It’s currently New Zealand music month and I wanted to ask the question “Is music a career?” Chris Knox actually got me thinking about this on May 1st when he was quoted in the media as saying “If you don’t have a passion for it there’s no point in doing it. Don’t think it’s a career, it’s a gift, a vocation, but it’s not a career.”
Now when I first heard him say it I was more than a little pissed about it. My other job is as an artist career facilitator at the Depot in Auckland helping musicians and audio engineers with, well, their careers. It’s a fancy title which basically means I help with anything from careers advice to business planning, arranging mentoring and work experience plus making a few industry connections for the artists. It’s a great job because I get to work with some amazingly talented people who are trying to make a living from their art. Some of them see it as a career, some don’t, most see it as something they just do because they love it and would like to make some money from it so they don’t have to go work in an office!
So back to Chris Knox, once the initial rage had worn off i spent a few days letting it settle in and wanted to ask you your opinion. Is music your career? Is it your vocation? Is it just something you do?
If it is a career then what are the factors which make you think of it as a career? Is it a career if you make money out of it? Is it a career if you spend every living hour writing, rehearsing, playing your music?
To be honest I’m still undecided what the difference is between a career and a vocation? Is it passion? Love? Commitment? Do nurses or doctors see their jobs as careers? Vocations?
I’m actually undecided on if it’s a career or a vocation (or some other word) but feel strongly that if your a musician struggling to make ends meet, living on the bare minimum so you can pursue your passion then other people should see it as a career or vocation, even if you don’t want to.
Tags: Industry, music
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