OT: Career discussion, your thoughts??

  • Thread starter Thread starter mightyjoeyoungxnj
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I pursued music seriously until I was about 25. To be honest at first I was hardcore and never even thought a second about doing anything else. Then after some hardships and a death of a bandmember, I sort of woke up to the fact that I didn't want to be in my 30's hanging around the music store broke. I started pursuing a career in technology and now I'm more successful than I ever thought I'd be. I learned alot about life being full-time musician, but now at 38 I'm glad I can provide for my family which seems a lot more important to me now.
 
gybe!":36d6f said:
While money does not equal happiness it does equal freedom. I am 25, have about a year left before I finish my Ph.D here at Cornell (in chemistry), and am contemplating going to law school for patent law (or tagging on to a firm after graduation so they pay for my law education, a pretty common thing to do for people in my situation). The way I see it, chemistry (or history or an MBA in your case) is not really my first love but if it puts me in a position to do the things I want to do (by way of money) then I am content doing it. The likelihood that I would make enough as a producer or engineer to support myself and my family and still be able to do the things outside of music that I love to do are verrry slim, hence why I didn`t pursue them. I know you see getting your MBA as selling out right now, but think a bit further down the road than a couple of years. What happens when you are a struggiling producer (which can be a very fun lifestyle) and your priorities shift? What happens when you want to start a family? What happens when you want to go take a tour of Europe (and not stay in youth hostels)? What happens when you want to get a place nicer than a shoebox apartment? etc...

I am not saying you can`t make a living being a producer, or that you shouldn`t neccessarily pursue it, just to think a little further than the next few years. I chose to compromise and do something that will give me the ability(aka money) to pursue my passions on my time. I am in a band again and once I am making better money (that is, out of grad school) I fully intend to make a nice home studio big enough for a band to record in. I won`t be doing it 24/7, but I also will be eating things other than Ramen and going to Hawaii at every opprotunity. Its a compromise, but one I am more than happy with.
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That's quite the resume of education man...congrats! If I was better in math I would have pursued something similar.

-Joe
 
SeaDog":acd0d said:
I pursued music seriously until I was about 25. To be honest at first I was hardcore and never even thought a second about doing anything else. Then after some hardships and a death of a bandmember, I sort of woke up to the fact that I didn't want to be in my 30's hanging around the music store broke. I started pursuing a career in technology and now I'm more successful than I ever thought I'd be. I learned alot about life being full-time musician, but now at 38 I'm glad I can provide for my family which seems a lot more important to me now.
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Ouch...I can definitely see myself being jaded in a similar situation.

-Joe
 
mightyjoeyoungxnj":14520 said:
And to the two dudes hat posted above me, I envy you equally! If I could go back 4-5 years, I would TOTALLY major in engineering and/or a technical field. I would absoIutelty love a field like that. I still have pipe dreams of being an environmental engineer, and dealing with renewable energy as my profession.
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Watch me do some magic here, Joe.

mightyjoeyoungxnj":14520 said:
I'm 22 and on the verge of graduating.
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POOF!!! You're still young enough do this, now get on it!
 
Bob Savage":e1555 said:
mightyjoeyoungxnj":e1555 said:
And to the two dudes hat posted above me, I envy you equally! If I could go back 4-5 years, I would TOTALLY major in engineering and/or a technical field. I would absoIutelty love a field like that. I still have pipe dreams of being an environmental engineer, and dealing with renewable energy as my profession.
Click to expand...

Watch me do some magic here, Joe.

mightyjoeyoungxnj":e1555 said:
I'm 22 and on the verge of graduating.
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POOF!!! You're still young enough do this, now get on it!
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Everyone keeps telling me that...lol

I supposed I can study in the meantime. hahaha

Now, if someone will just give me a loan for some studio space, I'm golden. :D

-Joe
 
Go for the good money making career. Music will always be there for you. I tried at the music thing but i found myself 26 years old making shit money and every band that i was in that was supposed to "make it" never did. The music biz is tough, people in bands are your best friends but once a band splits they vanish. I went back to school when i was 27 and i wish i did it earlier. But just because you persue a good stable career doesn't mean you have to give up other things.
 
