Making a living playing the drums

sorry glad I caught the end because after reading all that drummingman your not even in a band!!!

You are limiting your market even more with this label of 'christian metal band'......I am sure it fits into the States but hitting Europe etc with that serious limits promoters and other bands wanting to share tours with you........

I know Metal Bands and successful ones who will turn their nose up at such a label as Christian Metal

But all the more power to you but if you seriously want to make a living from drumming then as you said you don't want to teach etc but it's how a lot of guys stay afloat........

Nothing wrong with it but be prepared for hardship but you do you want your cake and eat it but playing and earning a good living from 'one' band..........

I sound negative but sometimes the odds are better of winning the Lottery.........

good luck regardless
 
Hey Drummingman,

Here are some ways to make money/a living from drums:
1) Join a function band or create one
2) Do sessions and tours for existing bands, composers, shows, events
3) Demonstrate gear at trade shows
4) Offer online sessions
5) Teach
6) Write for the magazines

If you diversify a little and do even a couple of these really well you'll be able pay your bills and fund your bigger goals.

Another piece of advice, never ask someone who hasn't made it, how to make it. Doing what you want is far from easy but it is possible if you have a good business brain to compliment you drumming skills.
 
Hey Drummingman,

Here are some ways to make money/a living from drums:
1) Join a function band or create one
2) Do sessions and tours for existing bands, composers, shows, events
3) Demonstrate gear at trade shows
4) Offer online sessions
5) Teach
6) Write for the magazines

If you diversify a little and do even a couple of these really well you'll be able pay your bills and fund your bigger goals.

Another piece of advice, never ask someone who hasn't made it, how to make it. Doing what you want is far from easy but it is possible if you have a good business brain to compliment you drumming skills.

Since you've just given the OP six, actually seven points of advice I guess it's fair to assume that you yourself have "made it," no?
 
Another piece of advice, never ask someone who hasn't made it, how to make it. Doing what you want is far from easy but it is possible if you have a good business brain to compliment you drumming skills.

I certainly get where you are coming from, and to a degree it's a point well made.

But on the flip side, I don't have to hear it directly from Sir Edmund Hillary's mouth to know that climbing Everest is incredibly hard.....and that far less people who set off from base camp actually reach the summit.

Knowledge can be garnished from the experiences of many.....whether it be Tommy Lee or the guy working the local circuit.
 
Hey Drummingman,

Here are some ways to make money/a living from drums:
1) Join a function band or create one
2) Do sessions and tours for existing bands, composers, shows, events
3) Demonstrate gear at trade shows
4) Offer online sessions
5) Teach
6) Write for the magazines

If you diversify a little and do even a couple of these really well you'll be able pay your bills and fund your bigger goals.

Another piece of advice, never ask someone who hasn't made it, how to make it. Doing what you want is far from easy but it is possible if you have a good business brain to compliment you drumming skills.

Thanks for your post man. Lots of good info!
 
Fantastic article! " a Gig Whore may claim to be working "in the trenches," the jazz musician within knows that he's really plumbing untreated musical sewage."

Thanks for sharing

I should've attached a warning- it's pretty dark satire! I don't believe he means to brutalize struggling musicians- he self-identifies as being at least a partial gig whore, like virtually everyone else who has ever worked professionally.
 
I should've attached a warning- it's pretty dark satire! I don't believe he means to brutalize struggling musicians- he self-identifies as being at least a partial gig whore, like virtually everyone else who has ever worked professionally.

Absolutely. The reason it resonates is that seems to be a view from the inside. Like a CNN correspondent..or an endoscopy ; )
 
Since you've just given the OP six, actually seven points of advice I guess it's fair to assume that you yourself have "made it," no?

Hi con struct,

I've been gigging and teaching for a long time now as well as authoring a book so I'm self-sufficient as a musician and have achieved most of my goals to date. "Made It" as in getting where I want to be, yes. As a signed band, no, but that's not my goal.


I certainly get where you are coming from, and to a degree it's a point well made.

But on the flip side, I don't have to hear it directly from Sir Edmund Hillary's mouth to know that climbing Everest is incredibly hard.....and that far less people who set off from base camp actually reach the summit.

Knowledge can be garnished from the experiences of many.....whether it be Tommy Lee or the guy working the local circuit.

I totally agree with you pocket full of gold. Everyone has knowledge and experiences that we can benefit from but when the advice is primarily negative, un-useful and offers no practical solutions then you've got to ask where is this coming from and what use is it to me?

At least that's how I view the situation, I'm a solutions guy! ;-)
 
I totally agree with you pocket full of gold. Everyone has knowledge and experiences that we can benefit from but when the advice is primarily negative, un-useful and offers no practical solutions then you've got to ask where is this coming from and what use is it to me?

At least that's how I view the situation, I'm a solutions guy! ;-)

I totally agree with this. In my time online asking about how to make a living as a musician, especially in the context of one main band, the majority of things that i have heard have been negative. And i find that to be truly sad to be honest. Because it just shows me that a lot of people have given up on their true dreams and they live with a mindset of defeat when it comes to what they want to do. People have to remember that most of the bands that have made it started at the same place that we all start at. This just shows that it is very possible for any band to make it.
 
but when the advice is primarily negative, un-useful and offers no practical solutions then you've got to ask where is this coming from and what use is it to me?

Certainly not trying to be negative mate. I just wanted to highlight that if it was as easy as: "I'll get myself a band together, hit the scene, get signed, sell several hundred million units and jet-set my way to international stardom", then we'd all be doing it.

Merely trying to highlight the difference between "making a living" and "making it". So precious few actually "make it" in the sense being discussed here (i.e one band sustaining a lifestyle).

Cheers man :)
 
I totally agree with this. In my time online asking about how to make a living as a musician, especially in the context of one main band, the majority of things that i have heard have been negative. And i find that to be truly sad to be honest. Because it just shows me that a lot of people have given up on their true dreams and they live with a mindset of defeat when it comes to what they want to do. People have to remember that most of the bands that have made it started at the same place that we all start at. This just shows that it is very possible for any band to make it.

Incorrect. I've given up on nothing. You are missing my point.

EDIT: that explains all Aydee......here I was thinking you're a speed reader.
 
Making it also does not have to mean selling a 10 million albums. To me it means being able to play the music that you love and being able to make a comfortable living do so. And if my band sells 10 million albums without us compromising our beliefs and our musicial vision then thats great as well!
 
Incorrect. I've given up on nothing. You are missing my point.

I was not saying you personally. I was just saying in general.

Only each person knows if they have given up on their dreams. If i had not talked with a person fpr a good bit i would try not to assume that they had given up on their dreams.
 
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