Is the Piano your hobby or livlihood?

[nickyi]

Is the Piano your hobby or livlihood?

minor hobby for me ,and you?



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my piano

[stevebob]

I'd describe it as my avocation.   

[perfect_pitch]

Livelyhood...

It's my one and only passion!!!

[birba]

Obsession?

[go12_3]

I loved playing piano ever since childhood, and it is required to play piano
because I teach piano...I don't do performances though.
It's a hobby, a love, and livelihood.  

[lostinidlewonder]

Minor hobby, major livlihood, it certainly has augmented my pockets.

[ted]

I decided in my late teens that rather than enter the music business, I would create and play the sort of music I desired and support it by other means. Fortunately, because of the computer revolution, I could do this quite easily.  I have incurred much criticism, at times severe, from those including my teacher who thought I should have been a professional (not as a concert pianist, that was always out of the question, but as a pianist or musician in other genres), and I have weathered many accusations of "gross underachievement", "selfishness" and so on.

However, as I get older, I am increasingly sure I made the right decision over forty years ago.

[point of grace]

mmhhh.... it started as a hobby and know the piano feeds me

[littletune]

My piano is my friend All pianos are my friends! And my piano is my best friend    

[richard black]

Mostly livelihood (NB spelling) and to some extent hobby too. In fact most 'professional' pianists I know would answer the same!

[pianisten1989]

Both, I guess...

[thalberg]

It's my livelihood.  At the moment, teaching piano lessons is my one and only source of income.  While I enjoy teaching piano very much, I sometimes wish I could be 18 again and choose a different career, just so that now I could have a higher income. 

[prongated]

Minor hobby, major livlihood, it certainly has augmented my pockets.

It's my livelihood.  At the moment, teaching piano lessons is my one and only source of income.  While I enjoy teaching piano very much, I sometimes wish I could be 18 again and choose a different career, just so that now I could have a higher income. 

The juxtaposition really scares me

[oxy60]

The juxtaposition really scares me

What's so scary?

When I was pursuing my degree in music to become a high school band director, the school system decided to pull funding from all the arts. All of a sudden, I had no job waiting for me. Thankfully I had a plan B. I knew church jobs and giving private lessons wouldn't sustain me so I accepted my degree and went into something else. Of course during the years I was never far from music with participation in various groups.

As a retired individual I now play piano as a hobby.

[prongated]

What's so scary?

lostin finished high school in Australia and resumed teaching straight away (armed with LMusA I believe?). 10 years on he was able to afford his second Steinway grand (or so he claimed).

thalberg finished his DMA in Toronto (or Montreal?) having given a superb thesis (I'm sure ) and definitely a superb performance of Berg's Sonata op. 1, and yet seemed to struggle to sustain himself, to the extent he ended up taking some computing classes (or so he said ^^)

It's a scary prospect for me, who is also aiming to get his DMA

[lostinidlewonder]

lostin finished high school in Australia and resumed teaching straight away (armed with LMusA I believe?). 10 years on he was able to afford his second Steinway grand (or so he claimed).

When I finished high school I studied Engineering/Computer science at university for 3 years before choosing piano as a career path after meeting with Roger Woodward. I didn't purchase the Steinway with my own money I did have help in that area. Our dream is to have a piano school with many quality instruments, so step by step.

I have no AMEB qualifications or university degree in music although some of my students do and I currently train students to sit for many of these Personally I find no need to study music at an institution because of my autodidactic and natural ability with music (also Australia's musical programs are nothing to be impressed by in world standard). I also did a lot of concerts early on in my career which gave me a good name base with students, people wanted to learn from me because they had heard me in public. So I ultimately forged my own path, focused predominatly on performance early on, then focusing more on teaching and writing, now slowly applying emphasis back onto performance, it seems like a cycle for me at the moment). I have studied with many teachers during my early years of music, now it is my life I live it every day. It is my livlihood

[ronde_des_sylphes]

It's a hobby, albeit one that's taken very seriously.

[prongated]

I have studied with many teachers during my early years of music, now it is my life I live it every day. It is my livlihood

...and quite frankly, one I rather envy...

[oxy60]

It's a scary prospect for me, who is also aiming to get his DMA

Don't be scared off by our stories. Just have a plan B ready.

The rest of my story took an odd twist. Over the years I consulted with band directors about their shows. They won some big contests and did some big shows for the NFL. I was happy to help out, for free. It was quite gratifying to get a standing ovation from 110,000 people for a half-time show to which I only made suggestions.

