It’s one of the most common questions anyone is asked when meeting for the first time. What do you do? For musicians and songwriters, it may not be such a clear-cut answer. In this open question to our readers, I ask how do you answer the question: what do you do?

Times are tough. Unemployment is rising, pay cuts are everywhere, and it’s becoming harder and harder to pay the bills. Everyone is looking for ways to supplement their income in 2009. For songwriters and musicians, there are many different ways to make money making music. Here are some ideas to help you leverage your music and songwriting skills to earn extra income this year.