Our children are our pride and joy. As moms, we want to help them make good choices. A lot of us have very artistic children who were called to music at an early age or at some point in their young lives. Then they absolutely fell in love with music. Unless your child was a prodigy and playing professionally with orchestras, parents have a tendency to stir them away from music as a career. We envision them with long hair playing in bands at dead end clubs or on street corners with a guitar and cup hoping for donations. So we try to redirect them because we want them to do something more “stable” to earn a living.
When it comes to music, there are many, many options. Teaching in schools can give gainful employment and allows them to pass their passion on to other young people. Teaching privately can be fairly lucrative because hourly the cost of private lessons can be fairly high – even as high as $150 per hour more – based on the teacher’s experience. Performing pays based on the location of the performances and the popularity of the band or group that is performing. But, many people live off of making money making music for the enjoyment of an audience.
There’s also music production which involves making music for other artists. You do not have to be a part of a major record label to do this for others. Affordable software and equipment make is possible for many people do this from their own in-home studios.
Then there’s sales. Music stores are always looking to hire experienced or knowledgeable musicians as sales people. Because who better to sell music equipment than someone who actively uses it and knows about it on a variety of levels? For instance, if you were to call musicians friend looking for suggestions on an equipment purchase, guaranteed there would be a musician on the other end of the line.
Perhaps they won’t choose music as a career, but if they can play an instrument, the possibility will always exist for them to be able to do so at any given point in their lives. With the nature of businesses hiring, firing, and sending jobs overseas, having other skills is always valuable. Besides that, there is the enjoyment of music in itself. And, there’s two kinds of people when it comes to music – those who make it and those who groove to it. Your child could be one of those who makes it!