At the moment I getting ready to retire I was offered a job with an excellent salary as the band director of a trophy winning high school band. I had no license to teach. However to comply with law the school would put a licensed first year teacher to do nothing but hang out. They really wanted those trophies to keep coming. Had they asked me years before I might taken the job.

[prongated]

Don't be scared off by our stories. Just have a plan B ready.

...I've been hoping it will be online poker, but

[lostinidlewonder]

...I've been hoping it will be online poker, but

I have 2 friends who do that for a living, it seems to me much more stressful than a piano career!

[thalberg]

lostin finished high school in Australia and resumed teaching straight away (armed with LMusA I believe?). 10 years on he was able to afford his second Steinway grand (or so he claimed).

thalberg finished his DMA in Toronto (or Montreal?) having given a superb thesis (I'm sure ) and definitely a superb performance of Berg's Sonata op. 1, and yet seemed to struggle to sustain himself, to the extent he ended up taking some computing classes (or so he said ^^)

It's a scary prospect for me, who is also aiming to get his DMA

I finished my DMA at the Cleveland Institute of Music in Ohio.  When I finished, I did get a full time college teaching job but I was quite unhappy (the role was more that of staff accompanist than professor).  Also the salary was less than that of an elementary school teacher.  I then desired to leave music for many personal reasons, so I pursued a computer science degree.  Unfortunately I discovered I hate computers and so I had to quit the degree.

Right now, I am operating a private studio, and if it fills up and runs successfully, I believe I could have a nice income and live well.  However, it's important to note that I had much help from my parents and grandparents.  They kept me out of debt while in school and also purchased the grand piano on which I now teach, and are providing me with a free place to live until my studio produces enough income to support me.  Without them, I'd be nowhere.  Even with their wonderful assistance, I'm still a man over 30 living with mom and dad.  This is not a dignified thing here in the USA.

As much as I enjoy music, I would not do it again.  Too many sacrifices.  I'm sadly envious of my friends who have houses, cars, health insurance, retirement savings, yearly vacations, and who pay all their own bills.  I still have one eye on the horizon in case another career looks possible.

[lostinidlewonder]

thalberg what you say resonates strongly with me. If it wasn't for my parents support I don't think I would have been where I am today. A musical career is a very tough one, incredibly difficult to start out and support yourself with. My parents support through doing concerts through my childhood through to my adulthood was probably the most important aspect, they never pushed me into anything but always supported any decision I made and helped in anyway they could. Many musicians I have met have had much tougher beginnings, I feel that my life has been quite stress free certainly nothing compared to what some people must face.

As much as I enjoy music, I would not do it again.  Too many sacrifices.  I'm sadly envious of my friends who have houses, cars, health insurance, retirement savings, yearly vacations, and who pay all their own bills.  I still have one eye on the horizon in case another career looks possible.

You can surround yourself with nice things have all your bills paid but your life will not change. If you want to make a change in your life no matter what you aspire for you have to struggle and make changes to your routine. With managing our own musical career we can easily fall into a routine which doesn't challenge us or expand our career. You have to make your own opportunities and pull together your community with your musical projects.

[prongated]

I finished my DMA at the Cleveland Institute of Music in Ohio.  When I finished, I did get a full time college teaching job but I was quite unhappy (the role was more that of staff accompanist than professor).  Also the salary was less than that of an elementary school teacher.  I then desired to leave music for many personal reasons, so I pursued a computer science degree.  Unfortunately I discovered I hate computers and so I had to quit the degree.

Right now, I am operating a private studio, and if it fills up and runs successfully, I believe I could have a nice income and live well.  However, it's important to note that I had much help from my parents and grandparents.  They kept me out of debt while in school and also purchased the grand piano on which I now teach, and are providing me with a free place to live until my studio produces enough income to support me.  Without them, I'd be nowhere.  Even with their wonderful assistance, I'm still a man over 30 living with mom and dad.  This is not a dignified thing here in the USA.

As much as I enjoy music, I would not do it again.  Too many sacrifices.  I'm sadly envious of my friends who have houses, cars, health insurance, retirement savings, yearly vacations, and who pay all their own bills.  I still have one eye on the horizon in case another career looks possible.

...CIM??

...

