Studying music in the 3rd world

[persona]

I live in Buenos Aires, and this question goes for other 3rd world musicians or music students:
I am currently on the first year of a college career I know I hate. I'm thinking of dropping it to become a professional pianist. Is this wise or will I starve? What kind of lifestile does a musician have in the third world? Is it possible to make a living from teaching or will I end up working on a supermarket 12 hours a day?

[rimv2]

I live in Buenos Aires, and this question goes for other 3rd world musicians or music students:
I am currently on the first year of a college career I know I hate. I'm thinking of dropping it to become a professional pianist. Is this wise or will I starve? What kind of lifestile does a musician have in the third world? Is it possible to make a living from teaching or will I end up working on a supermarket 12 hours a day?

Ah know nothing of Buenos Aires, so ah couldnt tell you howsuccessful you'd be as a musician there.

You could fancy up a studio and pretentiously charge high prices for lessons. If you deliver results the rich will come flocking. Or you could do your career and play your instrument on the side.

[henrah]

Try and find some examples (professional pianists from the same area/country as you) that you can use to determine whether you will be able to make a worthy living or not. There is also the possibility of international playing if you find that you aren't getting enough money from the area you are playing in.
Henrah

[kghayesh]

I am in a very similar situation like you. I live in Egypt and i am currently doing a college degree that has nothing to do with music. But, unfortunately, i am in my fourth year !!, so there's no way back. Though, i am thinking of shifting my career after graduation and go study music in some decent place.

Considering musicians' lives in third world countries, here in Egypt, musicians don't have that much social prestige as other jobs, unless they are very successful in their careers (and i mean internationally). Actually, this is like that because our culture and our minds do not promote classical music and instead goes for pop and local music, which is very stupid imo. For example, in recitals you rarely find more than 30 people or something, which is pathetic both for the performer and for music as an industry.

I say if you really love music and want to make it your career, then definitely go for it, unless your family has other opinions, which is possible in third world countries. You don't wanna spend yr whole life doing something you don't like.

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"If you really love it and want to spend your life with it, you have a very good chance of making a very good living.  " Daniel Barenboim in response to a question about music as a career.

[gilad]

kghayesh, nice to see someone from the same continent, i'm on the other side though in south africa.
persona, south africa is sort of 20% first world and rest developing.
there is quite a niche for music here. dont know if it's the same in argentina.
going overseas is an option as suggested above.
nice Barenboim quote.

[kghayesh]

Hi gilad,
Yeah it is nice to see someone from Africa too !

I think South Africa is the most developed country in Africa. I hope to visit it one day. Are you studying music in a music college in South Africa or what ?

[gilad]

hey kghayesh, yeah it is one of the most developed countries in africa. i think egypt is not far behind, i'd love to visit egypt too. i've been quite close actually, sinai, altough my little brother went to cairo recently. i'm not studying music formally, started learning piano only a year ago.

[stagefright]

.... in third world countries ..... musicians don't have that much social prestige as other jobs, unless they are very successful in their careers (and i mean internationally).

This is a global fact, not something valid for 3rd world countries only.

Talking about deciding wether be a professional pianist or not, my theacher usually quoted St. Matthew "For many are called, but few chosen" 22:14.

Great talent, excellent theachers and hard work are not always enough to become a world famous concert pianist. You need a bit of luck too.

[persona]

stagefright: I know what you mean, but that wasn't the original question. I know it's very unlikely for one to become a world known pianist, specially someone like me, who started at 18. I wanted to ask wether it is possible to make a living as a professional musician in the third world without being the best in the continent.