| I've been in bands that have played hundreds of gigs together, and I've traveled a bit to make music. Fortunately, I have never -had- to do that. It's not fun, it doesn't pay well (compared to my software work), and the big payoffs all seem to be about the short term validation of larger audiences and better production. To be fair, that has a lot of appeal. I've also gotten a lot out of bands that are just like, "guys night out for bowling". Way more than the long term commercially functioning bands, actually. We just meet up and play every week (when we can), usually in the early evening or after my buddys' kiddos have gone to bed. Once I leaned into the idea that these friendships were important both for me (as an old, single almost-pro musician) and my buddies (who have careers and wives and youngsters), the idea that simply playing (and practicing to support my friends) became really rewarding as an end in itself. That appreciation really changes the dynamics, because I select more for how I get along with the people than I do for chops or genera. The dream of taking that kind of band out isn't stupid or immature, nor is the dream of just having to play music for a living. I have found that it's just so much easier and just as much fun to do "bowling night" at someone's house, and so much easier to make my money doing software. I don't think there is anything sad in that situation. |