Training to be a musician on the dole

IzzyWizzy

joydivision wrote: »

Oh right so you think there should be no profesional musicians . Lets ban music altogether and make everyone out of work paint fences .
Did slash hold down a full time job before making it ?
Can you imagine bob marley in an extravision t shirt ?
I didnt chose to be out of work I upskilled and got work a few times in my life but it hasnt worked out .

No, I said I'm not jealous of you because I personally don't want to do that. Didn't say I didn't think there should be no professional musicians. I know plenty of them, actually (10+) and not one of them is or has ever been on the dole. There are plenty of jobs that leave you with plenty of time to do other things.

joydivision

From my experience there isnt . Nobody wants to give a plumber a job in an office or a shop .
So I reckon upskilling in music is the way to go . Have you got any of your amateur music there . How long have you been an amateur musician . What is it you work at ?

IzzyWizzy

joydivision wrote: »

From my experience there isnt . Nobody wants to give a plumber a job in an office or a shop .
So I reckon upskilling in music is the way to go . Have you got any of your amateur music there . How long have you been an amateur musician . What is it you work at ?

Nope, nothing online. I've been playing the piano for about 20 years but on and off. I teach Business English classes in companies and I'm a freelance translator.

joydivision

So you reckon youd be better on piano if you went at it full time?

IzzyWizzy

joydivision wrote: »

So you reckon youd be better on piano if you went at it full time?

No. As some other posters have said, there's not a lot of point in practising 8+ hours a day, every day.

joydivision

Yeah but if you had all day everyday surely youd have a decent original album by now.
20 years man . You just musnt have the skills required and your coming on here bleatung at me incase I have got it .

IzzyWizzy

joydivision wrote: »

Yeah but if you had all day everyday surely youd have a decent original album by now.
20 years man . You just musnt have the skills required and your coming on here bleatung at me incase I have got it .

Did you miss the part where I said I had no interest whatsoever in becoming a professional musician? Perhaps a reading skills course wouldn't go amiss.

joydivision

Do you have an interest in languages?

IzzyWizzy

joydivision wrote: »

Do you have an interest in languages?

Yes. You won't find many translators who aren't interested in languages.

joydivision

Whys it ok for you to do your dream job and not me .

IzzyWizzy

joydivision wrote: »

Whys it ok for you to do your dream job and not me .

Who said you can't do your dream job?

I'm not doing my dream job. I'm teaching, which is just OK and doing a few translations. My dream job is to be an interpreter for the UN. I'm working towards that. It's a pretty big dream, in fact, similar to yours in that only about 10 in 30,000 aspiring interpreters ever makes it to that level. The difference between you and me is that I'm doing it in my spare time. I'm not expecting the taxpayer to fund me to take advanced level Spanish classes and sit at home learning vocabulary, justifying it with the hilarious excuse that maybe one day I'll get a good job and pay some tax. See the difference?

joydivision

What if you had no job and couldnt get one . We dont all speak a couple of languages .

IzzyWizzy

joydivision wrote: »

What if you had no job and couldnt get one . We dont all speak a couple of languages .

I was in that situation a few years ago. I did a TEFL course, started teaching English and I've had a job ever since.

BTW languages don't just pop into your head. I speak them because I've put a lot of time and effort into learning them.

flyswatter

IzzyWizzy wrote: »

I was in that situation a few years ago. I did a TEFL course, started teaching English and I've had a job ever since.

BTW languages don't just pop into your head. I speak them because I've put a lot of time and effort into learning them.

The exact same goes for musicianship, no difference. And it doesn't mean nothing will come of it or he's contributing nothing to society as you said earlier.

tempura

joydivision wrote: »

Example

No, he's not a good musician.

He's a rapper ................. I think

IzzyWizzy

flyswatter wrote: »

The exact same goes for musicianship, no difference. And it doesn't mean nothing will come of it or he's contributing nothing to society as you said earlier.

