A question for the older folks

[EdiBrunsVic]

Yes, store the collection and it will be preserved for you.

[Raphael]

Stash the collection. Go have fun. If you can turn fun into money so much the better!

Best advice of the day.

For a little more advice, check out this short speech by Bill Bryson, one of the most interesting authors in today's world. His books are a hoot:

https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/ ... FORM=VIRE

Raphael

[Inigo]

We wish you the best of lucks...
I'm an engineer too, at the end of my career. I always loved music and playing piano. When child, my father who was also afficionado taught me rudiments of playing by ear, chords and the like. I've been always playing on small keyboards... Never had a chance until recently tho own a real approximation to a full size piano. I never took piano lessons, I always played by ear and I love improvising, only for my own enjoyment and relaxing... I've also learned to read and learn some pieces by the sheet music, but never developed professional technics.
I always believed that I had loved to be a musician, but now I think that if this great pleasure of mine were my work from which to earn a living, I'd have ended hating it, and all its charm would hve disappeared. The enjoyment I experiment one afternoon playing for one or two hours has no price to me.

[fonograph]

You sound like a very intelligent and ambitious young man and you will most assuredly lead a successful life. One thing I want to point out being a musician myself: I have been associated with some of the most talented musicians imaginable. Many of them could easily replicate any song they so desired. Or write music that seemed way ahead of its time. However. None of them were able to earn a decent living playing music. Not to say it's impossible....just improbable.
Best of luck to you!!!

[fonograph]

You sound like a very intelligent and ambitious young man and you will most assuredly lead a successful life. One thing I want to point out being a musician myself: I have been associated with some of the most talented musicians imaginable. Many of them could easily replicate any song they so desired. Or write music that seemed way ahead of its time. However. None of them were able to earn a decent living playing music. Not to say it's impossible....just improbable.
Best of luck to you!!!

[phonogfp]

You've already received excellent advice, and I wasn't going to pile on. However, since the advice you've received is not all pointing the same direction, it's important that you decide what kind of person you are, and what kind of person you are likely to become.

If you are family-oriented, risk-averse, and not necessarily driven to self-promotion and extroversion, you might want to keep music as your avocation. As Inigo points out, doing music for yourself, your family, and for your friends can be every bit as satisfying as doing it for strangers. It just depends on what turns you on.

If you are the opposite of those things, a career in music may be the most satisfying route for you. That has to be your call.

Others have shared their experiences (which may or may not have any value/interest for you), but here's mine:

During my freshman and sophomore years in college I was playing in a rock & roll band. We weren't too bad; playing gigs at least every other weekend and each of us making about $75-$100 each night (depending on the gate). This wasn't too bad for 1973/74 in a small college town. I hated college. It was primarily core classes which didn't interest me. My girlfriend of several years was in college 4 hours away. I was collecting and researching the history of early sound recording/reproducing devices. And I was playing guitar in a band...so who had time for college? I slogged on, and the other guitarist in the band started talking about shooting higher; playing in a few bars in Rochester, advertising, maybe even getting an agent. It sounded better than what I had going on.

I considered dropping out of college for a year - - just to make some money at a job and in the band instead of paying tuition. I was thoroughly sick of school and ready for a change. I was about to get my wish.

I visited a close buddy at another school and we went to a dance. I remember the name of the band was "Sugar." Never heard of them. (No, you won't find them on Google - this was in 1973!) Holy Mary Mother of God... They were hot. The chick lead singer was smokin' and sounded like Ann Wilson of Heart. The musicians were outstanding. I would have been ashamed to pick up a guitar in the same room with any of them. I'll never forget the moment: they were playing Live and Let Die. It suddenly hit me, "George, this is what you're up against. People who are more talented, more driven, and who may know somebody..." That dance may have changed my life, because it became very clear that making music would never be more than a pleasant diversion for me. In addition, my girlfriend - after much cajoling and begging for an opinion - finally admitted that she thought I should just bull on through to get my Bachelor of Science degree in Speech/Language Pathology.

I took her advice, quit the band, and a year later had a new girlfriend (to whom I've been very happily married for 48 years next month) and made the the Dean's List. A year after that I was married and in graduate school. And a year after that I had a Master's Degree and was working for New York State. Getting started so early in life (age 23), allowed me to retire with a full pension at age 55. This speaks to Jerry Van's advice about not letting your degree go to seed.

