After years of being a student without a “proper” job (no benefits)…I bought myself health insurance. For me it was a cost ~$200-300 range per month. Yes, no doubt, our health care system is messed up, but you gotta get it. It’s cheese – like going to the mall to pick up your health insurance, but it’s important.

When are you going to do a show in San Francisco?

Great post, Donita!

I’ve spent over 30 years as a professional ‘working joe’ musician (since I was 16), and my mother asked me the same thing – ‘why don’t you get a job with security and benefits’? Now, she has seen that ‘job security’ and benefits are a thing of the past. Here’s my answer when people ask me “Why don’t you get a real job?”

If you are a musician, you have heard these words a million times. They are spoken sometimes in anger, sometimes in pity, sometimes in frustration. Why anyone with a brain in their head would choose to fritter their life away honestly puzzles many people.

Musicians are widely regarded as lazy, immature, and either aimless or unrealistically over-ambitious. (”What do you call a guitar player without a girlfriend?” “Homeless”) They are constantly reminded by well-meaning folks how small the chances are of ‘making it’ (i.e. becoming rich and famous) and how difficult it is to make a living as a full-time musician. Some of that may even be true. ‘Lazy’, however, I believe I would have to disagree with. When you go out to a bar, for instance, have a few drinks and dance to your local live band, they sure look like they’re having fun – as much or perhaps even more than you (depending on how your day has gone). It’s hard to believe they’re getting money for doing almost the same thing that you’re paying to do – dancing, singing, partying. How much money do you think they’re getting? Whatever your guess is, I’ll bet that it’s not low enough. The waitress makes more – lots more. The bartender makes more – lots more. The busboy, the bouncer, the valet-parking guy…now you’re getting warm, Sherlock!

here’s the rest…

I read “the rest” and thanks for the link. I’ve written and home-recorded lots of tunes but I’d hesitate to call any of them “art” and what you refer to as the “have to” is, for me, more like an itch that needs to be scratched. I’ve began to wonder if what I’m doing actually is degrading what real musicians/artists do in the way velvet paintings and mass produced seascapes seemingly degrade what real visual artists do. When I retire from my full time job with benefits I’m gonna live my rock and roll fantasy. I”m already growing a pony tail LOL.

I really don’t think employers should be responsible for paying for healthcare in this country. It drives the prices up way high. The prices would come down if everyone had to pay out of pocket or if the government gave everyone some kind of catastrophic insurance.

Best thing you can do is just eat right, exercise, and take care of yourself. Yoga is good, too.

I’ve spent over 30 years as a professional ‘working joe’ musician (since I was 16), and my mother asked me the same thing – ‘why don’t you get a job with security and benefits’? Now, she has seen that ‘job security’ and benefits are a thing of the past. Here’s my answer when people ask me “Why don’t you get a real job?”

If you are a musician, you have heard these words a million times. They are spoken sometimes in anger, sometimes in pity, sometimes in frustration. Why anyone with a brain in their head would choose to fritter their life away honestly puzzles many people.

Musicians are widely regarded as lazy, immature, and either aimless or unrealistically over-ambitious. (”What do you call a guitar player without a girlfriend?” “Homeless”) They are constantly reminded by well-meaning folks how small the chances are of ‘making it’ (i.e. becoming rich and famous) and how difficult it is to make a living as a full-time musician. Some of that may even be true. ‘Lazy’, however, I believe I would have to disagree with. When you go out to a bar, for instance, have a few drinks and dance to your local live band, they sure look like they’re having fun – as much or perhaps even more than you (depending on how your day has gone). It’s hard to believe they’re getting money for doing almost the same thing that you’re paying to do – dancing, singing, partying. How much money do you think they’re getting? Whatever your guess is, I’ll bet that it’s not low enough. The waitress makes more – lots more. The bartender makes more – lots more. The busboy, the bouncer, the valet-parking guy…now you’re getting warm, Sherlock!

here’s the rest…

The best thing the US can do to encourage creative people, foster artistic development and enrich our culture is to ensure health insurance is available and affordable. (Of course, affordable & available insurance will help virtually everybody in this country… I’m just pointing out how much it would help the “creative class” in our society).

Actually im not self employed, im working in the nonprofit sector, thus the not “working for the man comment”- as it stands i dont have anything steady, but if by the time im 25 I dont ill start sweating it- Im not the healthiest person, but im healthy enough not to get a random sickness unless its from work(which theyd cover then)

And its fine, im all about killing peoples buzz;)

Current Numbers:

* 168,706 artists sell their CD at CD Baby.
* 3,011,376 CDs sold online to customers.
* $40,901,127 paid to artists.
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Equivalently, averaging $242.44 per artist, 18 units per artist.

(I’d like to see the actual distribution, though; I’d bet the median is even lower.)
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