! but I can’t believe that have anything but your best interest in mind Mike.

Cheers
Bill

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(80’s Hair Metal) = A snapshot in time before Grunge ruined Rock & Roll forever!!!!

My parents were concerned I was happy and could support myself.
they were fine with my dreams of being in a band, but my Dad did warn me against being like certain bands--and that was okay--I had no desire to be like those bands--it was done--but then a part of me wanted to rebel.

but he warned me against bands that were more about the hype & image than the music.

Me, I've been about the music.

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It wasn't Willy-Nilly, it was at crows.

The ironic thing about your post is that our band's name is Backup Plan lol the thing is, I'm not boasting or bragging by any means, but I have the smarts and scholarships lined to get a free ride to a few different colleges studying things other than music, it's just I don't think a medical job is for me, as I cannot stand the sight of blood

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Guitars: Hamer Daytona, 1995 MIJ Fender Tele, Squier Bullet Strat, Dixon Se, Fender Acoustic

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My parents support what i want to do in the future, and they are happy about my choices (i would like to be neurologist, Veterinarian or engineer)

Really, what's true is that we can try to be anything we want to be. Whether we can achieve it is often not up to any one person, anyway.

No parent can KNOW what their child can achieve. Sometimes they can see some of the things their child can't be, but not everything.

There's no need to be the ONE thing your parents think is desirable, but at the same time, at an age before college, don't limit yourself to the ONE thing you happen to want at an early age.

I've seen friends go through all of high school working in medicine all along, getting accepted to the best schools to study medicine, and becoming brokers by the time they graduated. I've seen friends go in to study engineering, only to switch to economics after a year.

Also, if you go to school in the arts, you will be exposed to multiple types and media, so thinking you just wanted to be a painter will not get you through college - you'll still have to try sculpting and other disciplines.

I'd say if you have a chance to go to school, go, but don't make any assumptions about what you'll choose. And you parents shouldn't either.

If you read Guitar World, there was a Chris Broderick interview in last month's issue that was interesting in terms of how he went about studying music/guitar and playing in a band.

I do read guitar world, I will check it out, thanks

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Dude, don't listen to them. Money goes away anyway. If you can't make money in music, don't fret (or do) just do what you can. Do what you love, bro.

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"Speak the truth, and speak it ever,
cost it what it will
for he who hides the wrong he did
did the wrong thing still."
-Miss Uel

There are a good number of wishes, dreams, opinions and realities in this thread, and perhaps that's how it should be. Bottom line is you need to be happy, and it's probably best if you develop some skill other than music to make yourself marketable in the event that music doesn't offer you the advantage of having a stable career. Hey, before you tune me out, I'm 46, I've been playing bass gigs since I was 16, but I also have had a professional career as a scientist for most of that time.

All I can offer is my own personal experience: at 16, I was in a very good band; playing gigs and all that (granted, not well paying gigs). The ride was cool though. It was a good feeling; having a tight band and playing parties for food and the occasional beer, and also being asked by other musicians to play the occasional night club gig for perhaps $25, other times, nothing. I ate, drank and slept bass. Come time to attend college, I wanted to become a full-time musician. My parents balked and insisted that I go to college.

Hell, I'm glad I did. I got a BS in Chemistry, worked for eight years, still playing when I could, and after that, got an MS in Engineering. In 1996, I really got the bug again to get somewhere in music. I busted my hump, got my upright bass chops going, and became a freelance jazz bass player around Boston. I worked 40+ hours a week at my day job, and then put on the monkey suit to sit in traffic to get to the "good" gigs. It was fun for a while, but it became like work. Worse, the listeners often preferred something else; time to play "Piano Man..." Uggh.

Now, I'm very happy to have a professional career as a scientist and to have music as an outlet. I've been able to afford nice instruments and a great bass rig, and I only take the gigs I want. I really can't emphasize how nice that feeling is. Trust me, if you luck or really talent into the upper 0.01% of musicians (forget talent; think luck), then good for you. Otherwise, the music business sucks worse than a lawnmower made in Antarctica.

Think long and hard about where you want to be. Just my $0.02. Good luck in either case.

My parents want me to become an architect or whatever it is.....as if!

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riley