What is the Career of a Musician Supposed to Look Like?

I was watching this documentary on Amazon Prime called, Unsigned.
 
The film was from a few years ago and follows three acts/bands along their musical journey as unsigned artists in Los Angles, CA.
 
What really resonated with me was the artist, Paul Nagi, because he had a wife and child, was working as a music teacher (which he seemed really good at and enjoyed), all while pursuing his passion as a musician writing songs and performing shows.
 
I connect with that because that's my own situation. I, like so many other serious musicians, have a family, work a career job -- that I'm good at and like -- to help support my family while still also pursuing my musical career too.
 
I like to share my musical journey and learn of others in a similar boat because I believe a large population of professional musicians fit into this category. 
 
However, most of what is publicized are stories about music stardom, which is rare at best. Plus, there is so much great music being missed if you only gravitate towards the stardom category.
 
In many cases those job-attending, family-oriented musicians are hustling and working harder to pursue their best selves in all aspects of their lives than their single, solely-focused-on-music counterparts.
 
Now, I'm not trying minimize the latter. I simply aim to bring some awareness to the former, which doesn't always get much attention.
 
And I'm certainly not complaining...
 
For me, I have the best of both worlds:

• the opportunity to write and perform my music with the richness of family life along the way, and control over how much I travel and the shows I choose to do,
• but without the financial stress of trying to support my whole family on just my music knowing I don't want to be gone from them touring all the time to make ends meet.

 
At the end of the film, it's implied that the 3 bands featured keep pursuing their musical passion, continuing to grow in their professional craft whether or not that includes a major label contract.
 
For me, it’s always been about playing and doing well enough financially to keep playing. What that looks like has evolved over the years, but I’m happy to say that after 20+ years of writing and performing music, I’m still energized by the pursuit of it.

​Posted by: Nick Venturella

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