INDIE ARTIST INSIDER #006
JUGGLING A MUSIC CAREER AND A DAY JOB

Welcome to a brand new feature here at SongCast, the Indie Artist Insider.  Every Monday, we will post a new video containing tips, tricks, and sound advice on how to succeed in the music business.  We will start off targeting those who are new to the music scene and progress into topics for the most seasoned and veteran musicians. 

If you have any topics you would like to see covered on the Indie Artist Insider, please email host Joe Kleon at promotions@songcastmusic.com

Hello and welcome to another edition of Indie artist Insider, in this episode we will talk about juggling your day job and your music career

Many indie artists will tell you the importance of maintaining a “day job.” This a very important piece of the puzzle for many indie musicians.  Striving for excellence and doing great work at your day job will pay off and help your music career.  It will be easier, in many cases, to get some time off here and there from your day job for gigs and other band activities that may coincide with work hours, if you are a valued employee that does great work.

If you have a rigid day job and your boss or bosses will not be even a little flexible towards your musical endeavors?  You will have to eventually choose one over the other, perhaps start looking for a new day job, or perhaps a form of self-employment that will allow you a flexible schedule that you can share with your musical activities.

Until your music starts generating a sizable income, you will need to maintain some kind of “day job” in order to pay the bills, feed your family (if you have one) provide medical insurance, and fund some of your musical expenses.  Finding a proper balance can take some time and may require trying out a few different jobs and bands, but once the perfect puzzle is assembled, you will know.  The magic will be evident.  Always strive for the magic.  Always move onward and upward.  Find a day job that you can balance with your music career, allow the two to work together, use them to strengthen your networking relationships.   

If you are not playing live much, or touring and are just a rapper recording beats and producing yourself, it will, of course, be a lot easier to juggle both careers, since you can work at home around your “day job” schedule.

The more live shows you do, the farther out to venture to play, the more time you spend in a recording studio, there will come a time where these two differing occupations will clash.  Make sure when that happens that you have a great relationship with your bosses at your day job.  Be as flexible as you can and always give them as much advance notice as you can, when booking gigs that may require time off work.

With friendly communication and a little thought, you can successfully juggle your day job and musical career.  

I’m joe Kleon for the SongCast Indie Artist Insider.