Real musicians have day jobs

[Narayan Kersak]

What is the meaning behind the statement

"Real musicians have day jobs."

What are the members individual thoughts on that notion?

[Eugene]

Perhaps the common misconception is that the truth is an answer to a question. In reality, truth is a state of being.

(i.e., I wouldn't read too much into cyber signatures.)

[Lefty&French]

Humor...

[John Flynn]

I'll take a stab this, since I have had that saying as my signature line for years. The origin of that statement, at least for me, was a bumper/case sticker that made me laugh. They are sold by Musixnow.com and their promo for it is, "Say it loud: you're a musician and you're proud." I agree with that sentiment. I have three major thoughts on the statement:

First, I think that "real musicians" are people whose primary goal is to make music and who care about preserving music in its purer forms, not corrupted by commercialism. Once someone’s primary goal becomes making money by making music or being a celebrity by making music, the best term I would use to describe them is "entertainers," although for some of them, I can think of worse terms. Having said that, I do think that people who make a living at music can still be "real musicians." The defining factor for me is their primary goal. If it is the music, they are "keepin' it real" and the commercial/ celebrity/ entertainment stuff is their "day job."

Second, the statement is a celebration of the amateur, "folk" spirit of musicianship. This is not unlike the view taken by people who fought for the Olympics to remain purely amateur in the old days, prior to the "dream team" phenomenon. They thought real athletes were people who were just in it for the sport, not for the money. And they had a point. Who can deny that athletics has lost something precious now that “sports entertainment” is the norm?

Finally, the statement is a positive declaration of the legitimacy of amateur musicians. I notice that among a minority of professional and semi-professional musicians, there can be some degree of snobbery. I have seen people on this forum use the term "musician," as if it only applies to professionals, or to try to win arguments by asking things like, "How many CDs have you sold?" So the statement defends the legitimacy of all "musicians" to bear that title.

[Brian Aldridge]

I might add another quote that I have seen someplace that kind of goes along with this; "Music is too important to leave to the professionals". Sorry, but I cannot remember who it was that said it.

[John Flynn]

Irony of ironies: I just realized the Musixnow.com site that sells the "Real musicians have day jobs" sitckers is Dix Bruce's site. He is definitely a professional musician and quite a mandolin player. He even posts here from time to time.

[allenhopkins]

How about, "Real musicians have (or used to have) day jobs"? Covers us retirees...

One of my favorite stickers was on Bill Staines' guitar case. It said, "Support live music -- hire live musicians."

[John Flynn]

I might add another quote that I have seen someplace that kind of goes along with this; "Music is too important to leave to the professionals". Sorry, but I cannot remember who it was that said it.

It seems like a spin-off of two quotes:

"Life is too important to be taken seriously." - Oscar Wilde

"Government is too big and too important to be left to politicians." - Chester Bowles, US Ambassador and Congressman.

[fiddle5]

"Real musicians have day jobs." Why? because its easy to make a little bit of money...but when you have a house payment, cars, wife and kids, you need to have a real job. I know several professional musicians, and despite the fact that they are superior in thier playing compared to myself by ten and twenty times, they don't make a quarter of what I make in a year as a tradesman. The smart musicians pick and choose thier high price gigs, have complete sell-outs on tickets, but go home to their families and their day jobs when its all over.

I'm all in favour of musical expression, but the bills have to be paid. The musicians who make 100% of thier income from music are very dedicated in a completely all-consuming industry. All the power to them, but its a tough go with many sacrifices until they get there, if they make it at all.

[Narayan Kersak]

Great responses. Thanks!!! Everytime I saw that quote I wondered exactly what it meant. I wasn't sure if it was humor, or what. Now I know!!! Thanks.

[Narayan Kersak]

Perhaps the common misconception is that the truth is an answer to a question. #In reality, truth is a state of being.

(i.e., I wouldn't read too much into cyber signatures.)

; )

I was looking for an answer to a question here, not the truth. : )

[John Flynn]

because its easy to make a little bit of money

I play old-time and there is a saying amongst OT musicians around here:

"There's tens of dollars to be made playing old-time music."

[B. T. Walker]

I am a real musician, just not a real good one, hence the day job.

[Shana Aisenberg]

Real musicians without day jobs probably don't have health insurance either.

Seth

[EggerRidgeBoy]

I might add another quote that I have seen someplace that kind of goes along with this; "Music is too important to leave to the professionals". Sorry, but I cannot remember who it was that said it.

I know Michelle Shocked has been quoted as saying that, but I don't know if it originated with her or not.

