Re: Re: should musicians have a second job?

[Rick Walker <looppool@cruzio.com>]

On 7/22/64 11:59 AM, Todd Howell wrote:
> If they want to eat. Being a pro musician was great when chemical 
> amusement was free and the girlfriend and I lived on her student 
> loans. American loopers, you need health insurance or else you are 
> royally ****ed when you get ill or injured. Living outside of the 
> established economy is grand fun until serious life changes occur. I 
> am happier now in my middling health care job while not dealing with 
> the business side of the music business. Lets' face it, alot of the 
> people you have to deal with in the business are pretty reptilian. 
> Every club you play, every event, every booking agent is a boss. 
> Wedding gigs were even worse. Don't get me started. Now, I have one 
> boss. So I started to realize there wasn't much freedom in that life. 
> I had a lot of bosses and four bandmates. It was all of the irritants 
> of marriage without sex.
I respect your experiences and conclusions, Todd,  but not everyone has 
the same experiences
and not everyone's solutions are the proper solutions.

I've been a professional musician without a day job for 34 years 
now..........without health care.
I won't tell you that it's been easy, but I feel blessed to have lived 
the life I have lived.

Does it have it's drawbacks..........certainly...........I've been 
forced to cancel a quarter of my months' income
because this week because  I have the flu and am going to NAMM 
(hopefully) this weekend..........
that's a stressor for sure.   But in my own case (and I truly don't 
think I have the answer for anyone outside of myself)  I've been able to 
be music for my whole adult life without a lot of compromise and that 
has it's rewards.......though they are frequently spiritual and not 
monetary.

So,  I support your solution.   Truly I do,  but I would ask that you 
also have compassion for my own
solution , though it differs from yours.

respectfully,
rick walker