Giving up music for life?

[Erkan]

Howdy all.

Just a few days ago, I almost got knocked over by a thought I thought I would never think. I'm contemplating what it would be like if I just sold my drumkit, and that is scary to think about. Ever since age 13-14, my life has been revolving around music, and drums especially. Thus, to think something like this is really strange, since I feel like my life's purpose is dramatically altered and all my goals, hopes, dreams and ambitions are changing.

The reason for this consideration is because life seems to demand this. I don't want to stay in this butt hole town for my whole life, and there is only 6 months left of my time in university where I'm studying 3D Graphics to pave way for becoming a digital artist. The problem is that it pretty much has to be one or the other, music and this type of job does not go well together because they are both VERY demanding and time consuming.

Drums has to be the worst fucking instrument one can play. It is physically the most demanding, it takes most time to practise (simply because you have to travel to the place where you keep them), it is extremely expensive and in my case, progress is slow due to time constraints. Also the fact that you can't have them in your apartment (neighbours would go ape-shit, even while playing on e-drums).

To work as a digital artist means I will have to relocate about every year since jobs are constantly fluxing between different locations. This would mean it would be almost impossible to play in a band, and every time I move, I would need to find myself some rehearsal place. I feel fucking defeated

What I can choose between is basically switching to guitar instead of drums (I can even bring the guitar with me to work and practise ffs, how convenient compared to drums!), and pursue a digital artist's career, OR, I can continue with a life anchored to my drums and getting whatever jobs that will make my boat float until I "make it" in the music business (this is also a minus with music... there is hardly any cash in the business).


So besides whining, what's the point of this thread?
I REALLY want your stories/experiences on similiar choises in life. How does one fit a job together with the ambitions of becoming an extreme musician that excels at his instrument?

I hope I don't drive myself nuts thinking about this...

Thanks.

 

[Unavailable]

Honestly, I don't see music being something you can truly "give up" once you've started. You may not play for long periods of time, but if you've spent enough time learning it, you'll never forget it.

And of course, if you don't have the time for continuing drums, guitar is a perfect place to re-channel your musical interests. That's what I've sort of done.

 

[RyanUsesThis]

I played guitar in a band since I was a Junior in High School in NH. When I went to college for 3D Animation in San Francisco I sold most of my gear and I pretty much stopped playing guitar for a while.

When I came back from San Francisco I started working for Avid Technology... which isn't 3D production ( I was supporting the Softimage XSI product)... but it did consume 80% or so of my time.

In short... I gave up playing guitar for a good long time.. but eventually things calmed down, and I'm playing again. I may not be as quick with my hands as I was, but I still enjoy it.

I wouldn't give it up... but taking a break isn't a bad thing. You can always get more drums later on.

 

[Soundlurker]

Whatever you feel gives you more. The choice may seem to be a lot more complicated than this but it's simpliy down to realising what makes you more happy. Don't expect that someone will know what's best for you.

I personally am going the recording/mixing route despite feeling like a hobo sometimes I have friends that have chosen time-consuming careers instead and although they really miss playing or recording I wouldn't say they are miserable because of it. 3d Graphics sounds cool, btw, you're still creating something and I find the creativity part to be crucial.

 

[xFkx]

keep a hobby, a day job is always a day job, you'll grow to hate it

 

[Metaltastic]

Dude, Gojira, I still rock out to that "Beyond Final Mix" you posted awhile ago, isn't that you on guitar? Just bail on the drums for now and focus on the (much more portable and quiet) guitar, problem solved!

 

[Erkan]

3d Graphics sounds cool, btw, you're still creating something and I find the creativity part to be crucial.

Yeah I guess I have sort of "always" been the creative type. I feel that I need to express myself rather often and music has been THE best way to do it this far.

But it is a very difficult choise! Around the age of 17, I started getting interested about 3D, and then at 19 I went down into a depression/anxiety period with panic feelings and all kinds of horrible things, and that period lasted about a year and a half. During that time, which was the first/second year studying 3D at uni, I had a big change in personality and started losing interest in what I was studying, but I gained more interest in music. Now however, when only 6 months is remaining on the study, I'm feeling that I'm getting back some of that good old feeling for graphical art, which makes it hard to choose between the two.



