Small Predicament

PRE_10_DER

Ok, well i'm 21, i have a good job that pays good money, i am a musician and the one thing i want to do is perform in a band. Now at the moment it's quite hard to find a band in Dublin that you're happy with and my working hours are not helping this:(

Ok, well i have the option for going to Ballyfermot Rock School in Sep, which would be excellent because

a) I wouldn't have to work here and
b) I will be doing what i LOVE everyday!!!

But lets face it, i'm 21 and it's not exactly going lead to a degree or anythin, when the course is finished i won't really have anything else to do, i'll just have to get a job(by this time i'll be nearly 24) or maybe look into being a mature student or somethin..

So what should i do? i would still need to work, but where could i work part time that offers decent money as i need to keep my car to get to the college, so i'd have to keep on top of the insurance/petrol etc..

Part of me feels like i'd be stupid to leave a perfectly 'good' well paid job to become a poor student. But the other part of me feels like i should do what makes me happy.. what do ya'll think?

NeMiSiS

Hmmm.
I am exactly the same as you, but what i am gonna do at the moment.. is save up a good few quid. So like I have back up money in case the whole band thing falls to ****e.
Then around March or April start gigging full time 4 - 5 more like 3 - 4 nights a week, beats the rate race anyways !
Theres times to be realistic, then theres time ya just say **** it.. do what makes ya happy man..
Tom

iMax

To partially quote you "Don't go around saying the world owes you a living." No one is going to pay you to be in a band unless you're good at it, so find out if you're good at it.

You don't have to finish the course but you do have to finish your life, do you want to get to the end & think "I wonder what would have happened if..."

Trust me man, you're 21, you will not be able to make a decision to do something like this in five years time.

When I was 24, I was in a ****ty job, in a ****ty (5 year) relationship & feeling I was going no-where. I had two grand in the bank & I (barely) knew a couple of guys in a band that had moved to the US. I made a quick call to them asked them a couple of questions, they said "yeah, sure, come over for the summer".

I bought my ticket on a Saturday, told my parents on the Sunday, Dumped my (psychotic) girlfriend on the Wednesday & told my (****ty) boss on the Friday that I was on the plane to LA the following morning & he could shove his job.

That summer I had the time of my life, I did what I wanted to do, I worked when I needed money & partied all summer long. I met my best friend (to this day even though he still lives there), met great people, saw incredible places & did things you would not believe.

If I hadn't done that I would have married the psychotic bitch, would never have had the experiences I had, would never have met my mate (more like a brother now), would probably still be in the same ****ty job. I'm now married to a wonderful woman, have a great job in a different line of work, have a car & house & enough money to go visit my friend a couple of times a year.

It's sliding doors. Do it. You don't have to finish it, but you do have to attempt it.

I'll leave you with these words. Learn them & live them. If you have the ability, you have the responsibility.

secret_squirrel

Life's too short - follow your heart. In this world of job uncertainty we're likely to have a number of different 'careers' why not try one as a muscian. Even if nothing comes of it I bet you will have some great memories and few regrets...

nesf

Are you happy in your job? Does it have long-term career prospects or is it always going to stay at the same level of pay and responsibility? I wouldn't advise getting out of a job with a good career path to pursue something that you can do in your spare time, on the otherhand if the job doesn't have long term prospects you might do well out of seeking out what you love to do.

I'd be one of those people that lean towards stability with my free time for my hobbies rather than someone who would sacrafice stability to pursue a dream. Then again I'm not an optimist

PRE_10_DER

thanks for the replies guys, i think i need a good kick up the arse!!

nesf: i'm not happy in the job persay(sp) but i am happy with the money. it does have good prospects with regards to promotion/salary increase but to be honest i don't have the motivation to work hard enough to be given those oportunities..

i would love to keep the job(cos of the money) and do the band thing in my spare time but because of work hours it's almost impossible to find one.

nesf

PRE_10_DER wrote:

thanks for the replies guys, i think i need a good kick up the arse!!

nesf: i'm not happy in the job persay(sp) but i am happy with the money. it does have good prospects with regards to promotion/salary increase but to be honest i don't have the motivation to work hard enough to be given those oportunities..

i would love to keep the job(cos of the money) and do the band thing in my spare time but because of work hours it's almost impossible to find one.

It's a toughie then isn't it. Theres no clear cut option really. What are your work hours like, do you have weekend's free? To be honest it sounds like deciding to go back to college would be a major decision for you and a relinquishment of alot of the freedoms that you currently enjoy because of the money you earn at the moment. Returning to education after being in the workforce can be very difficult.

