A Beginning Musician's Financial Dilemmas
Dear readers,
Just like some of you, perhaps, I've always liked music more than I think I do. But as a budding musician, there’s one conflict that I would like to tackle:
If you would focus on playing music as your career, how much pressure do you have for yourself to get money from it if it is the only way for you to sustain yourself? And by then, do you think, you could still make the meaningful and free of obligations of getting money or fame?
To answer this, we should first see what hesitates me and then work all the way up to an ultimate resolution.
Source: Money and Music
What hesitates me (and perhaps some of you), I realize, is the discouragement of my pursue in music by people around me. The current stigma of not being able to earn with it is probably the biggest reason why people would fear of it. Of course, among other things, the instability that it offers (this is not true at all as some musicians do live a very organized, planned life and have a stable job that they love.) This is not the core matter, however, and rather we all could ask ourselves: does this really matter?
But then comes another dilemma: If let's say I'd like to have music as my career and have it become my source of income, my fear is that I would really start doing it on the basis of what earns and what the public like. Just like what I stated above, this overwhelming motive is based on fulfilling my urgent need. And, in this case, the passion I have for music will be simply smudged by the mere fulfilment of these seemingly urgent needs.
For me, my final resolution to this question is this: it is up to us on how we think about how we should go with our music. If I could, for instance, find a niche that likes my music for what it is, then I don't need to worry whether I should completely change it for the masses just to earn money. Additionally, I should also be open to new changes, as it might be beneficial for my own improvement.
It is also up to us on how high you would like to have financial matters as a priority.
Perhaps, the best way to discover this dilemma is to simply try to walk this path of life in a small scope. Perhaps, one should really focus on what it feels like to earn money through my music and then manage it. This may includes getting gigs, start writing music and earn from it, really figuring your strength and what music fits me the best, find a niche for my kind of music, and the list goes on.
And by then, I'd realize by then whether my desire of money would overwhelm the desire of I have to spread music.
Especially It is true that my way ahead seems rather blurry, but let’s not be afraid to discover more about ourselves and what we can do for ourselves and the whole world with our music. Let’s not be afraid to be flexible, but also let’s not forget what we would truly want in life.
Sincerely,
Anthony
[Note: This is a personal essay, thus, some ideologies that I state here may not fit with yours. But fret not! In Search Match Catch, we encourage discussions, so tell us what you think in the comment section below]