Sorry for being an "attention whore" by the way. I don't mean this thread to be all about me me me me me me, it's just that I really wanna hear people's similiar experiences. That's all.

Thanks for the replies so far!

 

[Erkan]

Dude, Gojira, I still rock out to that "Beyond Final Mix" you posted awhile ago, isn't that you on guitar? Just bail on the drums for now and focus on the (much more portable and quiet) guitar, problem solved!

Shit, that was nice to hear Marcus

After that project I completed this summer, I started practising guitar more. I bought my own guitar just recently so yeah, I am sort of practising both drums and guitar now and I pretty much find them both equally fun. It definately was nice hearing you say that though, maybe It'll help me find my way out of this quicker.

Thanks man

Time to sleep, it's gonna be exciting to see what has popped into this thread overnight.

 

[skuller]

well my first inclination was that OP was hoppin on the sympathy band wagon. (there was another thread here not too long ago about something similar). that can be attributed to my conditioning that ALL HUMANS ARE NOT UNIQUE, however i'm trying to phase out that thought pattern.

how unmetal is that?

back OT:

i had this exact situation. i was studying to be a 3d / graphic artist, while i was in a band. i always opted to practice over my art, and thus my art suffered. i did not get my degree with flying colors. (i went to school! i have a bill to prove it!). anyhow, i ended up giving no attention to my degree after i got it. instead i have a job that supplements my lifestyle (metal dork, band dude).

its all just depending on what makes you happy. sure i can whip up some sweet art if and when i need to or am inspired to. but i do not have the tedium of deadlines to work through (hoping to have those in a band one day) for the next game, or book, or whatever. that said i'm also not a name you'll see after you beat call of duty world at war, either.

so basically i'm still figuring stuff out, but always opting for my lifestyle of metal and tunes.

 

[Metaltastic]

Shit, that was nice to hear Marcus

After that project I completed this summer, I started practising guitar more. I bought my own guitar just recently so yeah, I am sort of practising both drums and guitar now and I pretty much find them both equally fun. It definately was nice hearing you say that though, maybe It'll help me find my way out of this quicker.

Thanks man

Time to sleep, it's gonna be exciting to see what has popped into this thread overnight.

Absolutely man, my pleasure - my music is hugely important to me as well, and I always really appreciate it and find it very inspirational when people dig it, so I can relate! One of my best friends was (and still is) an amazing drummer, but has been getting big into guitar lately because he goes to college across the country (and naturally can't bring his drumset), and he's loving it. So don't give it up dude, that song had so many awesome grooves

 

[Rupturemetal]

I played music for 15 years, got into a situation kinda like yours, but I walked away from music for 12 yrs. Picked up the guitar one day and renewed interest even more than when I started. The point is you can always come back

 

[wishtheend]

music is soul man. I can understand being in a point where it may not feel right, which probably means stepping away for a bit may help give you a new perspective. But I don't think any musician can "give it up" for life. It's just like saying give up on living.

It may even mean just exploring a new musical path. We are all metal heads here - but this is not by any means the end all genre of music. You might just find some other form of musical outlet that fills you.

 

[PhilR]

Drums has to be the worst fucking instrument one can play. It is physically the most demanding, it takes most time to practise (simply because you have to travel to the place where you keep them), it is extremely expensive and in my case, progress is slow due to time constraints. Also the fact that you can't have them in your apartment (neighbours would go ape-shit, even while playing on e-drums).

Try learning to play the Tuba. Or worse, the Alpenhorn.

 

[Kazrog]

I went the opposite direction, and put 3D animation on the back burner while focusing on music and website development. I do 3D art as a hobby and music, software, and websites more seriously.

I came up in the early years of 3D animation, the late 80s and early 90s using the Amiga with software such as Imagine and Lightwave. I was being pushed by parents and friends to pursue it as a career, but ultimately I learned about the demands in terms of time, and I decided it wasn't for me. I'm a bit behind the curve with it now, but I still do some 3D artwork from time to time and really enjoy it.

Don't give anything up if you don't have to or don't want to is my advice.

 

[Sloan]

If I ever stopped music all together, I would just trade my gear for a bigass gun so I could blow my fucking brains out into the atmosphere.

