Diversify and Conquer Part I

It's never been easy to make a living with music. In fact, some of the players you most admire just might be semi-professionals -- i.e. they have to do other things to make a living.  Gigs are simply harder to find these days. One way around this scarcity of opportunity is to do other things. It's possible to diversify your activities without giving up your choice of music as a career.

Here are some areas you might check out to (a) find more work and (b) find rewarding jobs in and around of music.

Playing

Of course this is what we all want to do, and there really are a lot of options. In general, you will be either a member of a band (or several bands) or a freelancer/contractor. Here diversity means being able to play in a variety of styles and situations.

Touring: As a hired sideman or as a member of a band, the touring musician's career is on the road. Some musicians tour constantly, and time spent at home can be a rarity.

Local: It's tough but not impossible to make a living locally. The trick is to live in or close to a place where there is a lot of work. This is why musicians gravitate to places like New York, Nashville and other music cities. 

Studio: Music centres often have lots of recording studios. This type of work calls for an abundance of high-end skills, but the rewards can be excellent.
Shows: Dance troupes, theatres, broadcasters, and others all need drummers, and these can be great steady gigs. Hal Blaine honed his chops playing for strippers.

Teaching

There are actually a number of options for dedicated teachers.

Music store: This setting gives you instant credibility and visibility. Plus the music store does all the marketing and paperwork. On the downside, the pay may not be great and you need to play by someone else's rules.

Private studio: This is a tougher way to do it, but you get to be your own boss and keep every dollar you collect. Be prepared to spend a lot of time marketing and developing your reputation.

Institutions: Colleges and universities have high skill requirements, but if you qualify, the work can be both rewarding and lucrative.