My God. There IS a difference because I didn't expect the taxpayer to fund me while I took my time watching foreign films and learning vocab! I'm working full time and still have plenty of time to work on my languages and hobbies (piano, running, cooking etc). Why is OP's time so precious? A 40-hour work week leaves plenty of time to practise the guitar and write songs.

joydivision

No dude 40 hours on a building site kills all creativity in you .

flyswatter

IzzyWizzy wrote: »

My God. There IS a difference because I didn't expect the taxpayer to fund me while I took my time watching foreign films and learning vocab! I'm working full time and still have plenty of time to work on my languages and hobbies (piano, running, cooking etc). Why is OP's time so precious? A 40-hour work week leaves plenty of time to practise the guitar and write songs.

You're taking me out of context. I'm comparing like with like. The learning of the languages vs the learning of the instrument. I didn't bring the funding into it.

The same way the languages didn't pop into your own head, the muscle memory and scales won't pop into his head.

The Jammy dodger

I'm a musician on the dole. been on the dole now many years. I hate it, I'll never be successful and only wish I had of stayed in school, done the stupid leaving cert and went off to be a Doctor or something.

joydivision

I done the leaving cert and now im back here trying to be a musician . Find something new to write about and keep at it .

The Jammy dodger

joydivision wrote: »

I done the leaving cert and now im back here trying to be a musician . Find something new to write about and keep at it .

Thats the thing. I do keep at it. But I wish I had a normal job like everyone else but its important to view my music as something to be enjoyed on a local level and do it as a kind of hobbie.

alphabeat

good luck op

some advice

1/learn at least one or two other instruments - i suggest at least bass or keys and beginner drums

2/ learn to record and produce / arrange

3/ learn to sing as well as possible.

4/ follow the songwriting path if possible unless you plan on being a great instrumentailst
then you will need to do at least 6 - 8 hours practise a day .

stay humble and never let anyone p1ss on your dreams

666irishguy

There are worse things you could be doing while on the dole. If nothing else you are keeping yourself busy and getting out of bed to do something even if its just for yourself. That's an important part of avoiding the dole trap. Keeping active and not slipping into a routine of idleness. There seems to be an opinion in this country that people on the dole are getting paid to do nothing. I have not had guaranteed steady work that lasted more than a few months at a time, several times in the past 2-3 years and I can assure you that what you get on the dole is mostly going straight back into the economy or government for petrol, car tax, food and bills. I would however advise you, that if the opportunity to avail of a job arises, no matter how unglamorous it might be you should take it. If nothing else you'll have a bit of cash for better gear.

joydivision

IzzyWizzy wrote: »

I was in that situation a few years ago. I did a TEFL course, started teaching English and I've had a job ever since.

BTW languages don't just pop into your head. I speak them because I've put a lot of time and effort into learning them.

This is just hilarious . You were in my situation a few years ago and learned a foreign language and then got a job . But its such a crime for me to learn an instrument to get a job . Id say you re like one of them parents in the films that dont let their kids play guitar because they have to study science. I bet it was heart breaking when you learned this new language and found it was just another country of people not liking you , but in a different language.

Big Nasty

Can you play Wonderwall OP?

joydivision

MCMLXXV wrote: »

Can you play Wonderwall OP?

Im sure I could .

9959

The Jammy dodger wrote: »

I'm a musician on the dole. been on the dole now many years. I hate it, I'll never be successful and only wish I had of stayed in school, done the stupid leaving cert and went off to be a Doctor or something.

If only I had the oul' Latin, I would have made a great doctor.

joydivision

Its all about the sqiggly handwriting

SouthTippBass

joydivision wrote: »

This is just hilarious . You were in my situation a few years ago and learned a foreign language and then got a job . But its such a crime for me to learn an instrument to get a job . Id say you re like one of them parents in the films that dont let their kids play guitar because they have to study science. I bet it was heart breaking when you learned this new language and found it was just another country of people not liking you , but in a different language.

I wish you best of luck in your dreams Joydivision, and I hope you are more likeable on stage than you are on boards.

joydivision

That hurts south tipp .
Youll never get anywhere in life in anything unless you stand up for yourself.
But I suppose ye cant see the happy go lucky glint in me eyes when Im typing on the internet and im getting told that before I practice guitar I must go find a job that doesnt exist . If I try any alternative im the scourge of society .
But thanks for your wishes even though they were slightly more of a dig than a compliment .