#sgmusic
by Jowell Tan
I suppose this is the sad reality of what we try to do:
We pick up instruments and develop a love for the craft. We find like-minded fellows and form bands. We have goofy names, we have serious songs. We congregate once a week (maybe even more) to play, write material, rehearse for shows.
We gig, we perform, we laugh, we cry, we play our guitars, bass, drums, voice.
Then somewhere along the way, things happen. We realise (or decide) that the instruments we dedicate our hours to, the music we pour ourselves into, they aren't the things that bring us what we need to survive here. And so, we move on. Gears gather dust in cases, records languish in closets.
Some of us, we come around, try to brush off the dust and start again. The rest of us cheer them on, but ourselves never getting back into the game.
I don't know - Are we, despite our artistic rages, ultimately destined to fall into a world where having a salary is more important than our expression? I only know that I fell into that world. And now I am a salaryman, still abreast of the local scene but never going back inside.
I love my job - it lets me be artistic in a different way - but some days I wonder.
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Author's Note
I come from Singapore, where being in a band is not a "real job". More often than not, really good musicians end up being office workers.
I was once in a band, and this is my take on how being in a band here is like.
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The situation you describe is all too often the status quo. And I'm talking about America. The music business is, obviously, about making money. While we all want to do that it's important not to lose sight of your creativity. There are tons of talented musicians who must take a day job to survive. The bottom line.
I'm glad you love your job, that's helpful, but if you are still wondering about the choices you made then perhaps you should remove the dust from your closet.
Oh, and all this talk about independent musicians just means we pay as we go. Best of luck.*