Playing drums and music- a low barrier to entry compared to other occupations?

If we're talking about barrier of entry to being a professional, full time musician, the barrier is much higher than most other occupations.

I am pretty good at my job. But I don't have to be among the best in the world to make enough to feed my family. And as any professional drummer I've spoken to will tell you, there is a big element of luck involved too: being at the right place, at the right time.

Also, not sure how it is in other people's circles, but I don't know any professional musicians that solely depend on their primary instrument for income. They all have many sticks in the fire: one of my good buddies was a country singer, turned songwriter for others, but he also directs music videos and writes scripts for TV shows. Another one is in a blues rock band, but also does soundtracks and audio special effects for films on the side.
 
prodigy4299 said:
If we're talking about barrier of entry to being a professional, full time musician, the barrier is much higher than most other occupations.

I am pretty good at my job. But I don't have to be among the best in the world to make enough to feed my family. And as any professional drummer I've spoken to will tell you, there is a big element of luck involved too: being at the right place, at the right time.

Also, not sure how it is in other people's circles, but I don't know any professional musicians that solely depend on their primary instrument for income. They all have many sticks in the fire: one of my good buddies was a country singer, turned songwriter for others, but he also directs music videos and writes scripts for TV shows. Another one is in a blues rock band, but also does soundtracks and audio special effects for films on the side.
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Yes each person has there own scene that works them individually, some stay in one band a long time and partake in other ventures on the side for some musical variety in their lives. Some work a non-music related job for financial reasons.

Agreed the competition to attain a set of drums and start playing on them (at least in the first world) is rather low when compared to what it takes to play them as a full time career.
 
"So.....do you have an MBA?"........"uhh...no....BUT I can play What is Hip"
"You're hired"
 
PorkPieGuy said:
Yes, you can. I’m proof of that. Most of my friends are this way as well. With that said, you have to put in the work. Just like you can’t buy a DSM-5 and call yourself a psychologist.




You know, I don’t know. I still tend to say “I play drums” instead of “I’m a drummer.” In a weird way, I don’t feel like I deserve that title yet.
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Who said you have to be a certain level player before being called a drummer?

The drummer in a battlefield didn't have to play a beat, he just had to help maintain cadence, and he was called a drummer.
Some people feel that because someone said "This is how you do it" it can't be done any other way. Those are the people that never learned to think outside the box.

To give you a real life example. you think after people like Eddie Van Halen, Joe Satriani and Steve Vai anything that was possible to do in guitar was basically already covered and nobody was going to come up with something new...
Well Tim Henson has and even Steve Vai gave him his seal of approval.
How did he come up with something new and different you ask? He decided to break the rules and think outside the box.
I am not a fan of his I just appreciate that he was able to achieve that while still being in his 20's

 
prodigy4299 said:
If we're talking about barrier of entry to being a professional, full time musician, the barrier is much higher than most other occupations.

I am pretty good at my job. But I don't have to be among the best in the world to make enough to feed my family. And as any professional drummer I've spoken to will tell you, there is a big element of luck involved too: being at the right place, at the right time.

Also, not sure how it is in other people's circles, but I don't know any professional musicians that solely depend on their primary instrument for income. They all have many sticks in the fire: one of my good buddies was a country singer, turned songwriter for others, but he also directs music videos and writes scripts for TV shows. Another one is in a blues rock band, but also does soundtracks and audio special effects for films on the side.
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Nobody said anything about being one of the best in the world they just stated entry which implies you being able to make a living, not being at Lars Ulrich level but just enough to pay the bills and put food on the table from drumming exclusively. I believe no I know that, is much easier to achieve than say.. getting an engineering degree.
 
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it's
"Five musicians and an associate"..
 
bermuda said:
David is correct. Simply put: there is no career path for being a working musician. You can play all the right parts, network like crazy, go out on auditions, and otherwise devote yourself 24/7 to 'making it', and not get anywhere. Or you can be an average player who happens to be in the right place at the right time, and enjoy a successful career.

