"One good thing about Music is that when it hits you, you feel no pain" Bob Marley

One of the most scaringly uncertain yet rewarding things that can happen to a musician is to turn professional to make an entire life’s living from music. For those employed by orchestras or film ensembles or event management / entertainment companies, etc. on full-time contracts, it’s perfect. & despite finding fantastic talent around , its easy to find more disappointed than happy music professionals because competition is extremely stiff for every place – it’s a much more precarious situation specially for the brave & passionate souls who decide that music will be their livelihood.

This understanding could be a stepping stone to a career as a performer, but in the
vast majority of instances this may never happen. For most it will be a case of cobbling together a life from the mix of touring & performing. That might sound ideal, but what it usually means in practical terms is long stretches of hard work (touring). Be warned, for most bands touring doesn’t mean luxury hotels & special air conditioned buses to travel in. Instead it may well have everyone cramped together in a van with the equipment, sharing the hard core tasks of driving, loading & unloading of the gear, etc.. It’s endless hours of grueling yet satisfying days & nights spent in very little comfort, usually with too little money. Very few bands manage to stay on the road for, say, nine months out of the year, specially in our part of the world called India.

Yet, ask them, & most will tell you they’re very happy with their lives – & why not, since they’re fulfilling their dreams & making a living from music, even if it’s not the way they might originally have imagined.

Classical, Rock & Jazz Musicians tend to constantly strive to increase standards, & those who graduate with degrees are almost invariably top-notch players & performers. But quality doesn’t equate to a living. So most work with film groups, semi-professional orchestras or ensembles, simply to have the thrill of playing & to add a little extra to their bank accounts.

In other words, it’s not glamorous, even
if you have a record out. Instead you’re grinding away as many hours as you can with the sole hope of breaking into the next level. There are exceptions, of course. Bands on a club, film, entertainment circuit can make enough to get by, even if
they don’t become rich. However, it means playing music that’s probably not something they love. But if it can pay the bills, why not?

A few make the leap to become studio musicians, but they’re the elite, & it’s a hard club to join. Those who do make it earn excellent money, even if they rarely receive credit for their work.

So it is possible to make a living from music. Just don’t expect to become wealthy from it – & be very prepared to be adaptable if you’re really determined to have it as your livelihood. The number of opportunities media & entertainment industries have
thrown open is alarming – don’t take our word for it, just view primetime television across the country’s’ (India) national television, radio and interactive channels; 90% of the content has
an integral critical element in the form of music without which, the world wouldn't be the way we see it.