[EggerRidgeBoy]

Second, the statement is a celebration of the amateur, "folk" spirit of musicianship. This is not unlike the view taken by people who fought for the Olympics to remain purely amateur in the old days, prior to the "dream team" phenomenon. They thought real athletes were people who were just in it for the sport, not for the money. And they had a point. Who can deny that athletics has lost something precious now that “sports entertainment” is the norm?

I think it is important to remember that one (not the only) reason the Victorian-era founders of the modern Olympic movement created a purely amateur competition was the desire to limit the Games to "gentleman athletes", those wealthy enough to not have to be in it for the money. In other words, to many people, it was a class issue, not an athletic one, and it led to such injustices as Jim Thorpe (a Native American born in a one-room cabin in Oklahoma) being stripped of his medals after the 1912 Games because he had played some semi-pro baseball. Being paid a modest amount to play baseball for a couple summers is hardly evidence to me that he was in it for the money, instead of just for the love of the sport. Jim Thorpe is a far cry from the Dream Team of course, and I much preferred seeing college basketball players compete, but the "pure amateur" ideal wasn't necessarily as, well, idealistic as we might want to believe.

I don't think that how much, or whether, someone gets paid to produce music has anything whatsoever to do with whether or not that person is a "real musician", whatever exactly that term might mean.

[Paul Kotapish]

That bumper sticker has been sold at Down Home in El Cerrito music for eons, and it's on a lot of bumpers in the Bay Area. It bugs me every time I see one.

Down Home--where Dix worked at one time, anyway--sells a lot of great roots-music recordings by wonderful players from around the globe who only made music after their day's work was done and who never pursued music as a formal career. But while it's important to acknowlege that some of the world's greatest musicians did not--and do not--make their living playing music, I find the slogan obnoxious.

For Pete's sake, what was Louis Armstrong's day job? What were Bill Monroe's, Django Rheinhardt's, or Amadeus Mozart's day jobs? What do David Grisman, Chris Thiele, B.B. King, Paul McCartney, Bill Frisell, Joshua Bell, Alison Krauss, David Lindley, and Gillian Welsh do to make ends meet?

I suppose that the slogan "Some Really Good Musicians Also Have Day Jobs" lacks a little punch, though, and is probably too long for a bumper sticker.

Just one guy's opinion--and I do have a day job.

[halfamind]

I might add another quote that I have seen someplace that kind of goes along with this; "Music is too important to leave to the professionals". Sorry, but I cannot remember who it was that said it.

It was Elvis Costello, many, many years ago... one of my favorite, and most-often quoted lines.

[Narayan Kersak]

Real musicians without day jobs probably don't have health insurance either.

Seth

Well, I've got a day job and I still don't have health insurance!!! That stuff is expensive.

[nashvillebill]

It means "I'm jealous of musicians who make their living playing music."

[jmcgann]

One thing for sure- it's a much easier life to have a day job than to try and make 100% of your living actually playing music- especially music that doesn't meet contemporary 'entertainment value' standards, and especially if you have a family to support (or even help support).

If a 'real musician's day job is as a teacher of music, does he still qualify as a 'real musician'?

I agree with Paul Kotapish's opinion.

[Peter Hackman]

It means "I'm jealous of musicians who make their living playing music."

I.e., jealous of the talent, charisma, and originality that makes
this possible.

[Gotterdamerung]

The statement is likely tongue-in-cheek; however, it does flagrantly employ the classic prejudicial language logical fallacy, which attempts to use loaded, highly emotive words to exclude a portion of the population.

The logic of it in this case would remove any professional musician from being labeled "real," whatever that means.

[John Flynn]

Quote (nashvillebill @ May 27 2007, 08:53)
It means "I'm jealous of musicians who make their living playing music."

I.e., jealous of the talent, charisma, and originality that makes
this possible.

I think these are two different cases. I am not the slightest bit jealous of anyone just because they can support themselves playing music. I have known a few and they make a lot of sacrifices, i.e. having to make not much money, playing bad gigs, having to play a lot of junk because that's what the audience wants, etc. Some break though and make the big bucks, but the vast majority never do. It is not a road I would travel, even if I could.

I am certainly "jealous," or at least envious, of people with talent and originality. Charisma you can keep. But I find that most of the people I admire as great musicians, musicians I want to emulate, have day jobs. One of my musical heros runs an offset printing press, one is a freelance house painter, one is a secretary at a university, one teaches high school, etc. The slogan is for them too. I respect them for successfully pursing thier art with the added difficulty factor of having a day job. The point is that they are no less musicians because they don't make a living at it. BTW, none of them ever seriously considered being full time musicians and all of them take pride in thier day jobs, they don't just suffer through them. That's what its all about for me.

[jim_n_virginia]

I once asked a saxaphone player who was busking in the streets of New Orleans what his day job was, his answer .... playing the saxaphone!