Dual careers

[earthward]

I would love to hear from people that have dual careers in music and some other discipline.  How do you balance them?  I know Charles Ives is a case in point and I've always been really fascinated with this possiblility because I have so many interests outside of music and would like to be able to explore them.  And plus having the extra income would certainly help!     

[keys]

Yes I know what you mean. I've also been looking into duel careers, not quite sure how I'll juggle everything but I'm sure I'll figure it out.  Here' s a good story about someone who's doing it all:

https://www.news.utoronto.ca/bin6/041231-818.asp

[ehpianist]

Inasmuch as one considers a career meaning that one makes a living at it,  Charles Ives had only one career, Insurance (founder of New York Life I believe).  He composed as a hobby and generally paid people to play his works and rented his own venues.  He made enough money in his job to do whatever he wanted with his art.  Almost the perfect combination.


Elena
https://www.pianofourhands.com

[anda]

you can't manage two careers at the same time too long (i mean 2 careers, not 1 and a hobby). you can juggle for a few years, but then you have to decide what you really want - play the piano or make money 

[quasimodo]

Hélène Grimaud and her wolves ? Though the wolves thing is not lucrative, she says that her life is half piano, half the wolves. And sometimes she finds a third half writing books as well 

[earthward]

Yes I know what you mean. I've also been looking into duel careers, not quite sure how I'll juggle everything but I'm sure I'll figure it out.  Here' s a good story about someone who's doing it all:

https://www.news.utoronto.ca/bin6/041231-818.asp

Yes!! That's exactly the kind of thing that really inspires me.  Thanks! I love hearing about stuff like that because if he can do it than it must be possible.  That's awesome.

Inasmuch as one considers a career meaning that one makes a living at it, Charles Ives had only one career, Insurance (founder of New York Life I believe). He composed as a hobby and generally paid people to play his works and rented his own venues. He made enough money in his job to do whatever he wanted with his art. Almost the perfect combination.

you can't manage two careers at the same time too long (i mean 2 careers, not 1 and a hobby). you can juggle for a few years, but then you have to decide what you really want - play the piano or make money

Well okay I see your points.  But you could certainly have a a full time job doing something else and still make a bit of money accompanying or whatever.  I guess that's what I was thinking.

Anyway, thanks for all your responses!

[lostinidlewonder]

It depends what you want to do. If you want to be a travelling concert pianist, for half a year then the other half your other job, you might get a little stuck. Because of the study required to maintain repertiore and standard of peformance is rather high if you dont want to be regarded as a hack. Also organising of concerts, publicity stuff, advertising etc takes a lot of preemptive planning before your actual concerts. It is hard but you can do it.

If you want to teach music that is totally easy to do. I know many people who do that and earn good money on the side. But being a concert peformer is difficult because firstly to get well known you have to do continuous cycles of concerts yearly. otherwise peopel forget you and the momentum you generate doing your concerts fizzles out.
If i go to my hometown for instance, if i ever do a concert here the halls will be sound out because i have hit that area so many times since i was a kid, people get to know you and they watch you simply because they have seen you around before. Also you have to offer something interesting, you cant just get up, play and leave. That type of concert should be thrown out the door.

[anda]

It depends what you want to do. If you want to be a travelling concert pianist, for half a year then the other half your other job, you might get a little stuck. Because of the study required to maintain repertiore and standard of peformance is rather high if you dont want to be regarded as a hack.

exactly! i man, it's hard to keep a performing career as well as a teaching one, but talk about having a regular 9-5 job 5 days a week and still get to practice AND go whenever you have a concert or a masterclass...

first of all, i don't kno any firm that would put up with this for too long - i mean, go to work for 2-3 weeks, then take off for another 10-15 days on tour, come back, and repeat this over and over... they will finally fire you!

and i won't even start talking about how the practice suffers from such a chaotic schedule.

[chopinguy]

Right now I'm only in high school, but I want to see if I can have a first career, then a secondary career in piano.  Is this too far-fetched?  Or have people done it before?

[gyzzzmo]

Hi,

i think it really isnt possible to have dual SERIOUS careers. You cant spend enough hours a day for each 'job'.
People do need to sleep, sometimes a bath is required (people cant concentrate on your playing if you really stink) and i heard eating is important too.

Gyzzzmo

[pianowelsh]

Nowadays most 'musicians' have portfolio careers whereby they have their principal income from either performance or teaching and supplement by 'gigging' in pubs or acting as music administrators or writers/ music journalists/researchers, recording technitions, promoters etc etc etc. VERY VERY few people nowadays sustain a career only in performance it is currently estimated at fewer than 1% of Conservatoire graduates have FULL time careers in solo performance. So dual careers are becoming more and more essential. You are quite right about it being difficult though. Trying to maintain and build a repertoire an teach and publish a research paper etc is taxing, but making a living in music has never been easy!