You can surround yourself with nice things have all your bills paid but your life will not change. If you want to make a change in your life no matter what you aspire for you have to struggle and make changes to your routine. With managing our own musical career we can easily fall into a routine which doesn't challenge us or expand our career. You have to make your own opportunities and pull together your community with your musical projects.

Yeah, I'd like to think that, by the time you reach retirement age (as do your friends, if they haven't suffered from a heart attack), you'll look back and thank yourself for being in music, whereby your friends will ask the "what if I had done something else in my life" question in their retirement homes, albeit probably by their Rolls...

[oxy60]

The most important lesson that one can glean from the above posts (thanks to all for being so honest) is to not ignore an open door. The other lesson is to not build ahead.

I would never have thought 50 years ago that my musical knowledge would be useful now. Besides my personal classical piano playing, I accidentally hooked up with musicians who play the blues. We're all seniors who can jam almost every night of the week around town.

I thought of the possibility of forming a band and rehearsing BUT I didn't have a sound proof studio. When I first got to know these people I thought I needed one. It would have been easy enough to build with my own crew. It turns out these folks don't rehearse, they put ideas together live. Had I built that studio, it would be standing empty.

Nothing goes to waste if you proceed step by step according to real needs.

[lostinidlewonder]

Yeah, I'd like to think that, by the time you reach retirement age (as do your friends, if they haven't suffered from a heart attack), you'll look back and thank yourself for being in music, whereby your friends will ask the "what if I had done something else in my life" question in their retirement homes, albeit probably by their Rolls...

I dream to become very successful with my music career, I have proven to myself there is "big bucks" to be earned through concerting (if I do around 5 major concerts (800+ heads) I earn more than most people do in a year), I have also proven to myself that there is money to be made in musical education (especially in Australia as it is very neglected here). So when I look ahead I see myself an old man still being able to play piano (with as much stamina as when I was younger of course!) I will be the head of my music school managing many teachers and thousands of students a week.

When music is your life you have to dream big or you will flounder and keep the music to yourself. Money is always something that comes up in our head that kills most peoples dreams immediately. People think, where on earth would I get enough money to buy a venue and instruments for my music school? They don't take the first step of doing private lessons in peoples homes, becoming as successful as they can in this, then promoting themselves slowly to a small studio with their say 50+ student base built through private home lessons. Then from this studio you build on and on, maybe try to recruit another teacher train them how you expect lessons to be and expand that way (the quality of teachers determine the success of a school, you simply must provide teaching much better than what is out there on average). The same thing can be applied for people who want to have a performing career. They do not start in small places they expect they start on the international stage thus they always see the end dream but never understand the steps before it to get there. The journey to our ultimate dream is what is most important, whether you achieve the exactly what you dream for or not you would have shaped your life based on your efforts to always work towards what you aspire for. This is the reward.

Life is about stages, change, don't get too comfortable with one routine in life, there is so much more to experience and learn with our life to become complacent.

[prongated]

...I have also proven to myself that there is money to be made in musical education (especially in Australia as it is very neglected here).

I absolutely agree - the quality of music teaching in Australia is generally really bad compared with what most other developed nations have!

And thank you for taking your time to post that! I think I now see another reason to you being "lostinindlewonder"!

[ted]

It seems to me that despite the odd misgiving, most of you professionals are doing very well and are basing your lives on sound reasoning. The compromise between idealism and material needs is, for a serious artist, an uneasy one whether professional or amateur. I rather think that the abhorrence of mature men living with parents is a peculiarly American thing. It doesn't exist to anywhere near the same intensity here in New Zealand, and the ties to parental family in, say, the Philippines, which I know something about, are even stronger. Quite frankly, I consider it irrelevant where someone chooses to live. I lived with my parents until I married at thirty-three. I got on supremely well with them, and like most of you here I wouldn't be where I am musically without their unfailing support. I was financially independent though, working on the waterfront and other places to buy my grand. Maybe I was different in that way, I simply chose to live at home - I certainly never felt I had anything to prove.

I must also acknowledge my wife's constant support and toleration of my musical obsession and eccentricity over the last thirty years. Without her I dread to think what would have happened.

[septentryon]

I think the piano is an addiction for me.
I started since my 16, so to late to be a proffessional...
After now 15 years of pratice, I do not want to have an other hobby !!
I have now 3 children (6 y old, 3 y old and 2 month) and they of course started an instrument (violin and piano).
Of course not my baby yet, though...