Independent Musicians and Day-Jobs

I don’t want to use this place to mutter and moan about the tedium of doing a day-job that is, well, tedious. Or witter on about how much more I could achieve as a musician were I not apparently shackled to some desk or other. Chiefly because I’m well aware that it’s in my capacity, with whatever sacrifice it might take in other parts of my life, to change the circumstances.

But I will use these pages to record my own observations about independent musicians who need to support their income by other – and most often, totally “alien” – means.

Now, I’m not actually shackled to anything. Still (and putting these existential musings to one side), I sometimes find myself envying those who have a “satisfying” job and a “rewarding” hobby. Those close to me think I have a “satisfying” hobby and challenging and “rewarding” job. I do find the day job both “challenging” on a daily basis and also “rewarding” in the sense that it’s a “challenge” to get out of bed in the morning five days a week and “rewarding” insofar as I’m paid to do so.

OK – I’ve run out of “quotation marks!”

Nevertheless, it’s a psychological curiosity that even I can sometimes find arbitrary feelings of satisfaction about some things I accomplish at the day-job. And, it’s true: I’m a sucker for the flattery of being told I did something well. It doesn’t happen so often that I could become immune to it. I speculate that this is some hard-wired survival mechanism to stop us going crazy in our day-jobs.

Should my present employer stumble upon this, please feel free comment below or fire me tomorrow. Other independent musicians with day-jobs – or any innocent bystanders – are welcome to comment…