Comments on: What Do You Do? (What’s Your Answer?)

By: What Do You Do? « Billville

What Do You Do? « Billville — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 13:07:42 +0000

[...] What Do You Do? (What’s Your Answer?) by Brian Casel [...]

By: David Kraut

David Kraut — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 22:50:13 +0000

Interesting post — I guess I am lucky in that I do enjoy my day job (although not every day), which is not music, but I still maintain a passion to write and make music that reaches beyond my living room. I wrote a song a couple of years ago, “A Day Job and a Dream”, that reflected a time when I wasn’t quite as happy with the day job, and the dream was what kept me going. [You can hear it at http://www.broadjam.com/player/playerhosting.asp?play_file=12663_297427)] Some of the artists who have recorded it say that it spoke closely to their own situation.

By: Bing Futch

Bing Futch — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:19:04 +0000

I’ll never forget talking to a lawyer in a Bennigan’s about ten years ago. He asked me what I did and I replied, “I’m a musician.”

His reply? “Oh, so you’re unemployed?”

Fast-forward to the present – I run a video production company and am a singer/songwriter/composer/teacher of music. I work from home and am blessed to travel around the country to perform and teach mountain dulcimer to folks at festivals. It’s not a high-paying gig by any means (not yet!) but it’s never been about the money, which is something that most vocational or career professionals don’t understand. So many people are groomed from high school through college to pick a skill that will enable them to make the most money. As we’ve seen with our current economical crisis, the value of money is in constant flux and simply no way to serve as a plum line for your life.

If more people followed their hearts and did what they loved, as opposed to what rolled in the dough, the world would be a happier and healthier place (and probably full of a lot more music.)

Aloha -

Bing Futch
BingFutch.com

By: Brian Casel

Brian Casel — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 01:03:56 +0000

@Andy – I like that. If we replace “What do you do?” with “What’s your passion?” we might avoid the boring small talk and actually engage in more meaningful conversation.

By: Andy

Andy — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 00:59:15 +0000

I make music.

That’s my answer. Usually ends up with a discussion about music in general and the diversity of my involvement.

I also find myself asking ‘What’s your passion?’ instead of ‘What do you do?’ … normally gets people talking about what they really like, not just what they do for a living.

By: Sam

Sam — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 20:07:57 +0000

i work – but to be able to afford stuff like touring the states as an up and coming band from europe on our own dough – so i guess a job is a means to an end – and my end will be music!

By: Mad Stratter

Mad Stratter — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 18:09:43 +0000

Great post… and comment also, John.

I’m fortunate enough to be able to say that “I’m a musician” without any footnotes.

Granted, that it because I am unemployed otherwise, and not because music provides a livable income, but nonetheless… I can honestly say “I’m a full-time musician”

By: Brian Casel

Brian Casel — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 17:23:54 +0000

@John – absolutely. There’s no point in emphasizing your day-job when music is what is most important to you.

By: John Radcliff

John Radcliff — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 17:08:30 +0000

I think you hit the nail on the head when you talk about what defines you. My music income is a very small portion of what I bring in, I only made slightly more as a sports writer (blogger). But I always bring up those two things as “what I do.” If someone really wants to know about me, they’ll find that I have a real job. But it hardly defines me more than a continuation of the education that I received.

The way I figure it, if anyone wants to know about me my day job is the last thing they’ll want to hear about.