Juggling A Music Career And A Day Job

Until music provides a sizable income, a “day job” is needed to cover living expenses, family needs, medical insurance, and music-related costs. Doing good work at your day job and becoming a valued employee may make employers more willing to accommodate schedule changes and time off for gigs and other music related commitments. Artists should communicate as early as possible with their non-musical employers about music commitments that may clash with day job responsibilities and remain flexible to reschedule gigs and rehearsals if they clash with day job responsibilities.

If a workplace is consistently not flexible, consider finding another job, where you have better control of your schedule, like driving for Uber, Lyft, or DoorDash, or finding other forms of self-employment to achieve a acceptable work/music balance.

Balancing work and music may take experimentation with different jobs and bands.  It is generally easier for artists who record, gig, and produce infrequently, than for those who have a busy schedule of live performances and studio time.   

Many artists are able to find a good balance between their day job and pursuing a career as an indie artist.  With the right patience, flexibility, and integrity, you can too!