But as others have pointed out, if you shoot for your dreams, you may achieve something well beyond them. You just need to determine what your dreams really are. I was very lucky in far exceeding mine, but until I had that evening with "Sugar," I was a bit confused about what my dreams really were. I still play guitar, and regret nothing.

Good luck!

George P.

[outune]

Hi David- A couple of years ago you shared a link to one of your recitals. I watched it and thoroughly enjoyed it. You are extremely talented and obviously have a deeply felt love for music. When I was at Baylor University-- literally 50 years ago-- I played lead trombone in their Jazz Ensemble. I was in numerous other music groups at Baylor-- marching band, Wind Ensemble, Orchestra, a Dixie Jazz group, etc-- but the Big Band jazz ensemble was my favorite. In my senior year, we were considered one of the top jazz ensembles in the country.

For awhile, in college, I seriously considered a performance career so I spent time talking with profs and other musicians and looking into what options might be available. That was in the mid 1970's, so I had no internet to rely on for information. I found that the majority of the available jobs were as a union recording musician-- The NY or CA jobs (advertising and film industries) meant union scale jobs recording commercial jingles, movie scores, etc.) This often meant "pick-up" bands-- playing with different musicians at each session. As one other forum member mentioned, it would become a "work" job that may not have been very satisfactory for me. At that time, I concluded that the main two reliable ways to make a predictable living in music was 1) teaching at a university (working up to it starting in a public high school) or 2) auditioning for one of the military bands. There are military bands in numerous locations all over the country-- both classical and jazz.

So, after my search, I made the decision to enter education-- but not as a music teacher. I had a successful 33 year career as a special educator and behavior specialist in a large school system (190,000 students) just outside of D.C.-- As George mentioned, I now have a reliable pension.

After retiring, I spent several more years as an adjunct with a university, supervising student teachers in their master level year prior to getting their certification to teach. I still pull out my trombone from time to time. There are some incredible community bands in my area that do numerous concerts each year-- and one even does an annual overseas trip. So when I've felt the urge to play again, there have always been opportunities.

As others have suggested, you are the only one who can determine the type of lifestyle you want. For me-- I tend to like stability and predictability --I knew I wanted a family.. I succeeded-- a great wife, three kids and now four grandkids. .... and sitting down to record the music for a jello commercial just didn't fit with how I envisioned my daily life. One other thing, that you know more about than I do-- I've heard that with AI and other electronic options, fewer musicians are needed to produce that jello jingle and that just a few instruments can be made to sound like a full orchestra... There may be even fewer jobs for instrumentalists in the future.

Anyway- Thanks for reaching out to the "old folks"-- Sometimes we have a few good things to add to a discussion.

Brad Abell

[dzavracky]

Hi everyone,

I really appreciated all the feedback on this thread. Since starting this thread, I have accepted a job and will be moving to Washington DC in September. I will be working the job by day and finding ways to keep playing jazz at night. My collection is not coming with me, however, and will be stored at my folks place. My dad and I have worked out a good solution that helps both of us.

I must say that I have thoroughly enjoyed living in my 1 bedroom apartment with all my stuff, but it is kind of a headache. The process to safely move all this stuff is going to be such a drag . For instance, all the 78's have to come down off the bookcase and we all know how heavy that will be. The bookcase doesn't even fit out the door, so I have to take it apart. And all the heavy phonographs have to be carried out down to the U-Haul. I am sure it will be fine... but I move out by the end of July. So lots to do in the interim.

Thanks again for all the replies on this thread. I am pretty excited about the move!

Cheers,

David

[JerryVan]

David,

Thanks for the update! I was wondering the other day which path you've chosen. I think your plan is a very wise one. Hopefully, you can find room for maybe just one phonograph? Either way, don't forget us here. Stay in touch. My very best to you in your new career!

[phonogfp]

David, you may find - as many of us have - that keeping your avocation separate from your vocation provides a satisfying balance in your life. I hope so. ...But if not, your trajectory is not cast in stone. Best of luck, David, in your chosen path.

George P.