Sounds kinda bleak, but that's pretty much the way it is for players. It's really not possible to make it happen based solely on desire and effort.
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yeah...the right time and place thing is actually probably the highest barrier for professional performers (I am including acting writers, and dancing as well b/c I'll bet those people experience the same thing)
 
PorkPieGuy said:
Unfortunately, I do (in my mind anyways).
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I feel you with this brutha....most people i know call me a "professional musician"....I call my self a "lucky hack"

sometimes our own brains are the biggest barrier!!!

and @doggyd69b is correct regarding you!! You are definitely there!
 
Can you Imagine if for the last 70 years ago you weren't allowed a recording contract with a record company or even gig unless you had a qualification? How much great music would we have missed out on? "Sorry Ringo, no grades, no gig".
 
probably count drum band leaders on one hand
Ginger, Buddy, Williams, Sandy, Gene....lot of jazz Motian, Art, the other Art, ..Elvin, Ben Pollack,

most rest are from association

So it's the band that qualifies -sizes up the drummer
and..some drummers are initiators.
 
prodigy4299 said:
And as any professional drummer I've spoken to will tell you, there is a big element of luck involved too: being at the right place, at the right time.
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I feel like it is 80% luck and 20% skill, past a certain baseline of ability. The baseline varies by genre but if you meet the essential requirements, the rest is up to luck and timing.
 
Erberderber said:
Can you Imagine if for the last 70 years ago you weren't allowed a recording contract with a record company or even gig unless you had a qualification? How much great music would we have missed out on? "Sorry Ringo, no grades, no gig".
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in the same way, doing the run from "nobody club band" up to superstar was a "college degree" in a way, especially in the 60's-90's/pre interweb days

you were taking classes, doing projects, getting pop quizzes, writing dissertations, having to present dissertations, staying up late cramming, skipping classes, working to pay for it, balancing life etc...

you just weren't doing it in a big brick building named after some guy from 100 years ago
 
PorkPieGuy said:
Unfortunately, I do (in my mind anyways).
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I get it. There's something about calling yourself a "drummer" that, in my mind, implies a bunch of things that I don't feel actually apply to me yet. Yes, I play drums, I studied them for a little while at a fairly advanced level, and it turns out I'm better at it than most people who don't play drums, and there have even been times in my life where I got some money fairly regularly to play them.

But there are still loads of other people out there who are a whole lot better than me — but even more importantly, they're all way more focused and dedicated to the art than I am (and way more knowledgable about it, and way more plugged into the drumming community). Basically, drumming isn't just what they do, it's who they are. And it's pretty obvious whenever I walk into a conversation with them them that I'm the fish out of water. Their dedication to honing their craft and/or being steeped in the drumming world goes way beyond my capability or level of perseverance, and so calling myself a "drummer" feels a bit disingenuous next to that.
 
Xstr8edgtnrdrmrX said:
I feel you with this brutha....most people i know call me a "professional musician"....I call my self a "lucky hack"

sometimes our own brains are the biggest barrier!!!

and @doggyd69b is correct regarding you!! You are definitely there!
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Palaeographical said:
I get it. There's something about calling yourself a "drummer" that, in my mind, implies a bunch of things that I don't feel actually apply to me yet. Yes, I play drums, I studied them for a little while at a fairly advanced level, and it turns out I'm better at it than most people who don't play drums, and there have even been times in my life where I got some money fairly regularly to play them.

But there are still loads of other people out there who are a whole lot better than me — but even more importantly, they're all way more focused and dedicated to the art than I am (and way more knowledgable about it, and way more plugged into the drumming community). Basically, drumming isn't just what they do, it's who they are. And it's pretty obvious whenever I walk into a conversation with them them that I'm the fish out of water. Their dedication to honing their craft and/or being steeped in the drumming world goes way beyond my capability or level of perseverance, and so calling myself a "drummer" feels a bit disingenuous next to that.
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DW is the best cheering section I've ever had. Thanks to all of you!!!
 
PorkPieGuy said:
DW is the best cheering section I've ever had. Thanks to all of you!!!
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that's because we get what you have been doing, and how the payoff can happen!!!
 
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