Get a Real Job! (Playing Music)

The Invictas, a '60s rock 'n roll party band, reunited after 40 years and is out rocking retirement communities, festivals, and events.

Today Chuck Anderson writes about making a living performing music. To most people it sounds absolutely impossible, but it can be done.

I’ve read of several people – on this very site – who have posted either in the Forum on in their story in the “Share Your Story” section about planning to or currently making a living performing their music.

Granted, many of these people are well into their 50s and 60s and may be drawing pensions, living off of retirement savings, or collecting Social Security. However, few people are able to make ends meet without supplementing these income streams in some way.

If you need to supplement your income: which would you prefer – working part-time in an office, store, or plant or performing your music in front of a live, cheering, screaming audience? Or, perhaps just an appreciative audience…

This really is the absolute best time of life to consider going out to perform for money. Maybe you don’t need a high-paying  job at this stage of life. You may have fewer household expenses due to older children, downscaling, or simply changing your priorities away from material goods toward experiences.

Also, with age comes emotional maturity (for many), and you may be less worried about how you appear on stage or whether you’ll make mistakes.

Chuck makes a good point about considering all types of venues. You don’t have to aim for Lincoln Center or Nashville, you can play at parties, weddings, festivals, and senior centers.

There are venues and people out there with budgets for music. Seek them out and see what happens. You may not sign as many autographs as you did in your dreams, but it could be a dream come true to simply get out there and play – and get paid to do it.