There are options though. For instance you could stay working til you are 23, and then look at returning to college as a mature student. You could probably save up enough to comfortably see you through college in the intervening time to make the year or two at college comfortable financially. Also the music business is very tough. I wouldn't recommend anyone who isn't extremely talented to even think about looking at it as a full time job. Music is a fantastic pastime and a passion for many people, but making a decent living off it can be very difficult. Money seems to be somewhat important to you (not a bad thing, and to be honest it's a realistic outlook on life) so would the low pay that is associated with music be a good thing for you? In the long term view of things, do you consider it wise to give up a well-paying job to pursue something that mightn't be able to support you financially? To some people it isn't important to them once they follow their dreams, but to others like myself, financial security is important and worth some sacrafices.

The most important question you need to ask yourself is how important this dream of being a musician is to you. Is it something that you see yourself being in for the long term or something to do as a change? Are you the kind of person who is comfortable with going from job to job or are you more inclined to work steadily and progress in as few jobs as possible? Do you have the ability to make it as a musician? I've had friends who tried very hard to make it work, but I've seen all of them fail. Most still play music alot in their spare time but realised that they couldn't make a living from doing it. This doesn't apply to everyone though, some people lead very happy lives as musicians and make all the money they need from their music.

Oh and as a side point I'd cross post this to the Instruments board, since alot of the guys there are VERY serious about their music and could give you a perspective from that side whether it's a good idea or not.

Hope some of that helps.

monster_fighter

Do it.

Work 'till September, save really hard (well, ok, not that hard) and go to rock school.

If, at the end, your're 24 and nothing is happening then just go to uni (I did, it kicks ass).

Note: Uni is very expensive so it MAY be better to pay to go to rock school and let the government cover uni later. Mature student status is hard to achieve unless you live alone, pay own bills etc.

Nasty_Girl

I'd just like to offer some words of advice/warning from someone who's spent their whole life around musicians,

If you're gona make a go of this professionally you have to really really want it because its tough out there

there's always the threat of someone more and talented coming along

there's always the frustration of someone useless in comparisson to yourself doing better than you




I think you should go to the Rock School and give it your best shot but at the end of it just remember that being in a band, even if its just your weekend job can be very tough and you must really really really enjoy it and want it to make it work, because if your hearts only 99.9% in it you wont make it.

PRE_10_DER

don't get me wrong, i'm don't want to do this to be a star.. making as a professional musician isn't even on my mind at the moment, i just want to play music and experience things like playing gigs and so on.. if it progress' from there then i'll be delighted... tbh i always knew i would go back to college later on in life, as a mature student, i just can't see myself being in any job that i'd REALLY like.

About the job side of things, the hardest part will be when actually in college, cos i'll still have bills to pay ya know, tbh if i worked a regular 9-5 shift in my curent job then i probably wouldn't leave because i'd have enough time in my spare time to proceed with joining a band.. (i am actually trying to change my shift at the moment, but it'll be a few weeks before i'll know if that's possible).. if not then i guess a change of job could be on the cards.. but i probably wouldn't get one as well paying

Zapho

PRE_10_DER wrote:

don't get me wrong, i'm don't want to do this to be a star.. making as a professional musician isn't even on my mind at the moment, i just want to play music and experience things like playing gigs and so on.. if it progress' from there then i'll be delighted... tbh i always knew i would go back to college later on in life, as a mature student, i just can't see myself being in any job that i'd REALLY like.

Dude, thats why you should do that course. There's nothin wrong with being a student, and as you said you'd be doing what you love to do all the time! You've got your whole life to work and earn money, but here you've got an opportunity go take your skill to a higher level. I've been playing guitar for about 2 years and I've only ever played one gig, but it was one hell of an experience, it was soooo much fun! I'd give anything to have more time playing and learning, but I'm doing an engineering course and its taking up most of my time.I've been playing other instruments for years, and I promised myself that once I've got a degree under my belt that I'll focus on music again.

ionapaul

Do it. Don't regret not going for it later in life! That is too big a risk to take. There will always be more jobs and better prospects later in life if you need them. Until you are married / have a kid, it is ALWAYS possible to drop what you're doing and change your life direction - some people will add having a house / mortgage repayments into the category of life changing commitments but a house can always be sold!

PRE_10_DER

if i cant change my shift in work then i'll more than likely go for it.. but if i can change shifts then i'd be mad to leave as i'd have plenty of spare time to do it and i'd also be making decent money.. thanks for the advice people:)

mycroft

Okay 1 you have to figure out whats important to you. Being a musican or your job, because if you want to be a sucessful musican you'll have to make alot of sacrifices for that career path if you want to make that choice. However there is an alternative after the age of 23 you can re apply for courses as a mature student and Vtec which means essentially you'll be on the dole (with additional benefits) and on the course.

You could continue there and discover that you enjoy sound engineering or another aspect of the industry. But if you want to be a musican you'll have to essentially start practicing till your fingers start to bleed

Nasty_Girl

PRE_10_DER wrote:

don't get me wrong, i'm don't want to do this to be a star.. making as a professional musician isn't even on my mind at the moment, i just want to play music and experience things like playing gigs and so on..

I'm fully aware of this, but even something as low level as that is hard work, trust me but def go for it else you'll spend your life wondering.