The best thing about being 22 is not having to look too far ahead. Just enjoy it. Chances are, ten years from now, you will be doing and thinking much differently (not better or worse, just differently), so don't sweat it. Choices you make at 22 will not define your life. It's just part of the process. Do what makes you happy now. Later on in life when you're married, with kids, etc., it's no longer about you (not a bad thing, just the reality of the situation, if you're a man). Enjoy the fact that it's about you right now, and go do some things that make you happy. Being 10 years away from 22 now, that would be my advice to a 22 year old me. :D
 
danyeo":723b1 said:
Go for the good money making career. Music will always be there for you. I tried at the music thing but i found myself 26 years old making shit money and every band that i was in that was supposed to "make it" never did. The music biz is tough, people in bands are your best friends but once a band splits they vanish. I went back to school when i was 27 and i wish i did it earlier. But just because you persue a good stable career doesn't mean you have to give up other things.
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Definitely true...Same thing happened with my last band. Drummer was a really good friend...the band broke up and he didn't even invite me to his wedding. Not to mention we were friends before I was in the band.

But yeah, if I end up going the musical route, it will most likely be in production. If I'm writing music it will just be an independent thing, and maybe I would release stuff online, just for the hell of it, to see where it goes.

-Joe
 
ratter":783e8 said:
Choices you make at 22 will not define your life. It's just part of the process. Do what makes you happy now.
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I disagree completely. What he does now will have a huge impact on where he stands carrerr wise and financially in his 40's, 50's...
 
It's funny because I think that the advice is based on how things have turned out for someone now. I know that many times, I thought to myself, "I wish I had spent more time on my chops,etc." However, one thing that I think always holds true is starting something early. If you have an advantage(school) then you stick with the advantage. If you had gone to a music school, then I would definitely say stick with music. But your advantage IS your education. My opinion is to stick with it. Your love of music will show through if you spent the time still playing music with your career. And if you don't spend the time on music with your full-time job then you know you made the right decision.

I remember reading back in the day about Robert Deleo. He had some accounting job(or something) during the day and would stay up all odd hours to play music with his band. Once the band started hitting it big he stuck with the band. I do basically the same thing. I have a day gig and after I get home, I eat some dinner then hop on the computer and edit or whatever until 10pm. Then it's time for my wife. She's extremely supportive plus she is going to school so she has something to keep herself occupied. Don't get me wrong. I'm tired most of the time but I don't think of being tired when I'm doing something I love.

I still say that you should stick with a career. Music will be there if you *really* want it.
 
Bob Savage":06237 said:
ratter":06237 said:
Choices you make at 22 will not define your life. It's just part of the process. Do what makes you happy now.
Click to expand...

I disagree completely. What he does now will have a huge impact on where he stands carrerr wise and financially in his 40's, 50's...
Click to expand...

You heard the man, Joe. Don't fuck this up now, or you'll regret it when you're 50!

No pressure.

:D
 
ratter":284dd said:
You heard the man, Joe. Don't fuck this up now, or you'll regret it when you're 50!

No pressure.

:D
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Joke about it as you will but I think it's better to plan now than end up 50 with no possibility of a comfortable retirement in site. One does not have to sacrifice the joys of youth to plan intelligently for the future.
 
defpearlpilot":a318d said:
It's funny because I think that the advice is based on how things have turned out for someone now. I know that many times, I thought to myself, "I wish I had spent more time on my chops,etc." However, one thing that I think always holds true is starting something early. If you have an advantage(school) then you stick with the advantage. If you had gone to a music school, then I would definitely say stick with music. But your advantage IS your education. My opinion is to stick with it. Your love of music will show through if you spent the time still playing music with your career. And if you don't spend the time on music with your full-time job then you know you made the right decision.

I remember reading back in the day about Robert Deleo. He had some accounting job(or something) during the day and would stay up all odd hours to play music with his band. Once the band started hitting it big he stuck with the band. I do basically the same thing. I have a day gig and after I get home, I eat some dinner then hop on the computer and edit or whatever until 10pm. Then it's time for my wife. She's extremely supportive plus she is going to school so she has something to keep herself occupied. Don't get me wrong. I'm tired most of the time but I don't think of being tired when I'm doing something I love.