 

[Erkan]

well my first inclination was that OP was hoppin on the sympathy band wagon. (there was another thread here not too long ago about something similar). that can be attributed to my conditioning that ALL HUMANS ARE NOT UNIQUE, however i'm trying to phase out that thought pattern.

Yeah, believe me, I've never liked being in the center of attention. Although this thread might seem like it's about me, it's more of a thread about life and choises, how people have chosen in the past and how did it go?

its all just depending on what makes you happy. sure i can whip up some sweet art if and when i need to or am inspired to. but i do not have the tedium of deadlines to work through (hoping to have those in a band one day) for the next game, or book, or whatever. that said i'm also not a name you'll see after you beat call of duty world at war, either.

so basically i'm still figuring stuff out, but always opting for my lifestyle of metal and tunes.

It's interesting to read your story. Working with art production full time gives you extremely little free time and that's what sucks about it. The amount of unemployees in Sweden is growing bigger and bigger and I feel like I shouldn't waste these year at uni just to become an unemployee myself.

I must admit, it is this whole economy crisis in the world that really got me thinking like this. Do I want Life A - With a solid job and a constant flow of money - or do I want Life B - With lots of creativity, freedom, "danger" and wildness.

Anyway, thanks for the replies, I didn't know quite a few in here were coming from a 3D/Graphics background.

 

[Erkan]

I played music for 15 years, got into a situation kinda like yours, but I walked away from music for 12 yrs. Picked up the guitar one day and renewed interest even more than when I started. The point is you can always come back

Wow, 12 years man... you didn't play anything at all during those years? Why did you stop, what made you do it?

music is soul man. I can understand being in a point where it may not feel right, which probably means stepping away for a bit may help give you a new perspective. But I don't think any musician can "give it up" for life. It's just like saying give up on living.

It may even mean just exploring a new musical path. We are all metal heads here - but this is not by any means the end all genre of music. You might just find some other form of musical outlet that fills you.

I agree with you 100%, but right now I feel like two persons at the same time (uh oh, might need to go to the shrink). One part of me is that musician guy who just kicks back and chills and doesn't worry and the other is this avarage-joe type of guy who worries about getting a good job and saving his ass.

But yeah... you know, you're right. I started with metal and I know for sure that the music you start with will always be in your backbone. So if I do decide the job comes first (and ditch the drumming altogether), I will most likely switch to guitar and find a new path in music. Feels like a giant leap though, from 8 years of drumming.

I went the opposite direction, and put 3D animation on the back burner while focusing on music and website development. I do 3D art as a hobby and music, software, and websites more seriously.

I came up in the early years of 3D animation, the late 80s and early 90s using the Amiga with software such as Imagine and Lightwave. I was being pushed by parents and friends to pursue it as a career, but ultimately I learned about the demands in terms of time, and I decided it wasn't for me. I'm a bit behind the curve with it now, but I still do some 3D artwork from time to time and really enjoy it.

Don't give anything up if you don't have to or don't want to is my advice.

Yup, the demands in time is ridiculous. It's very cool to hear that you could simply decide it wasn't for you and then just stick with that choise.

That's some good piece of advice! Maybe I'm looking too far into the horizon in vein... worrying. Man, people worry all the time and now I'm one of 'em

If I ever stopped music all together, I would just trade my gear for a bigass gun so I could blow my fucking brains out into the atmosphere.

Well put! I think many musicians would say the same.

That's one good thing about threads like these: They remind you of how much you love music, even if music seems to work against you sometimes.



Thanks to everyone so far! This is exactly what I was looking for in this thread: People's different stories and experiences. I needed different angles of view on this matter and I'm getting that.

 

[keithb]

keep a hobby, a day job is always a day job, you'll grow to hate it

Yeap.

 

[Ihsahn1981]

Im in the same situation.
6 months left at university studying to become an engineer.

So what happens then? I become "serious" and get a house and maybe kids even.
I fear that there will be no more time for music.

I dont have any answers, but you're not alone with this.

I do suspect that music is in my blood and that I would become ill if I
was never going to do it again.

 

[abyssofdreams]

what's with all this "giving up music"-threads as of late? it's making me feel uncomfortable at times :/