Building a Life in Music: Part I
How do Artists Thrive and Survive in the San Francisco Bay Area?
Modern life is complex; today’s economic climate is typified by the unprecedented number of young people working in freelance positions -- jobs that are unsalaried, unbenefited, and some of which come and go just as quickly as the companies that employ them. Recent surveys indicate that roughly half of all millennials in the United States work a second job or describe themselves as having a “side hustle.” For most, the side jobs in today’s gig economy are not just supplemental, but essential.
While this may be a brave new world for the 35% of the US workforce that currently participates in the freelance economy, for musicians, it is far from new! Musicians have long relied on varied streams of income to build a financial foundation for their careers. From the outside, the perception might be that musicians live a chilled-out and even glamorous life as they travel from stage to stage, from spotlight to spotlight, however the reality is that for 99% of the world’s musicians life is not so rarified, but is actually involves a complex patchwork of roles and contexts.
A large scale survey conducted in 2013 collected data on musician’s varied income sources (Courtesy Future of Music.)
The first in a series of articles on this topic, Ivy Hill spoke to some of the artists in our community to learn about the ways that people in our network go about not just “making it work,” but building truly fulfilling and sustainable lives for themselves in our home base of the San Francisco Bay Area.
Nora Stanley
alto saxophonist & composer
Where in the Bay Area are you based?
I’m based in Oakland.
When did you first start working as a professional musician?
I first started working professionally when I graduated school in 2018 although I was gigging and teaching in high school too.
How many streams of income/What are your streams of income?
My income comes from three different areas: gigging, teaching music (private lessons and ensemble coaching) and teaching sailing as well as deckhanding on a ferry.
How do the separate jobs inform/compliment each other?
I actually feel very fortunate to have these different contrasting streams of income - boating and music being two very distinct activities. I grew up on the water sailing and windsurfing so being out on the bay and working with my hands in the open air is very cathartic for me. I don’t see it as a completely separate thing from music either. To me it’s just a different context for thinking about music and it affords me the opportunity to clear my mind and refresh which I think greatly helps my creative process. It’s all inspiration - having a different setting and doing different things. So not only does it provide an additional stream of income but it also keeps me fresh mentally and physically.
How do you feel about being a freelancer? As opposed to a 9-5er?
I’m very happy to work freelance. While it can be hard not having distinct days off and there are never really days off as a practicing musician, it is nice to be able to shape my own schedule and have a different kind of changing rhythm from the consistent monotony of a 9-5.
Ross Howe
guitarist & composer
Where in the Bay Area are you based?
In the Richmond Hills for the past three years, after living in Oakland
When did you first start working as a professional musician?
I didn’t really start working until I finished school at CJC (California Jazz Conservatory.) It took me six months to be able to leave my part time job at a music startup to do music full time.
How many streams of income?/What are your streams of income?
Teaching: Teaching private students, 1 day a week at an independent music school (six hours back to back); Performing: agency work with three separate booking agencies, performing on weekly gigs, playing as a sideman; occasional studio work, I know certain engineers who will call when they need something specific maybe a few times a year.
What drove you to choose these particular avenues?
Private students can provide the most financial security of any avenue. With agency work, it takes so much time to book gigs that having someone else, or multiple people, booking for you can give you more time to practice; some people don’t like weekly or biweekly gigs if they are in certain settings, but even if they pay a little bit less, they help you maximize the hours you can practice, write music, compose, teach and minimize your time spent emailing.
How do the separate jobs inform/compliment each other?
They compliment each other naturally. Having the instrument in your hands as much as possible just helps to develop the connection. Teaching and performing both show you how to accomplish certain goals; teaching doesn’t inform the gigging too much; having the balance between teaching and gigging where everything feels fresh; maximizing the amount of income you are bringing in; it’s different for every person and every musician; when I was just out of college, gigging seven nights a week sounded awesome, but when you’re moving all the time you can’t develop relationships as well.
How do you feel about being a freelancer? As opposed to a 9-5er?
There are positives and negatives to both. The biggest downside is that we live in the most expensive place in the country, and if you’re a freelancer you feel the pressure to always be working; the other thing that's tricky about it as that you’re working that opposite hours as 9-5 people. My girlfriend is a teacher. There’s a lot of solitary time in there. It’s a weird balance of being alone a lot but also seeing people every day in business settings. The social aspect can be difficult. On the positive side, you don’t have to set an alarm, you create everyday, and do what you love. Every day is different, you get to travel. Everything always feels fresh, at least for me. I can plan my life around what’s important, work on projects each day. If you’re touring you can travel a lot. And then there’s sharing the thing that you’re good at; every day you get to show people the thing that you’re best at.
Full Schedules
As we can see from Ross and Nora, no two musicians have an identical daily life. While their separate jobs might seem unrelated, they ultimately are tied together by the passion and creative spirit for music that musicians rely on as fuel for their demanding and intricate daily lives. Thank you Nora and Ross for speaking to us and your contributions to the Community Blog! Stay tuned for Part II of this series, as well as additional upcoming posts.