Get a Job

Yes, I am a working musician. What does that mean for me exactly? Well I make a 100% living by doing music. In my case, singing. Great right? TOTALLY! Living the dream?... I'm not sure.... 

For one I sing in a 12 piece corporate event wedding band that gigs every weekend, mainly Fri-Sat-Sun for the rich rich richies. Now we receive a certain amount of respect and graciousness- such is the disposition of our clientele. But we also work for the occasional wedding of the whack job 'princess bride' and their equally demanding (and very emotional) mothers... or the holiday party for club members (who can afford to pay the equivalent of a years salary for a normal white-collar worker to even belong to the club) where an individual is so self-important (rich) that they walk up to the band screaming in a rage that they will have the us banned from performing at the club again because we only sang 2 Christmas songs. Meanwhile the rest of the guests are on the floor dancing the night away to our (very popular) 70s Funk Medley. Makes for some very harrowing weekends... not to mention a constant reminder of my 'station' in life.  


I also do alot of session work for individual songwriters who need demos, artists who need background on their albums, television and film remakes, etc. Now becoming a regular session singer is not an easy world to break into. I normally get booked by 'word of mouth'. That came about by hustling for years taking whatever low paying (or non-paying) job in whatever basement or closet studio I could find. They say it takes about 5 years to build up your reputation. It took me exactly 5 years to get into the big, very well paid studio singing profession. That takes a lot of time, patience, skill, and networking. Still the business is sporadic, completely work-for-hire, and you must negotiate with every client carefully. In the end, you are just another nameless voice drowning in the background of some multi-million dollar video game or hit film and what do you have to show for it? A couple hundred dollars in your pocket and an ever wavering dream.


Now all this sounds pretty great, pays the rent, bills, with some left over for a beer or two with the boys... but it is seasonal. Come Jan-Feb-Mar all gigs dry up and the session work is not enough to sustain my life as I know it. I will have to once again get a job... a normal everyday 9-5. This is pretty normal I guess, but for me it is like death. I have trained and worked my whole life to become a professional working musician, and this is how I want to make my living, with my voice. I have spent thousands of dollars on a music institute and private lessons to be the greatest I can be, and in this business, a degree is  just not enough to guarantee a career. The hustle to survive in Hollywood begins again....  

As of now I am enrolled in the National Bartenders School. Hopefully I will learn the skills it takes to pour a drink for the rest of the working class people of Los Angeles and make some good cash. At least something to get me through these next 3 months.... so that I can start living the dream... again.  :) Wish me luck!