A symbolic scene of a singular dollar bill wedged in the keys of a piano. Photo courtesy of web sensation and blogger Wilfried Geck.
The goal of making music professionally is a goal shared by millions across the globe, but is the reward of a passionate career worth the risk of financial instability? A large fraction of San Luis Obispo High School students plan to pursue music of all different genres, each with its own risk-reward ratio.
The question is, just how thin is the line between the spotlight and the gutter?
Well, the thickness varies based on the specifics of each music profession, each with its respective workload, creative freedom, required education, and net profit potential. With this in mind, the student’s preference remains the most important factor because working in a field of music they are uninterested in somewhat defeats the purpose of the endeavor.
“I really like music and I could have definitely seen myself doing it professionally. The reason I’m doing aerospace engineering instead is just because of money. Even if you do find a job as a musician that pays well, it just isn’t as concrete as other industries. The other reason is that people who show lots of talent early on get a ton of resources that other people who want to pursue music just can’t compete with,” said senior Owen Rippens.
Students who want to jump right into the performance scene, making money from gigs and online streams, will likely focus on pop, rap, jazz, or anything else contemporary. They have the option to join a band or production group, or be an independent “singer/songwriter”. Independent musicians maintain much more creative freedom and flexibility, but not without its drawbacks.
According to a survey conducted by Musician’s Union, only about ten percent of all professional musicians are able to make a living off of their music alone. Music-related income sources, like teaching or music lessons, can provide auxiliary pay to assist with this, but with limited quantity and availability. When viewing only independent “singer/songwriter” type musicians, this drops the amount of people capable of living off their songs alone to approximately one percent.
Essentially, while independence seems appealing in the world of music, joining with other musicians offers much greater chances of success.
These numbers are completely different when a college degree is added to the mix. A degree will somewhat (though not greatly) improve your chances of becoming a pop star, but where it really shines is in music performance and education. While sound engineering and music production can also be pursued through music degrees, the main reason they are sought is to become a music teacher or advanced performer.
“The plan right now is to work super hard in college, gain a lot of experience, and start auditioning for orchestras asap. I want to teach lessons, and maybe become a band director for a while as I’m taking orchestral auditions. My dream career would be orchestra member and professor of flute at a university. I assume it will fill up most of each day. As a musician, there is already a pressure to practice for 3 hours minimum each day. Working musicians often practice for 3 hours, teach a few private lessons, and attend a rehearsal each day. Hopefully this is what my life will look like! Being a musician is a lot of work but I don’t mind spending tons of time on it as long as I get to play,” said senior Mary Kate Fidopiastis.
Professional orchestras can actually pay quite well. The average salary for lower level state and city orchestras (which is the most realistic position for a college graduate with a performance degree) is between 40-60 thousand dollars annually. This may not make you wealthy, but many consider it a worthy sacrifice for a career they are passionate about. World renown orchestras, such as the Los Angeles or New York Philharmonic pay much more, anywhere between 100-250 thousand dollars annually, with principal players and soloists even making upwards of that. However, a spot in one of these orchestras is so prestigious and competitive that few will ever come close to attaining one.
“For many classically trained musicians, landing a permanent position in an orchestra is the dream. Perhaps this is because orchestra positions provide job security, a good salary, medical benefits, and the opportunity to play regularly with other outstanding musicians. Or perhaps it’s because, in many ways, the orchestra is one of the last pure temples of musical worship in existence. In a world where being employed full-time solely to play and perform music is an absolute rarity, the orchestra harkens back to an older time, when patrons of the arts would support musicians out of nothing more than a deep appreciation for their craft,” said a spokesperson for the Berklee College of Music.
A college degree can also allow one to become a music teacher (though it may also require a teaching credential). Elementary through high school teachers are often in high demand, taking away the competition and rigor of music performance, and still get paid $55-95 thousand annually. With more effort and education, one can also become a college music professor, with a salary of roughly $70-120 thousand.
Becoming a professional musician is certainly a reasonable goal, but it may force you to choose between suboptimal pay, extensive risk, large workloads, and a high stress environment. So if you find one of these drawbacks acceptable, go for it!
Sources: berklee.edu, forbes.com, deltastate.edu
