Our hearts go out to the struggling musician, whether you are a street performer or you play a cushion gig' that pays good bucks. In this article, we will reflect on the lives and struggles of these born survivors.

Life can be tough for musicians, who invest many years learning to become proficient on an instrument....and haven't you heard? no one wants to extend credit to a professional musician, for fear that he will skip out on his financial obligations. Yea, yea, yea....I know! Some have. However, I feel that for every bad apple, there are 4 good ones.

What is expected of you. As musicians we are expected to dazzle our audience, regardless of what we go through....and when you think about it, an average employee with average skills, working for an average company, is virtually never expected to dazzle an employer but is only expected to show up and perform at least on an average level of competency.

We, on the other hand could only be so lucky! If you don't impress, then you are probably gonna' be catagorized as a throw-a-way and being thrown away may the next step. I was offered a spot in a top-40's dance band....I asked, what about your present bassist? They said "he sucked" and that they wanted to replace him. I felt bad for the guy but the truth is, he really didn't have the needed experience and though this was a fact, I believe he still could have been treated better as a person, allowing him to keep his dignity.

Common concerns. Perhaps the most basic concern for a musician would be securing your instrument and equipment. Guitars and bass are high on the list of stolen equipment. With 3 fender jazz basses, I feel that there is a lot to lose if I become careless just one time. You should not take any chances at all when It comes to securing your investment.

Another concern is attitudes within a band. This issue is seemingly the most likely means of band break ups, period! Are you yielding whenever possible? If not, try it.....You just may be surprised to see some positive effects in letting the other guy blow off some steam and not be too much in a hurry to tell him you don't wanna' hear it, when the fact is, you really don't.

Reverse the negatives. When you learn how to make music a primary part of your life, there are requirements to being successful in such an endeavor. Might you turn some of the negatives into positives? For instance, can you work harder at being a friend so that it becomes easier to have a friend? Am I being redundant in saying that a great deal of our personal problems stem from financial difficulties? Try saving more consistently (easier said than done, right?)

Keep your vehicle in the best condition that your finances will allow because it takes more than a prayer to get to that gig'. Treat your body like it is the only one you'll ever have.....As my introduction said, It can be very difficult being a person who wants to put music and theory to work in their lives and actually follow up with a musical career. I say, cheers to that person who struggles to be a musically satisfying person.