The Benefits of Life as a Musician

We know that music is an essential part of everyone’s life, listeners as well as players. And that playing music well is a joy, a feeling unlike any other. But there are many ways playing music as a career make for a great life. A few benefits I’ve enjoyed along the way:

1. Travel. Early in my professional career, just out of grad school, I signed with a booking agency out of Miami that sent me first to the cities along both Florida coastlines, then to the Upper Midwest. I played most small towns, most often with a partner in a two-guitar duo. We played smaller cities, usually a week or two in each. Then off the road in Denver, Houston, and ultimately New Orleans. Great experiences everywhere. What an education and how much fun it was getting to know the people and places in so many parts of the U.S.

• Friends. Playing music with others creates bonds. I haven’t stayed in touch with anyone from high school, or college, or grad school. But I remain in contact with the players in my past, like the guys in our New Orleans band, Metropolis. There have even been times when we’ve been able to play together again.

• Self-sufficiency. I might not have gotten rich playing music, but I was always able to find work—and still do, even though I only play occasionally these days. Playing clubs and bars means you’re moving around a lot, unless you have a house gig, and those don’t seem to last long. It means you have to constantly find new work. But if can play well enough that people want to listen to you, there’s never a shortage of places to play, no matter whether you’re in New Orleans or Minot, North Dakota.

• Independence. As a performing musician, you are essentially self-employed, even if you work in a band or bands for leaders. What a benefit to be in control of your life, not to have to get up in the morning and go to a job you don’t enjoy, not to have to look forward to retirement to be able to do with your life what you’d really like to do. We might not have a retirement plan, but then again, who would retire from being a musician?

Mike Shaw