I still say that you should stick with a career. Music will be there if you *really* want it.
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Yeah Andrew, I agree completely. In the end it's a personal thing, ya know...just need to make a choice eventually. It's great that you have that healthy balance though, good for you.

If I may, what kind of work are you into?

-Joe
 
Bob Savage":dd8fb said:
ratter":dd8fb said:
Choices you make at 22 will not define your life. It's just part of the process. Do what makes you happy now.
Click to expand...

I disagree completely. What he does now will have a huge impact on where he stands carrerr wise and financially in his 40's, 50's...
Click to expand...

I think your both right actually. I think you are never to old to go back to school or do something positive for your life. I went back to school at 28 and I knew I was looking at 7 years to complete the education in my field. There were people in the 40's & 50's doing the same thing right next to me. In the end I am glad I did it, but I did it while working fulltime and having a wife and kids. That was seven years of no sleep. :scared: If I would have started before having kids or getting married it would have been easier and left more options for my family now. As Ratter has said though your 22 you should enjoy life. I have seen too many people plan to live later and are too occupied with life to live. I hear I will do this once I finish school, or I will do this once my kids get out of the house.Maybe even I will start this when I retire.... The point is I have seen too many people postpone living for "right time" or a "better time". A lot of those same people never got a chance to enjoy life, because by the time they retired they didn't have the finances or didn't have the health. I you ask people if they have regrets you will get different answers depending on where they are in their lives. In the end when people are facing the end of their life their regrets are usually not what they should have done for a living, but that they should have enjoyed life more or spent more time with thier family. There is no right or wrong answer to your question. Each choice will bring a different experience to your life. There is clearly an easier choice to be made between the two , but you need to find out what is more rewarding for you. I have seen plenty miserable people with the "dream life", and I have seen the happiest of people with everything they own fitting in the back of their car. Which one is right? I think if you want it bad enough you can do both their is no reason to give up your dreams because you want financial security, just have your priorities in the right place. It would be an easy choice for me to make if I was in your shoes. I would go back to school for the carrer you want and still shoot for the home studio and playing. Good luck on what ever you decide. :thumbsup:
 
I have five children. My two sons are active musicians and one is in a gigging band in Philly that is getting good press and tons of work. My son in the band is also a student at Temple and in his last year. My other son just graduated from Millersville with a computer science degree making 50K or more, my daughter graduated from West Chester Univ top 2% of her class, my other son graduated from Kutstown Univ, my other daugher is working and going to night school. I say all of this to this end, get the education. I never encouraged any of my kids to go to school one way or the other, but I never allowed them to be slackers. I am proud of all of them, they all worked thier way thru school and all are currently working with great futures. I just have a high school education and have had to push down some doors to get where I am today. If I had to do it over again I think the education would have made things better for me and my family. All in all music is still a big part of my life and my kids lives.
 
Bob Savage":154b0 said:
ratter":154b0 said:
You heard the man, Joe. Don't fuck this up now, or you'll regret it when you're 50!

No pressure.

:D
Click to expand...

Joke about it as you will but I think it's better to plan now than end up 50 with no possibility of a comfortable retirement in site. One does not have to sacrifice the joys of youth to plan intelligently for the future.
Click to expand...

Well, I could argue the semantics of "what he does now will have a huge impact" vs "what he does now can have a huge impact." But I won't.

What I said was that his choices now wouldn't define his life. That statement was meant to encompass more than just financial/career considerations and was more of a response to his idea of selling himself out, or selling himself short. It's easy to place way too much pressure on yourself, and put too much weight on that "big decision" when you're graduating, when for many (most?) people, that "big decision" you made at graduation time has fuck all to do with where you're at 10, 20, or 30 years later.

I'm sure I'm not the only one here whose degree(s), experience, first job out of college, etc. having nothing to do with current occuptation, am I?
 
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